Assistant Chef

Employer

Avanti Grange Secondary School

Location

Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire

Contract Type

Permanent

Hours

Full Time

Salary

Refer to the advert

Posted

5th October 2026

Start Date

2nd November 2026

Expires

12th October 2026 11:59 PM

Contract Type

Permanent

Start Date

2nd November 2026

Job ID

1577764

Job Reference

682

Start Date

2nd November 2026

• Contract Type :Permanent
• Job ID: 1577764

Salary: £13.74 per hour, 35 hours per week

About The Role

Avanti Grange Secondary School is seeking an Assistant Chef to support the smooth and efficient running of our busy school kitchen. Working closely with the Chef Manager and wider catering team, you will play an important role in preparing and serving nutritious, high-quality vegetarian meals for our students and staff.

You will contribute to the day-to-day operation of the kitchen, ensuring food is prepared and presented to a consistently high standard and that all food safety and hygiene requirements are followed.

We are looking for someone who is organised, reliable and takes pride in delivering an excellent catering service to our school community. You will be a valued member of the kitchen team, supporting with food preparation, cooking, cleaning, stock management and general kitchen duties.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working as part of a team and is committed to maintaining high standards of quality, cleanliness and service.

School visits are welcomed and encouraged. Please contact the school to arrange a suitable time.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a fast-growing Multi Academy Trust with schools based in London, the midlands and the South West of England. All Avanti schools provide pupils with an outstanding education rooted in the inclusive and distinctive Avanti Schools ethos of educational excellence, character development, and spiritual insight.

What will you do?

• Support the Chef Manager with the preparation and service of nutritious, high-quality vegetarian meals and refreshments for students, staff and hospitality requests.
• Prepare, cook, assemble and plate food to the required quality, hygiene and food safety standards, following instructions from senior chefs and established procedures.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene across the kitchen, including safe waste disposal, recycling and cleaning of equipment, work areas and facilities.
• Assist with stock management, food storage and the smooth day-to-day running of the kitchen, ensuring supplies are organised and catering services are delivered promptly and consistently.
• Work positively as part of the wider catering team, following Health and Safety, COSHH, HACCP, risk assessment and temperature-control procedures, and promptly reporting any defects, risks or near misses.

Why should you apply

Avanti exists to help each person become a well-rounded human being through intellectual, moral and spiritual growth, and so make the world a better place.

• You will be working in a fantastic environment, with:
• Great opportunities for professional development
• LGPS pension scheme (subject to eligibility)
• O2 discounts, Specsavers corporate eye test vouchers
• Eligible for NUS Card and CSSC membership
• Well-being programs (retreats, yoga, wellness apps)
• Cycle-to-work Scheme

What are we looking for?

• Understanding of food hygiene and kitchen health and safety
• Good Organisational Skills
• The ability to work unsupervised in a busy environment
• Ability to follow strict instructions in a systematic and consistent manner
• Commitment to the safeguarding and welfare of all students

Please view the full Job Description for more information on the responsibilities and essential criteria required for this role.

Further information

Pre-employment checks

Avanti Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates are required to have an Enhanced DBS check unless internally appointed and still within the cycle of DBS re-checks. Any appointment subsequently made will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and other pre-employment checks.

Diversity and Inclusion

We want to make sure we are attracting the widest possible range of people and ensure that they are accepted, understood and treated equally when they work here. This means we will work hard to understand that each employee is unique and ensuring that individuals or groups are not treated differently or less favourably on the basis of specific characteristics. Such characteristics include (but are not limited to) age, disability, gender including transgender, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, and how the school supports pregnant women and new parents.