• Job Description

  Req#: C9193-25-0697?language=en&page=94&sort=publicationDateDesc

  Job summary

  Band 2 Cook / Chef

  A fantastic opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and driven individual to join the Royal Berkshire NHS Trust Hospital, Reading, Berkshire. The successful candidate will be working in the Catering Department as a chef, on a full-time basis.

  This is an exciting opportunity to join Royal Berkshire NHS Trust one of the UK's largest general hospital foundation trusts- serving a population excess of 500,000. The main provider of acute and specialist care services for West Berkshire and South Oxfordshire. One of UK's exemplary hospitals and rated 'Good' by the Care Quality Commission.

  We deliver approximately 1,600 patient meals and 700 staff/visitor meals in the Restaurant/Deli & Training Center every day. We also deliver Internal functions in excess of 40,000 covers per annum.

  The ideal candidate will have similar experience working in a high volume production kitchen, following standardised departmental recipes.

  Main duties of the job

  1. Preparing and cooking patients and restaurant food as per recipe.
  2. Cooking and preparing elements of high quality and diet specific dishes.
  3. Keeping up with industry trends and help create new recipes.
  4. Maintaining a clean and safe kitchen and ensuring sanitation practices in the kitchen.
  5. Assisting other chefs.
  6. Helping with deliveries and restocking.
  7. Assisting with stock rotation.
  8. Cleaning stations.
  9. Contributing to maintaining kitchen and food safety standards.

  About us

  The CQC recently rated the care provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as Good.

  Our values: Compassionate, Aspirational, Resourceful, Excellent.Our Vision: Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.

  Details

  Date posted

  21 August 2025

  Pay scheme

  Agenda for change

  Band

  Band 2

  Salary

  £24,465 a year per annum

  Contract

  Permanent

  Working pattern

  Full-time

  Reference number

  193-7355244COR

  Job locations

  Royal Berkshire Hospital

  London Road

  Reading

  RG1 5AN

  
  

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  • Communicate information relating to food service requirements to staff, patients and other members of the public both verbally and by telephone.
  • Organise day-to-day work tasks or activities in conjunction with assistant head chef.
  • Provide information on food service, matters including recipes and wastage information.
  • Responsible for the correct operation of kitchen equipment
  • Adherence to standard recipes and production planning whilst ensuring the most economical use of provisions.
  • Supervise the serving of food and the maintaining of good portion control and presentation of the food served.

  Please refer to the attached Job Description & Person Specification for further details.

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  • Communicate information relating to food service requirements to staff, patients and other members of the public both verbally and by telephone.
  • Organise day-to-day work tasks or activities in conjunction with assistant head chef.
  • Provide information on food service, matters including recipes and wastage information.
  • Responsible for the correct operation of kitchen equipment
  • Adherence to standard recipes and production planning whilst ensuring the most economical use of provisions.
  • Supervise the serving of food and the maintaining of good portion control and presentation of the food served.

  Please refer to the attached Job Description & Person Specification for further details.

  Person Specification

  Education/Qualifications

  Essential

  • NVQ 2 in Cookery or City and Guilds equivalent
  • Basic Food Hygiene

  Desirable

  • Higher level food safety qualificatino

  Experience

  Essential

  • Has proven ability to cook with fresh ingredients from start to end product
  • Has experience of working in a Team environment

  Desirable

  • Relevant experience of working in the catering undertaking a chef / cook role
  • Relevant experience of working in a similar type of establishment (NHS)

  Knowledge

  Essential

  • Has knowledge and experience of delivering specialist diets

  Person Specification

  Education/Qualifications

  Essential

  • NVQ 2 in Cookery or City and Guilds equivalent
  • Basic Food Hygiene

  Desirable

  • Higher level food safety qualificatino

  Experience

  Essential

  • Has proven ability to cook with fresh ingredients from start to end product
  • Has experience of working in a Team environment

  Desirable

  • Relevant experience of working in the catering undertaking a chef / cook role
  • Relevant experience of working in a similar type of establishment (NHS)

  Knowledge

  Essential

  • Has knowledge and experience of delivering specialist diets

  Disclosure and Barring Service Check

  This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

  Employer details

  Employer name

  Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

  Address

  Royal Berkshire Hospital

  London Road

  Reading

  RG1 5AN

  
  

  Employer's website

  https://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

  Employer details

  Employer name

  Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

  Address

  Royal Berkshire Hospital

  London Road

  Reading

  RG1 5AN

  
  

  Employer's website

  https://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

• About the company

  National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). The founding principles were that services should be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery—a health service based on clinical need, not ability to pay. Each service provides a comprehensive range of health services, free at the point of use for people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom apart from dental treatment and optical care.

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