Job summary
- Main area
- Catering
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 179-7099597-F
- Employer
- West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Newmarket Hospital
- Town
- Newmarket
- Salary
- £24,625 - £25,674 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 23/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Cook - Newmarket Hospital
NHS AfC: Band 3
Job overview
· To work as part of a team providing a safe, high quality catering service for the Trust.
· To maintain hygiene standards.
· To prepare and serve high quality nutritious food in accordance with the departments standard recipes, using fresh ingredients.
· To be able to maintain prolonged concentration when preparing and cooking serval different dishes in a busy and pressured environment.
· To have a good understanding and apply this during the working practices with specific regard to HACCP and COSSH and follow the departments Food hygiene practices.
· To have knowledge and apply this during the working practices with specific regard to of IDDSI and follow this patient safety guidance.
· To offer guidance to ward staff in the absence of dietetic support (out of hours) with specific regard to allergen, consistency and dietary requirements for patient within the Trust.
· To be aware of Trust policies and procedures applicable to the service and report any issues the line manager.
Main duties of the job
Patient services/kitchen:
1. To undertake food production as part of a team producing safe, high quality, nutritious meals for patients staff and visitors to the Trust.
2. To work in all areas of the food production kitchen covering all sections.
3. To follow standard recipes and to participate with continuous improvement.
4. To maintain records of their daily food production, wastage and dish temperature control in line with the departments ISO procedures.
5. Help assemble meals for patient’s service, monitoring portion control of dishes and nutritional requirements.
6. To produce food for special functions.
7. To produce specific dietary dishes and meals following dietetics instructions
8. To produce dishes and meals to specific IDDSI standards.
9. To work to a ridged timescale making sure meals are ready for service.
10. To maintain food hygiene standards with specific regard to temperature and cross contamination guidelines.
11. To clean the food production area which they are working in.
12. Safe and hygienic use of high cost, dangerous catering equipment.
13. Prepare fillings and dishes for use within other areas of the department in a safe hygienic method using standard recipes for staff/visitors restaurant and patients.
Working for our organisation
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community
We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.
The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.
Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.
We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.
With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.
We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.
Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see full job description and person specification attached.
Assemble plated meal for specific dietary requirements out of normal hours for specific patients.
To assist with the safe service of meals to staff from within catering outlets offering guidance on choice, allergens and dish content to help enhance customer satisfaction
To assist with store deliveries when required following department ISO guidance procedures
Person specification
Education & Qualification
Essential criteria
- NVQ Level 2 Food hygiene certificate
- City and Guilds 706/1 & 706/2 or NVQ level 3
- Allergen training
- Knowledge of IDDSI
- A good general education
- Basic skills in literacy & numeracy
Desirable criteria
- Dietary/nutrition training
Experience & Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Good understanding of HACCP, COSSH and Health and Safety legislation.
- Previous experience of working within a catering environment.
Desirable criteria
- Previous catering experience specifically in large scale service
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Good customer care and communication skills
- Able to work either alone or as part of a team
- Good manual dexterity, physical fitness and good eyesight
- Good attention to detail
- Able to work under pressure
Personal qualities
Essential criteria
- Able to work on own initiative and as part of a team
- Able to work without supervision
- Able to work in a demanding environment.
- Self-motivated, punctual, reliable and trustworthy.
- Adaptable to change.
- Able to work in a Hospital ward environment.
- Flexible, with the ability to work the hours required by the post.
Desirable criteria
- Self-motivated
- Interest in cooking/catering
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Garry Sharp
- Job title
- Facilities Soft Services Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07826944855
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