Kitchen Assistant – Nursery – Islington

Are you passionate about preparing healthy, nutritious food for young children and creating a safe, welcoming mealtime environment?

We are looking for a reliable and enthusiastic Kitchen Assistant to join a friendly nursery team. You will play an important role in supporting the preparation and serving of nutritious meals and snacks, ensuring children’s individual dietary and allergen requirements are carefully followed.

Working alongside the nursery team, you will help maintain a clean, safe and well-organised kitchen, ensuring high standards of food hygiene, health and safety, and cleanliness are maintained at all times.

This role requires excellent attention to detail, good literacy and numeracy skills, and the ability to accurately follow dietary information, calculate meal quantities, maintain records and support effective stock control.

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working as part of a team and takes pride in helping to create a positive, healthy environment for young children.

Part time hours may be available for suitable candidates.

• Assist with the preparation and serving of nutritious meals and snacks suitable for different ages and dietary requirements.
• Accurately follow individual dietary, allergy and allergen procedures carefully and consistently.
• Calculate and prepare appropriate quantities of food according to the number of children and meals required.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene throughout the kitchen and food preparation areas.
• Wash dishes, utensils and kitchen equipment, ensuring they are cleaned and stored appropriately.
• Ensure food is stored safely, correctly labelled and used within appropriate expiry dates.
• Monitor food and kitchen supply levels and advise the appropriate member of staff when stock needs replenishing.
• Follow food hygiene, health and safety, COSHH and environmental health procedures.
• Support nursery staff with mealtime routines, including serving food and clearing tables where required.
• Complete required records accurately, including cleaning schedules and food temperature checks.
• Assist with receiving deliveries and ensure food and supplies are stored safely and promptly.
• Help maintain a safe, organised and efficient kitchen environment at all times.

• Previous experience working in a kitchen or food preparation environment is desirable.
• Experience within a nursery, school or other childcare setting would be an advantage.
• Good literacy skills, with the ability to read and accurately follow written instructions, dietary information, allergen information, food labels and safety procedures.
• Good numeracy skills, with the ability to calculate food quantities, monitor stock and complete records accurately.
• An understanding of food hygiene, allergens and safe food handling.
• Knowledge of children’s nutritional needs and special dietary requirements is desirable.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to follow procedures and maintain accurate records.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Reliable, proactive and able to maintain high standards of cleanliness and attention to detail.

• Basic Food Hygiene Certificate (Level 2) or willingness to obtain
• GCSE Maths / English at Grade C or above or Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Maths.

• Current First Aid certification.
• Current Safeguarding certification.
• Current COSHH certification.
• Current Level 2 Food Hygiene/Food Safety Certificate.

• Commitment to continuous professional development.
• Physically able to carry out the requirements of the role.
• Flexibility to work various shifts as needed.
• Enhanced DBS on the update service (or willingness to apply for one)*.