Kitchen Assistant

If you like the idea of a job where lunch can go from calm to “why does everyone want to be fed at exactly the same time?” in about three minutes, you might fit in rather well here.

We’re looking for a brilliant Kitchen Assistant to join the team at Hobbledown Epsom and help us keep thousands of hungry adventurers fed.

This isn’t a quiet little kitchen tucked away behind the scenes.

We’re a busy family visitor attraction, which means weekends, school holidays and sunny days can get lively very quickly.

You’ll be helping us prepare and serve great food, keep the kitchen spotless and organised, and make sure everything is ready before the rush arrives.

No silver service. No tiny portions arranged with tweezers.

Just good food, served quickly, safely and with a team that knows how to get stuck in.

So, what will you actually be doing?

A bit of everything.

You’ll help keep the kitchen running smoothly from opening right through to the final clean-down.

That means:

• Preparing, cooking and presenting food quickly and consistently
• Helping make sure orders leave the kitchen looking great and tasting even better
• Keeping work areas clean, organised and ready for action
• Completing food safety, hygiene and temperature checks
• Rotating stock properly and keeping an eye on freshness and waste
• Supporting stock deliveries and putting ingredients away correctly
• Working closely with the front-of-house team when service gets busy
• Following allergen procedures carefully and accurately
• Looking after kitchen equipment and reporting problems quickly
• Getting stuck into washing up, cleaning and all the other glamorous bits that keep a good kitchen running
• Jumping in wherever you’re needed when the lunchtime rush really gets going

Basically, if somebody says “can you give us a hand?”, you’re probably already halfway there.

What matters most to us is that you care about doing things properly.

You take pride in the food you send out.

You notice when something needs cleaning rather than walking past it.

And when the kitchen gets busy, you roll your sleeves up rather than mysteriously disappearing for twenty minutes.

Previous kitchen experience would be great, but attitude matters just as much.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has a Level 2 Food Hygiene qualification, or is willing to complete one
• Due to the nature of the role, including the equipment used applicants must be aged 18 or over
• Understands the basics of food safety, health & safety and hygiene
• Has good allergen awareness
• Is organised and able to work at pace
• Is reliable and turns up ready to get stuck in
• Works well as part of a team
• Communicates clearly with kitchen and front-of-house colleagues
• Takes pride in keeping their workspace clean and organised
• Can adapt when things suddenly get much busier than expected
• Brings plenty of energy and a positive attitude

Experience with HACCP, COSHH or allergen procedures would be a bonus, but we can support the right person with training.

The important bit: this is leisure

Hobbledown Epsom is busiest when everyone else is off having fun.

That means weekends, bank holidays and school holidays are a big part of what we do.

Some days will be steady.

Some days will involve a queue appearing seemingly from nowhere and every child in Surrey deciding they would like lunch at precisely 12:17pm.

That’s why teamwork matters so much.

You’ll need to stay calm, keep moving, communicate and help the team get through the rush without letting standards slip.

If you enjoy busy environments where the day flies by, you’ll probably love it.

A good day for us looks like...

The food is tasty.

The kitchen is clean.

The guests aren’t waiting forever.

The allergen procedures have been followed properly.

And the team finishes a huge lunchtime rush, looks at each other and thinks:

“Well... that was busy.”

Then gets ready to do it all again.

About Hobbledown & The Escapade Group

Hobbledown Epsom is part of The Escapade Group, a growing family of visitor attractions built around play, adventure, animals and brilliant family days out.

Our attractions include Hobbledown Epsom, Hobbledown Heath, Gripped London, Kidspace Croydon, Kidspace Romford, Watermouth Castle and Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm.

Across the group you’ll find everything from adventure play and animal encounters to high ropes, indoor play, birthday parties and seasonal events.

Different attractions. Different experiences. Plenty of hungry families.

And whether someone is serving lunch, caring for animals, running an attraction or welcoming guests through the gates, every member of the team plays a part in creating a brilliant day out.