Nursery cook job applicants are entrusted with the crucial task of planning and preparing nutritious meals for children while meeting legal, safety, and individual requirements. Here’s a closer look at what recruiters are looking for in candidates for nursery cook positions.

Candidates should be able to:

• Stay up to date with all environmental health guidelines and have awareness of allergies and allergens.

• To make sure you meet the legal and Company requirements for fire, safety, health, and hygiene always and necessary paperwork is completed.

• Keep the kitchen a clean and safe environment for the children in our care.

• Support, promote and implement policies as appropriate in your job role. (EFYS)

Main responsibilities and key duties

• To prepare a nutritious cooked lunch in line with the current menu, ensuring all children’s needs are met and to include suitable puréed food for babies.

• To be responsible for the day-to-day running of the kitchen, always ensuring compliance with registration and legislative requirements.

• Ensure the kitchen and equipment are always kept suitably clean, including walls, floors, and trolleys, to transport food following a cleaning schedule. Daily, all crockery, cutlery, and cooking utensils are washed in accordance with food safety guidelines.

• To have total responsibility for the kitchen, cleaning all of the equipment and appliances, taking temperatures of the food, fridge and freezer and recording these in the kitchen file.

• Be professional, polite, and positive in all verbal and non-verbal interactions with staff, parents and children at all times.

• To be responsible for hygiene and complete all Risk Assessments within the kitchen area.

• Pay due attention to the cooks’ dress code: Hair to be tied back if touching your collar, no nail varnish, no false nails, no rings with the exception of the wedding band, trousers, nursery polo shirt and apron

• Always have a ready supply of recipes for staff to use with the children and to ensure availability of equipment for the children to experience cooking with

• To contribute to the nursery’s team effort and attend staff meetings and social events as and when required.

• Commitment to undertaking appropriate training and continued professional development.

Quint Education is an Early Years Consultancy agency operating since late 2014 that specialises in the early year’s sector. We work with day nurseries children centres, nursery schools, parents and support primary schools within the London, Essex, Middlesex, Surrey, and Hertfordshire area. Looking for a new role? Call us 0207 1188 994