Assistant Nursery Cook / Chef

Nursery: Forest Barn Nursery School, The Barn at Tooks Farm, Great Warley Street, Great Warley, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 3JP

Hours: Part Time, Monday - Friday (25 hours per week) 9am-2pm All year round
Salary: £12.75 per hour
Benefits: Performance related bonus, 50% childcare discount, wellness day and much much more

About Forest Barn

Hi, I’m Leigh, the Nursery Manager at Forest Barn.

Every day at Forest Barn, we nurture our children’s natural curiosity and creativity in an environment designed to spark imaginations and build confidence. We’re proud to offer an exceptional learning space where children develop a real love for learning and an inquisitive, confident mindset.

Outdoors, we’re truly spoilt for choice. From our Nissen hut and sensory garden to the fruit patch and nearby woodland walks, nature plays a key role in our children’s development. With two gardens and a large field, there’s plenty of opportunity for exploration, adventure, and calm connection with the world around them.

Our cosy, home-from-home environment is filled with natural resources that invite play and ignite wonder. And our commitment to community shines through in our special partnership with the local care home—where residents regularly join us for tea and shared joy with the children.

At Forest Barn, learning, nature, and community come together to create a truly magical place for our children. About you
You are a dedicated, Level 2 Food and Hygiene qualified cook with a solid understanding of Health and Safety regulations and COSHH and you're looking for a new role in a fun, friendly team, where you can thrive and make the most of your culinary skills.

What you'll be doing
As an Assistant Nursery Chef/Cook, you will be working closely with the Nursery Cook, you’ll assist in preparing nutritious, freshly made meals while maintaining the highest standards of safety and hygiene in the nursery kitchen at all times. Your flexibility and reliability will ensure the smooth operation of the kitchen.

Day to day you will find yourself;

• Catering for children with specific dietary needs
• Working to an extremely high level when it comes to the relevant Food and Hygiene, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health-Food Safety, Health and Safety and Ofsted guidelines and regulations
• Ensuring that all children are kept safe and have rich stimulating eating experiences
• Maintaining stock levels and ensuring stock rotation
• Following COSHH and other relevant guidelines
• Deputising for the Cook in all absences with the expectation of deputising full time when this is required

What you'll need

• Level 2 Food and Hygiene
• Experience in a commercial kitchen as an assistant cook/chef or something very similar
• Knowledge of Health and Safety regulations and COSHH

What you'll get

• Competitive rates of pay dependent on experience, qualification and NMW age guidance
• Performance related bonuses
• 50% childcare discount
• Annual wellness day off
• Access to retail and other discounts through Perkbox
• 20 days holidays (plus bank holiday), increasing to 22 days after 2 years service and 25 days after 5 years service
• Dedicated learning and development support
• Access to one-to-one confidential counselling sessions through our Employee Assistance Programme

About us
This nursery is part of Storal, a group of nurseries across England. It is our vision at Storal to be the nursery group that every family and educator wants to be part of. Our values are built around creating this environment for teams and children. We believe in high standards, praising each other, pulling together as a team whilst actively helping others to grow and that’s only the beginning of the story. We do what we say we do and if you align with this approach, then a Storal nursery is the place for you.

Storal is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All employees will be subject to background checks, enhanced DBS check and reference checks.