Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Catering Assistant

The closing date is 01 December 2025

Job summary

We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated Catering Assistants to join our busy and rewarding Catering team in Frimley Park Hospital. In this role, you will help deliver a professional, high-quality catering service to patients, staff, and visitors across the hospital.

As a Catering Assistant, you will play an important part in ensuring a positive experience for everyone you serve. Your day-to-day tasks may include serving in patient and staff dining areas, assisting with food preparation, delivering meals to wards, operating tills, and supporting the smooth running of the department.

This is a hands-on role in a fast-paced environment, ideal for someone who enjoys working as part of a team but is also confident taking responsibility for individual tasks. You must be committed to maintaining high standards of customer service, cleanliness, and food hygiene in line with Trust policies.

Three different shifts are available - working five days out of seven days a week - 37.5 hours per week from 7.00am-15.00pm or 11.00 till 19.00 or 20 hours per week from 17.00pm-21.00pm or Saturday and Sunday - 8 hours per week from 17.00pm-21.00pm.

Previous catering experience and a Food Safety Certificate are desirable but not essential, as full training will be provided. As part of the recruitment process, candidates will be required to complete a Maths and English assessment to progress to interview.

Main duties of the job

  • Food Service: Serve food and beverages to patients and staff in dining areas and on the patient meal assembly belt, ensuring quality and presentation are top-notch.

  • Support in Food Prep: Assist with food preparation, including chopping vegetables, prepping salads, and ensuring proper portion control.

  • Deliver Meals: Help deliver and collect meal trolleys to wards and departments, ensuring everything runs on time.

  • Customer Care: Greet all visitors, staff, and patients with a warm, friendly approach, ensuring their needs are met with professionalism and care.

  • Cash Handling: Operate cash registers, handling transactions with accuracy, ensuring cash security, and providing excellent service to retail customers.

About us

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme. We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.

Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.

We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.

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Details

Date posted

25 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£25,768 a year per annum incl HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

151-LC403

Job locations

Frimley Park Hospital

Portsmouth Road

Frimley, Surrey

GU16 7UJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

As a Catering Assistant, youll be part of a dedicated and friendly team, working across the main patient service area and Pinetree's restaurant. You will contribute to a range of exciting duties, from food preparation and serving to helping maintain cleanliness and hygiene standards. Every day, you'll have the opportunity to make a real impact by supporting the smooth running of our services and ensuring our customers receive the best care possible.

Please see the Job Description and Person Specification for further information.

What were looking for:

  • A team player with a positive, can-do attitude who enjoys working in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.

  • A proactive approach to maintaining high standards of hygiene, food presentation, and portion control.

  • A willingness to assist with food preparation and a good understanding of food safety protocols (HACCP).

  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to engage with a diverse group of people, from patients to staff and visitors.

  • Flexibility to assist in various duties and areas as needed, from food service to cashier tasks.

Why join us?

At Pinetree, we value innovation and customer care. As part of our team, you will have the chance to make meaningful contributions, whether its suggesting improvements or supporting the continued growth of our services. Plus, well provide you with training and development to help you grow in your role.

If you are looking for a rewarding role where every day is different and you can be part of a close-knit, supportive team, wed love to hear from you.

Please ensure you have the right to work in the UK before applying as we cannot provide sponsorship for this role.

We reserve the right to close the advert early if sufficient applications have been received.

Job description

Job responsibilities

As a Catering Assistant, youll be part of a dedicated and friendly team, working across the main patient service area and Pinetree's restaurant. You will contribute to a range of exciting duties, from food preparation and serving to helping maintain cleanliness and hygiene standards. Every day, you'll have the opportunity to make a real impact by supporting the smooth running of our services and ensuring our customers receive the best care possible.

Please see the Job Description and Person Specification for further information.

What were looking for:

  • A team player with a positive, can-do attitude who enjoys working in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.

  • A proactive approach to maintaining high standards of hygiene, food presentation, and portion control.

  • A willingness to assist with food preparation and a good understanding of food safety protocols (HACCP).

  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to engage with a diverse group of people, from patients to staff and visitors.

  • Flexibility to assist in various duties and areas as needed, from food service to cashier tasks.

Why join us?

At Pinetree, we value innovation and customer care. As part of our team, you will have the chance to make meaningful contributions, whether its suggesting improvements or supporting the continued growth of our services. Plus, well provide you with training and development to help you grow in your role.

If you are looking for a rewarding role where every day is different and you can be part of a close-knit, supportive team, wed love to hear from you.

Please ensure you have the right to work in the UK before applying as we cannot provide sponsorship for this role.

We reserve the right to close the advert early if sufficient applications have been received.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good level of basic education - able to demonstrate literacy, numeracy, and comprehension skills
  • Level 2 Food Safety Certificate

Desirable

  • COSHH and Moving and Handling and Food/Kitchen hygiene training.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working in a Kitchen/Restaurant environment.
  • Hygiene COSSH procedures

Desirable

  • Experience in healthcare
  • Experience of Infection Prevention and Control
  • Customer care experience
  • Experience of working in a Kitchen/Restaurant environment

Skills

Essential

  • Good communication skills - able to read and understand written and verbal communication and instruction
  • Customer focussed
  • Self-motivated and disciplined with good time management skills
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good level of basic education - able to demonstrate literacy, numeracy, and comprehension skills
  • Level 2 Food Safety Certificate

Desirable

  • COSHH and Moving and Handling and Food/Kitchen hygiene training.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working in a Kitchen/Restaurant environment.
  • Hygiene COSSH procedures

Desirable

  • Experience in healthcare
  • Experience of Infection Prevention and Control
  • Customer care experience
  • Experience of working in a Kitchen/Restaurant environment

Skills

Essential

  • Good communication skills - able to read and understand written and verbal communication and instruction
  • Customer focussed
  • Self-motivated and disciplined with good time management skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Frimley Park Hospital

Portsmouth Road

Frimley, Surrey

GU16 7UJ


Employer's website

https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Frimley Park Hospital

Portsmouth Road

Frimley, Surrey

GU16 7UJ


Employer's website

https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Food Service Manager

Debhra Womersley

debhra.womersley@nhs.net

03006136957

Details

Date posted

25 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£25,768 a year per annum incl HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

151-LC403

Job locations

Frimley Park Hospital

Portsmouth Road

Frimley, Surrey

GU16 7UJ


Supporting documents

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