Chef

chef

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about purple jay nurseryEstablished in 2011, Purple Jay Nurseries began with Mother Goose Nursery in Peckham Rye. We believe that love and education are paramount to our children, and this has shaped the way we work today.

We offer a child-focused approach, where all of our kids are encouraged to develop socially, physically and emotionally in a stimulating, caring environment.

As a family-run organisation with family values, our commitment to our pupils has resulted in an OFSTED “Good” rating, based on our educational practices and caring nature.role summaryPreparation of food for children that provides a diet that is attractive, varied, balanced and healthy and which meets their individual needs; Maintaining food storage, preparation and serving areas and all equipment in compliance with nursery policies, including Health and Safety Policy, and complies with requirements of Environmental Health/Food Safety, OFSTED and the EYFS.

You will be responsible for standards of hygiene in food preparation and food storage areas; safety of all prepared and served foods; provision of foods that meet the dietary requirements and food restrictions of individual children.key responsibilities

• Preparation of a suitably balanced rotating menu in line with the nursery management’s requirements and published menus, providing a range of foods from different cultures and presenting foods in a manner that is attractive and appetising to children and which takes into account the dietary and cultural requirements of individual children as notified to you by the nursery’s management;
• Preparation of multi-cultural foods for a variety of special functions and events
• The use of established safe practices to minimise the risk of cross contamination within the food storage, preparation and serving areas;
• Ensuring that all foods are ready at the specified time and correctly served;
• Making sure that all foods are covered prior to serving, during transportation and when stored in the refrigerator;
• Meeting all requirements of the Food Standards Agency (‘Safer Food, Better Business’) in relation to cross-contamination, cleaning, chilling, cooking and food management; to undertake all opening and closing checks as displayed in the nursery and to complete all daily entries into the kitchen diary of significant events including a record of the cooked temperature of all high risk foods and the temperature of fridge and freezer;
• Ensuring that all food storage, preparation and serving areas and equipment are kept suitably clean at all times, following the displayed cleaning schedules, with particular attention to work surfaces, tiles, floors and trolleys and trays used to transport food; ensuring on a daily basis that all crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils (including chopping boards) are washed and sterilized in accordance with food safety guidelines.
• Compliance with the nursery’s Dress Policy, particularly those parts relating to the safety of food preparation (Hair to be tied back; No nail varnish or extensions; No rings (except wedding bands); apron and appropriate head covering to be worn);
• To report all faults in equipment or defects in purchased or stored foods promptly to the nursery manager;
• To maintain correct stock levels, ensuring stock rotation and ensuring that foods are used within expiry dates; to complete stock-taking and stock orders accurately and in good time;
• Ensuring the effective and regular removal of all waste materials to the designated waste store;
• To undertake any other duties appropriate to the post as directed by the management.

qualifications & experience required

• Food Hygiene Certificate
• First Aid Certificate
• Experience of working in private nurseries or providing food for young children
• Experience of working in a professional or institutional kitchen Experience of stock taking, stock ordering and record keeping
• Knowledge of dietary requirements and eating habits of children
• Knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, children’s health and the role of healthy diet in children’s development
• Knowledge of health and safety issues and Environmental Health procedures
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues and procedures
• Knowledge and interest in preparing and presenting a wide range of multi-cultural foods

specific requirements

• Satisfactory enhanced DBS check (and other, if required)
• Entitlement to work in UK
• Two satisfactory references

personal qualities required

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively
• Ability to maintain high standards of cleanliness and maintain food preparation areas in good order
• Ability to manage own workload and meet targets set
• Willingness to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service
• Ability to lift and carry supplies when delivered and to undertake normal cleaning duties, including mopping floors.

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