Job overview

To prepare and cook food to a consistently high standard for distribution across various areas of the hospital site, ensuring that all meals meet user expectations. To maintain high standards of food hygiene, safety, and presentation at all times. To support Supervisors and Managers in ensuring that kitchen resources, including staff, equipment, preparation areas, and food supplies, are used efficiently and cost-effectively to deliver a high-quality catering service.

Main duties of the job

• Prepare specified menu items and recipes in the correct quantities to meet the requirements of patients, staff, and other service users.
• Ensure raw, chilled, and cooked ingredients are prepared and distributed in accordance with specified requirements to meet patient, staff, and end-user needs.
• Carry out food preparation and cooking activities with care, professionalism, and attention to detail, ensuring food maintains its nutritional value and is safe and suitable for patient and customer consumption.
• Assist in maintaining kitchen equipment and food preparation areas to ensure they remain safe, clean, and operationally efficient.
• Ensure the correct raw materials and food ingredients are used in the preparation and cooking of meals in accordance with recipes and quality standards.
• Monitor and rotate stocks of raw materials, cook-chill products, and other foodstuffs using appropriate stock control procedures to minimise waste, prevent deterioration, and maintain food quality.
• Comply with all departmental policies, procedures, and working practices, ensuring they are understood and consistently applied.
• Support the effective management of operational costs by using resources efficiently while maintaining a high-quality catering service that meets customer and organisational requirements.

Working for our organisation

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton.  Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

It is an exciting time to join the newly formed Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

 

You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. Travel between hospital sites may be required. We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.