Accountable to: Nursery Manager / Deputy Manager
Position: Full time, Monday to Friday
Hours: 7.00am until 4.00pm
Contract: All year round position
About the Role
Little Giggles Nursery is looking for a caring, organised and experienced Nursery Cook to join our team. This important role involves preparing fresh, nutritious and well‑presented meals and snacks for babies and children under the age of five. You will be responsible for the day‑to‑day running of the nursery kitchen, ensuring that all meals meet the needs of our children, including allergies, intolerances, cultural requirements, vegetarian and vegan diets, and age‑appropriate stages such as weaning.
Key Responsibilities
* Prepare fresh, nutritious and well‑presented meals in line with current nursery menus.
* Prepare healthy snacks and meals throughout the day for each room and age group as required.
* Take responsibility for the day‑to‑day running of the kitchen.
* Maintain excellent hygiene standards at all times.
* Follow infection control and cross‑contamination procedures.
* Be constantly aware of special dietary needs, including allergies, intolerances, cultural needs, vegetarian and vegan requirements.
* Follow all children’s dietary requirements and age‑appropriate food stages, including weaning.
* Carry out duties connected with health and safety at work, including risk assessments, COSHH and RIDDOR.
* Update and manage the Safer Food, Better Business file daily.
* Follow standard food hygiene procedures, including food temperature checks and daily monitoring records.
* Be familiar with procedures in the event of an accident or fire.
* Complete food orders within the allocated budget and appropriate delivery timescales.
* Complete weekly food orders in line with expected numbers of children.
* Rotate stock, monitor stock levels and order appropriately.
* Ensure all frozen meals and foods are checked weekly.
* Dispose of any food that is out of date or close to its use‑by date, recording the reason for waste.
* Defrost fridges and freezers regularly to maintain efficiency.
* Ensure all areas of the kitchen are safe, clean and maintained to an excellent standard.
* Ensure equipment and materials are safe, cleaned at the end of each day and recorded appropriately.
* Report any faulty equipment to the Nursery Manager immediately and remove it safely from use.
* Undertake any additional training in accordance with current guidelines.
* Follow all safety rules, including never leaving the kitchen while the cooker is in use and not allowing children into the kitchen.
Additional Tasks
* Prepare all food items in a sanitary and timely manner.
* Follow recipes and presentation specifications.
* Operate standard kitchen equipment safely and efficiently.
* Maintain a clean working station while following health and safety standards.
* Assist with the cleaning and organisation of the kitchen and equipment.
* Restock items as needed throughout the day.
* Record food temperatures.
* Prepare reports where required.
* Keep a supply of recipes available for staff to use with the children.
* Ensure suitable equipment is available for children to experience cooking activities with their carers.
Working as Part of the Team
You will work as an effective part of the nursery team, helping to maintain good morale and supporting the high reputation of Little Giggles Nursery both inside and outside the setting. You will be expected to follow Little Giggles Nursery standards at all times and contribute to the warm, caring and professional environment we provide for our children, families and staff.
Experience
* At least 1 year of experience as a cook is required.
Required Qualifications
* Basic Food Hygiene qualification.
* Qualification in catering.
Desirable Qualifications and Experience
* Food Allergy Awareness qualification.
* Experience of working within a very busy setting.
* Experience of cooking for large numbers.
* Experience of preparing meals for a wide range of dietary requirements.
Safer Recruitment
Satisfactory references will be required before employment commences, in line with the Statutory Framework and Safer Recruitment policies. Applicants for posts within the nursery are clearly informed that the position is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
This specification is not exhaustive, and additional tasks may be directed by the Nursery Manager or Deputy Manager.
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