Do you cook with your heart and soul? Can you make children’s food look scrumptious, yummy and inviting? Do you recognise the importance and process required to deliver healthy nutritious meals for children aged between 3 months and 5 years?
Our beautiful centre in Kerikeri is looking for an amazing person who will prepare and cook food with love and pride and manage our kitchen space. We are looking for a full-time cook/chef 30 - 40 hours per week. Approximately 100 children will need to be served meals and snacks throughout the day, including snacks and meals for children with special dietary requirements, so having knowledge of the health and safety of these children would be beneficial.
Our Chef role includes the following duties:
Plan weekly menu in advance, order all necessary food through selected suppliers
Work to a set kitchen budget
Provide healthy and nutritious meals to all children, knowing how many children are in each day and providing sufficient amount of food.
Ensure the kitchen is kept exceptionally clean at all times
Health and safety requirements including proper rotation of perishable and frozen foods, keeping kitchen appliances calibrated and at audit standard levels
Laundry duties including washing, drying, and folding of laundry.
Have children's meals prepped in advance to be delivered on time
Fresh baking daily
All dishes
Adapting meals and cooking alternative meals and baking for children with food intolerance and allergies. Having a solid understanding of food allergies and how to appropriately prep those meals is essential.
Our chef would need a range of skills and attributes which include:
A warm, approachable and positive attitude who values relationships with our teachers, children and whanau.
Excellent communication skills to work effectively with staff, parents and management.
Confident on the computer in order to fulfil food orders/deliveries and maintain your food budgets.
Exceptional organisation and time management skills - You will be the only person in the kitchen so being able to prioritise your time is essential
Experience cooking for large groups or previous experience in an early childhood centre is an advantage.
This is an extremely busy role and you will be required to be on your feet all day so good physical health and well-being is essential. This is a sole charge position working and running your own space, as well as helping with laundry duties when needed. Understanding the food safety act compliance requirements and a food handling certificate is a massive advantage. Clean Police vet, we will undertake this as part of your application. Applicants for this position will have NZ residency or a valid work visa.