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Job summary

Main area
317 Catering - FH
Grade
Band 2
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Working 5 days out of 7 on a 3 week roster. shift pattern will be a mix of 6am to 2pm and 10am to 6pm)
Job ref
317-2025-35-10-DR
Employer
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Freeman Hospital
Town
317 01 Freeman Hospital
Salary
£24,465 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
07/09/2025 23:59
Interview date
15/09/2025

Employer heading

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Assistant Cook

Band 2

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.

We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.

We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders. 

Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.

We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.

Job overview

An opportunity has arose to join the  Catering Department team at the Freeman Hospital. 

You will work as part of the large team providing patient, staff and visitors hot and cold meals and beverages 365 days per year.

You will work 5 days out of 7 on a 3 week rolling rota, this will include working 2 weekends out of 3, working these two shift times  6am to 2pm and 10am to 6pm. We operate 365 days a year.

  • Interview date: 15th September 2025
  • 37 hours 30 minutes /week
  • You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE 

Main duties of the job

  • To produce patients sandwiches, salads and cold sweets and to assist the cooks in the preparation, cooking and serving of meals for patients, staff and functions.
  • Responsible for the preparation of the cold  items for the following day and the cooking of the food for children's wards lunch and evening meal.
  • completing relevant paper work.

Working for our organisation

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:

         Freeman Hospital

         Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)

         Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)

         Newcastle Dental Hospital

         Newcastle Fertility Centre

         Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria

         Northern Genetics Service

         Cramlington Manor Walks

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS. 

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • To assist the cooks in the preparation, cooking and serving of meals for patients, staff and function services.
  • Responsible for the timely production of all meals to the required standards

 

Person specification

SKILLS & Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of catering equipment, basic knife skills and general catering equipment
Desirable criteria
  • Basic keyboard skills

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

Essential criteria
  • Preparing and cooking a broad range of food items
Desirable criteria
  • Experience in Large Scale Catering

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Basic food hygiene qualification (level 2)
Desirable criteria
  • NVQ 2 Catering – Catering (or equivalent experience) or willing to do the required training

Employer certification / accreditation badges

We are a Living Wage EmployerVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveInvestors in People: GoldArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardRIDI Awards Finalist 2021Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStonewall Gold 2022Better Health at Work Award - Maintaining ExcellenceDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldCycle Friendly Employer

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Michael Bowman
Job title
Deputy Catering Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01912139887
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