Care Home Chef - WI

Our care home in Margate currently needs a Chef to cook provide nutritious and healthy meals that our elderly residents will love. Could this be you?

We’re looking for someone with preferably an S/NVQ2 in Catering & Hospitality or Professional Cookery (or equivalent), a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate and an understanding of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), as well as knowledge of The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) guidelines.

The ideal candidate will have some cooking experience, must be reliable and willing to learn all aspects of kitchen duties.

And, whether you’re managing the food stock or working out how to make the most of your budget you’ll always have resident wellbeing in mind above anything else.

Job Responsibilities:

• Set up the kitchen with cooking utensils and equipment, like knives, pans and kitchen scales
• Study each recipe and gather all necessary ingredients
• Cook food in a timely manner
• Delegate tasks to kitchen staff Inform wait staff about daily specials
• Ensure appealing plate presentation
• Supervise Cooks and assist as needed
• Slightly modify recipes to meet customers’ needs and requests (e.g. reduce salt, remove dairy)
• Monitor food stock and place orders
• Check freshness of food and discard out-of-date items
• Experiment with recipes and suggest new ingredients
• Ensure compliance with all health and safety regulations within the kitchen area

Job Skills:

• Proven work experience as a Chef or Cook
• Knowledge of IDDSI guidelines, as all diets need to defined utilising IDDSI terms (preferred)
• Store all food safely
• Ensure kitchen equipment is kept clean and ready for use
• Comply with company policy and procedure in relation to infection control and prevention
• Hands-on experience with various kitchen equipment
• Advanced knowledge of culinary, baking and pastry techniques
• Leadership skills
• Ability to remain calm and undertake various tasks
• Excellent time management abilities
• Up-to-date knowledge of cooking techniques and recipes
• Familiarity with sanitation regulations
• Culinary school diploma preferred