Job summary
- Main area
- Diet Chef
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent: Monday to Thursday 8am - 4pm
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week (Monday to Thursday)
- Job ref
- 435-1LSC-BTH-05.26
- Employer
- East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Victoria Hospital, Whinney Heys Road Blackpool, FY3 8NR
- Town
- Blackpool
- Salary
- £24,937 - £26,598 pa
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 05/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Diet Chef
NHS AfC: Band 3
At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.
Job overview
The Catering Department, Victoria Hospital, Blackpool are looking for a Diet Chef to be part of the busy team. If you are a dynamic person who can raise to the challenges of providing a fresh cook service to over 800 patients per meal service and over 500 restaurant customers per day please read on.
The Diet Chef holds a very important role in food production and meal services that contributes to patients being treated and being given higher quality of care. They undertake a key role in the day-to-day food production, responsible for food service in the production of meals. The post ensures a high quality, cost effective and resourceful service delivery and that food is nutritious and appetising. They must meet patients' dietary requirements and allergen requirements including, for example, gluten free, milk free, low potassium, halal and vegan meals.
The successful candidate must be open to applying a partnership approach and to embrace new ways of working which best deliver the range and quality of service required to meet the needs of patients and customers, in as efficient and effective a way as possible.
If successful you will be part of a brigade of chefs carrying out day-to-day operational requirements for our traditional cook food services to patients. You will ensure a high quality, fresh cook service delivery, following our standardised recipes and food safety legislation. This is a Monday to Thursday post and if rostered included Bank Holidays.
Main duties of the job
Chef appointments are made to cover various aspects of food production and service for patients and other customers and to specific contract hours and shift patterns. However, in order to maintain and meet the varying needs of the service, it is emphasised that a chef may be allocated to work in other sections of the department in line with their Job Description and contracted hours.
The catering services are provided every day throughout the year and it is an obligation of all catering staff that if rostered to work on a Bank Holiday and needed to work to meet operational services it is a contractual requirement to do so.
Main duties are mainly preparing, cooking and serving of all types of foods, for special dietary needs and allergens for patients' meals. On occasion you will be required to assist food production for the Restaurant and other customers in accordance with Quality Standards, Recipes and Food Safety controls.
Working for our organisation
This post is part of the Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Collaborative, therefore all roles will be required to support system wide working across the Lancashire & South Cumbria regions. Catering are part of OneLSC Lancashire & South Cumbria) and as such come under East Lancashire Trust.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Using commodity supplies and ingredients in correct proportions and stock control rotation.
Being attentive to accuracy in the preparation, production and issue of all food items, with particular care given to consistent quality and portion controls.
Ensuring food produced is correctly cooked to achieve optimum nutritional standards and that meals are attractively presented and served at good appropriate temperatures.
As applicable to task, completing all associated HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) documentation and reporting to Kitchen Manager / Senior Chef regarding any items which are not of a satisfactory standard. Ensuring that all food items needing refrigeration are date coded and correctly stored without delay.
Minimising waste through economical and correct use of all materials.
Being correctly / cleanly dressed when on duty and in compliance with uniform policy and rules regarding jewellery, watches, hair control etc.
Attending wards as required to maintain contact and discuss catering quality matters with patients and ward staff with a view to development and improvement of catering services.
Strictly complying with codes of practice for general food safety and personal hygiene.
Knowing the correct procedure and complying with catering staff responsibility to report any sickness or diarrhoea prior to commencing duty.
Correctly using and ensuring proper interim cleaning between uses of any utensils, equipment, or item of plant or machinery, to a high standard of hygiene.
Being aware and complying with food separation systems E.g. separate storage, use of colour coding for knives, cutting boards etc., to avoid cross contamination risks.
Being aware of and following the Health and Safety procedures of the Catering Department and of the Trust.
Meeting personal responsibility, for one’s own safety and safety of colleagues, through proper personal conduct and safe working practices.
Warning colleagues, and reporting to section Manager/Supervisor, of any identified potential risk e.g. defective equipment.
Reporting immediately or as soon as possible any accident to one’s self or observed involving others, to the section Manager / Supervisor.
You will be responsible to the Chef Supervisor and Kitchen Manager for day-to-day allocation of duties and the Catering Manager for all employment related responsibilities including work performance and conduct.
Person specification
Education and Qualification
Essential criteria
- iterate / Numerate - Basic Reading and writing skills which are required to read and understand policies and procedures and Catering instructions and procedures (2)
- Holding recent Qualification in Food Hygiene at Level 2 (2)
- Holding qualification in food production or relevant experience. (NVQ Level II in Food Preparation or equivalent - 706 1 / 2 Catering (2)
Desirable criteria
- NVQ level 2 in Customer Care (1)
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to carry out food production tasks with special attention to food hygiene, food presentation and speed of work
- Able to work under pressure and meet the needs of the service
- Physically able enough to fulfil tasks of the post (refer to Job Description)
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) principles, and COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) standards (1)
Experience and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Previous employment that indicate capability to undertake duties of post
- Evident Good Personal Hygiene, Clean and tidy appearance
Desirable criteria
- Experienced in catering industry in similar position with full working knowledge of hygiene & food safety
- Experience of cooking in a high volume catering environment
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Darren Cadwell
- Job title
- Kitchen Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01253 9556154
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