Catering Assistant

A co-educational private school for both day and boarding pupils in Reading, Berkshire. Catering for students and teachers daily. We offer a core feeding of breakfast, lunch, dinner, morning breaks and afternoon breaks. There is a considerable amount of hospitality at this location. This is a term-time plus contract working 45 weeks a year. This is a 7-day operation so working pattern will be 5 days out of 7. Additional benefit to this location is free parking on site.

We currently have a fantastic opportunity for a Catering Assistant to join our established & friendly team at our prestigious contracts in Reading.

Role requirements (Task & Responsibilities):

• Serve clients during Breakfast, lunch or dinner service.
• Help setting up the dining room for service.
• Prepare food for service, following good hygiene and safety practices and to the standard specified.
• Ensure the kitchen is left clean and tidy to the required standard of the Chef Manager or to the hygiene standards set by the company / Client.
• Clear, clean and store away any food, beverage or equipment required for special functions.
• Restock and replenish stocks and consumables as required during service periods, to achieve optimum customer service delivery.
• Operate cleaning, dishwashing equipment. Properly clean and store equipment, service, preparation and storage areas.
• Complete all / any necessary cleaning/hygiene duties.
• Interact and acknowledge all customers and client staff.

General Responsibilities:

• Ensure that all policies and procedural requirements of both legislation and company are adhered to in order to alwayli promote a professional and flexible approach.
• Ensure that the correct uniform is always worn neatly and cleanly.
• Ensure all necessary checks are carried out in the service and associated areas for food temperatures.
• Carry out all reasonable request of the management.
• Be conscientious with regard to Health & Safety and report any hazards to the manager.

Key personal skills and attributes:

• Previous experience of working within a catering environment
• Previous experience of serving customers within a catering establishment
• Team working abilities, listening skills, the ability to work on own initiative, impeccable personal presentation, hygiene and behaviour to others, Food hygiene certificate preferred.
• The ability to be adaptable and be flexible as necessary. Reliable, Honest and able to demonstrate an open attentive approach to customer service.
• Willingness to learn new skills and take some responsibility.
• Ability to manage some moderately heavy lifting, carrying, and pushing.

Knowledge / competencies:

• Ability to demonstrate reasonable / good understanding and use of verbal English.
• Ability to demonstrate reasonable / good standard of written English and reading skills.
• Similar experience of customer and / or food preparation environment is preferred

Benefits

• Wider wallet scheme (discounts at major retailers, restaurants, gyms etc).
• Free meals on duty
• Volunteers leave - up to one day per year.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoptive leave.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Recommend a friend bonus.
• Unrivalled individual training and development.
• Well established apprenticeship programme.
• Team & company social events.
• Employee assistance programme.
• Workplace pension.
• Excellent career progression within a leading independent contract caterer.

About us

Thomas Franks is a founder led, fresh food catering business with a focus on excellence and service delivered with individuality, passion and style. We are unique in every approach and our clients, and our people are paramount to our daily success.

Disclaimer 

All applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have the Right to Work in the UK to be considered for this role.

An enhanced DBS, Identity & reference checks (covering the last five years) will form part of the selection process. As an organisation using the Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) Disclosure service to assess applicants' suitability for positions of trust, Thomas Franks Ltd complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly. We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and undertake not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure based on conviction or other information revealed. However, for any post in a school please be aware that any application is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such any criminal conviction, caution or bind-over must be declared.

Diversity and Inclusion at Thomas Franks

We actively encourage applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds and continue to develop a culture of growth and inclusion and would like to invite applications from groups who are currently under-represented, because we believe greater diversity leads to exceptional results and provides a better working life.