Job Title: Chef/Cook – Farmer Palmers Farm Park (Full Time)
5 days per week to include one weekend day.
Rate of pay: £15.00ph with review after a probationary period.
Hours: Between 8.30am - 4.30 depending on the season (approximately 32- 45hrs per week)
We are looking for a skilled, reliable Chef/Cook to join our busy kitchen at our popular children’s farm park. This is not a fine-dining role — we’re not looking for fancy. We’re looking for someone who can produce really good, high-quality homemade food from scratch, using fresh ingredients, and serve it consistently well to large numbers of families.
If you take pride in hearty, home-cooked meals and run a clean, well-organised kitchen, we’d love to hear from you.
----------------------------------- About the Role
The Hen House restaurant serves up to 800 visitors per day during peak times, so you must be confident working in a fast-paced, high-volume environment while staying calm and organised under pressure.
The majority of our menu is served from a hot counter, very minimal short-order tickets, so this role focuses on preparing and maintaining high-quality dishes ready for service rather than cook-to-order meals.
You will be preparing a range of food from breakfasts through to hearty lunches, as well as picnic and takeaway items, ensuring everything is fresh, well-presented and consistently good quality.
You will oversee all kitchen team members to ensure quality and consistency, jumping in to help wherever required, be it preparing sandwiches, making cakes or even helping on pot wash to ensure a seamless customer experience. It will be your responsibility to open and close the kitchen, cleaning down all equipment and maintaining excellent hygiene standards.
Reporting directly to the Restaurant Manager and General Manager, you will take ownership of the kitchen’s day-to-day operations and standards.
----------------------------------- Key Responsibilities
* Preparing and cooking fresh, homemade meals from scratch to a high standard
* Delivering a varied menu from breakfast through to lunch, including daily specials and takeaway/picnic options
* Managing high-volume service (up to 800 covers per day in peak season)
* Preparing food for a hot counter service and maintaining quality throughout
* Costing meals accurately to maintain strong gross profit margins
* Ordering stock and maintaining appropriate stock levels
* Ensuring consistent stock rotation and minimising wastage
* Full responsibility for kitchen due diligence and compliance, including temperature checks and completion of 'SFBB' documents
* Ensuring strict allergen control and compliance with all team members
* Maintaining exceptional kitchen cleanliness and hygiene standards
----------------------------------- Essential Requirements
* Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate (required)
* Strong knowledge of allergens and food safety legislation
* Experience in a busy kitchen environment
* Experience in menu costing and stock control
* Ability to manage ordering and minimise waste effectively
* Ability to stay calm and organised under pressure
* High standards of cleanliness and hygiene
* Computer skills including Excel & Word
* Reliable, hardworking, and team-oriented
----------------------------------- What We Offer
* Full-time position – 5 days per week (one weekend day)
* Uniform provided
* No split shifts
* No evening work (except for our Christmas events – 8 evenings per year, finishing at 7:30pm
* Closed over Christmas and New Year
* Lunch on duty
* Free car parking on site
* Employee assistance programme
* Supportive, family-focused working environment
* A chance to work somewhere fun, unique, and family-focused
-----------------------------------
This is a fantastic opportunity for a cook who loves producing honest, delicious home-cooked food and wants a better work-life balance than traditional hospitality often offers.
If you’re passionate about quality, consistency, and running a tight, clean kitchen — without the pressure of fine dining — we’d love to hear from you.
Applications close: 17/03/26
Interview date: 24/03/26