Chef / Cook

Location: Clifton College, 32 College Rd, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3JH

Salary: £14.22 per hour

Hours: 40 Hours a week

Working Pattern: Monday - Friday, 7am - 3.30pm

We welcome applications from candidates seeking either a Term Time Only position or a 52-week working arrangement.

As a Chef/Cook for Sodexo at Clifton College, you'll be at the heart of a busy school catering operation, preparing and delivering nutritious, high quality meals that help students thrive.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Chef, Cook, or ambitious Commis Chef looking to take the next step in their career. You'll play a key role in food preparation, menu delivery, kitchen operations, food safety compliance, and team engagement, helping to create an exceptional dining experience every day.

Best of all? You'll enjoy a fantastic work life balance with no unsociable hours, weekends off, and public holidays off, including Christmas.

As a Chef/Cook, you'll support the day to day running of a busy kitchen operation, ensuring meals are prepared, presented, and served to the highest standards.

• Preparing, cooking, presenting, and serving meals in line with company standards and client expectations
• Ensuring food is produced to specification, served at the correct temperature, and presented to a high standard
• Assisting with menu planning, food ordering, and stock management
• Receiving deliveries, checking goods for quality, and storing stock correctly using FIFO (First In, First Out) procedures
• Managing food portion control and minimising waste
• Supporting the supervision, training, and development of kitchen team members
• Maintaining excellent food hygiene, allergen management, HACCP, COSHH, and Health & Safety standards
• Conducting regular food safety and kitchen compliance checks
• Ensuring all food preparation, storage, and service areas remain clean, safe, and organised
• Assisting with the service of meals to students, staff, and visitors
• Building positive relationships with colleagues, customers, and client stakeholders
• Reporting incidents, accidents, equipment faults, or food safety concerns promptly
• Supporting special functions and events when required
• Attending training sessions and team meetings to support continuous improvement

We're looking for someone with a genuine passion for food, strong organisational skills, and the ability to thrive in a busy catering environment.

• 1-2 years' hands on Chef or Cook experience
• Experience cooking on a large scale, ideally catering for between 100 and 400 people
• Experience following recipes and specifications within a professional kitchen
• Previous supervisory or team leadership experience
• Strong knowledge of fresh produce and ingredient preparation
• Understanding of food hygiene, food safety, allergen management, and Health & Safety regulations
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Good time management and organisational skills
• Ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast paced kitchen environment
• Strong literacy and numeracy skills
• Computer literacy
• Positive, proactive, and self motivated approach
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and support positive change
• Basic Food Handling Certification
• NVQ Level 2 Professional Cookery (or equivalent)
• Level 2 Food Safety Certificate
• Enhanced DBS clearance (or willingness to undergo checks)

• City & Guilds 706/2, NVQ Level 2 Chef Qualification, or equivalent
• Experience within education, contract catering, or similar high volume environments
• A Commis Chef looking to progress into a broader cooking role

• A dynamic and supportive work environment
• Competitive salary and benefits
• Full training and protective uniform provided
• No unsociable hours and public holidays off-including Christmas
• Unlimited access to mental health and wellbeing support
• Employee Assistance Programme for legal, financial, and personal support
• Discounts, cashback schemes, and financial benefits
• Career progression, learning opportunities, and apprenticeships
• Cycle to Work Scheme and volunteering opportunities

Note: Sodexo and our clients are committed to safeguarding children. All roles require pre employment screening, including DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) and past employer checks.