Do you enjoy cooking healthy, nutritious, and sustainable meals?

Use your skills to help us work towards our Environmental Education charity’s mission to create outstanding opportunities for everyone to learn about nature.

• Permanent full-time contract – average 37.5 hours per week
• *Effective 1 April 2024 salary will increase to circa £28,292 - £30,990 per annum - equates to circa £14.51 - £15.89 per hour
• Excellent benefits – including life assurance and a health cash plan, see the full list below.
• We have accommodation available - relocate to a stunning location in Cumbria!
• This role is eligible for our “Golden Hello” welcome payments up to £2,400 pro rata This will be paid to you in regular instalments during your first year of employment, in addition to your usual salary (Terms and Conditions apply).

What you’ll be doing

As our Lead Cook you’re a key part of our Hospitality and Catering team! You’ll be responsible for delivering an efficient, hygienic, and safe catering operation at our Field Studies Centre, which involves both hands on cooking and management of the catering team.

• We usually operate fixed mealtimes with one or two sittings at breakfast and dinner, using set menus with two or three food choices.
• Split shifts are common with a breakfast shift typically 7-11am, and dinner shift from 3pm-8pm at the latest.
• We cater for a wide range of diets including vegan, gluten free, vegetarian, nut free etc and require an experienced person to be able to prepare and cook meals for up to 175 visitors.

Please view the vacancy pack for further details on the full responsibilities of this role.

Where you’ll be based

The Field Studies Council Blencathra centre is in a magnificent setting, with unrivalled views of the Lake District. Imagine taking in these surroundings on your lunchbreak!

We welcome over 9,000 visitors each year from schools, colleges, universities, and other organisations. Our visitors come from all over the UK, and for many it is their first trip to the Lake District World Heritage Site.

We have been awarded the Soil Association’s Food for Life Served Here Bronze Award which recognises organisations which go the extra mile to make sure visitors are receiving healthy, nutritious, and sustainable meals.

Who we’re looking for

You will have previous catering experience which includes some management experience, a catering qualification or relevant vocational experience and experience of monitoring and recording all catering functions in accordance with safe practices ensuring compliance at all times e.g. HACCP, Safer Food Better Business. In addition to:

• A great work ethic where aptitude and attitude are key
• A natural pride in the work you produce
• A flexible and adaptive approach able to perform using your own initiative both independently and as a team player
• A professional manner in all that you do
• An empathy with the aims and objectives of Field Studies Council
• A committed and proactive approach to personal development; motivated to learn new skills and overcome new challenges

Does this sound like the new opportunity you have been looking for? Come and be part of the team! We look forward to your application.

Your benefits whilst working with us will include:

We value each of our team members and understand that every role is vital to deliver our mission, so, we provide great benefits to reward and support you while you work with us.

• Financial - We offer competitive salaries, sick pay, pension schemes, life assurance, 28 days annual holiday entitlement plus bank holidays and a further 2 extra loyalty days dependent on length of service.
• Health and Wellbeing - Eligible employees are automatically provided with a Health Cash Plan which you can use to help pay for routine health appointments as well as give you the ability to seek second opinions from top doctors! We also provide our team members with access to a 24hr Counselling Helpline Service.
• Discounts – When you join the team you are also enrolled into our reward programme which gives you discounts on your favourite brands and opportunities to earn cash back on everyday purchases!
• Additional benefits - We endeavour to offer flexible working options where roles permit and are committed to providing our employees with appropriate quality learning and development opportunities.

If you have any queries regarding this vacancy, please call Andy Bucklebury on 017687 79601

Applications will be considered on arrival.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we’re in receipt of sufficient applications. Please apply early to avoid disappointment.

Interviews are scheduled to take place at Field Studies Council Blencathra on a rolling basis.

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted by email.