Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Catering Assistant (Retail Patient Services Northern Campus)

The closing date is 15 March 2026

Job summary

As a vital member of our Catering Team, you will bridge the gap between clinical excellence and hospitality. You aren't just serving food; you are ensuring our patients, staff, and visitors receive the high-quality, nutritionally balanced sustenance essential for recovery and well-being.

Working alongside dietitians and culinary experts, you will uphold the rigorous standards of the Catering Department, ensuring every meal is delivered with precision, safety, and a focus on the customer experience.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to

Service Excellence: Manage food service across dining rooms and deli bars, ensuring excellent presentation and portion control

Logistics & Flow: Coordinate the collection and delivery of insulated meal trolleys to wards and regeneration zones, ensuring timely service for patients.

Quality Assurance: Conduct rigorous checks on meal deliveries for accuracy (quantity, quality, and labelling) and resolve any discrepancies immediately to maintain service standards.

Food Safety & Compliance: Operate regeneration ovens and maintain meticulous records of food temperatures--from delivery to service--ensuring 100% compliance with food hygiene regulations.

Financial Accountability: Operate cash registers and manage daily banking/cashing-up procedures with a high level of integrity and security.

Operational Readiness: Prepare and set up serveries, maintain cleanliness in food service areas, and manage the efficient clearing of equipment and crockery.

About us

You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes a firm commitment to professional development of its staff together with the provision of an excellent health and well-being support service.

Staff training and development is really important to us, and we offer the chance to do further qualifications and progression towards roles in collaboration with our trust Facilities Learning and Development team, as well as a variety of regular in-house and external courses.

The Ideal Candidate should be reliable and understand that patients depend on your punctuality and attention to detail. They should also be adaptable: While based at either the Northern General or Royal Hallamshire Hospitals, you are open to supporting our teams across different sites as needed. You must have a customer-focused and friendly demeanour and also take pride in providing great service to staff and visitors.

Details

Date posted

03 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£24,465 a year pa/pro rata for part time staff

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

190-1411-DIR-S

Job locations

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

Herries Road

Sheffield

S5 7AU


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.

When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.

When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience in catering/food services including:- Health & Safety. Different food service systems. Cash handling.
  • Knowledge of allergens.

Desirable

  • Working in a Catering organisation/operation.
  • Customer service experience.
  • Supervision of staff.
  • Function working.

Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE English and Maths (A-C) or Grade 9 - 4 or equivalent experience.

Desirable

  • Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate or equivalent experience.
  • Level 2 Health and Safety Certificate or equivalent experience.
  • NVQ or apprenticeship in a Catering subject.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

  • Health & Safety knowledge including manual handling techniques, fire safety.

Desirable

  • Training on Equality and Diversity.
  • NVQ Level 1 -Multi-skilled Food Service.

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • Ability to communicate with a range of groups ie multi-cultural patients, visitors and staff.
  • Basic computer skills.
  • Ability to create and maintain good working relationships with individuals or teams.
  • Understanding of the reasons for and ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a large team.
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience in catering/food services including:- Health & Safety. Different food service systems. Cash handling.
  • Knowledge of allergens.

Desirable

  • Working in a Catering organisation/operation.
  • Customer service experience.
  • Supervision of staff.
  • Function working.

Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE English and Maths (A-C) or Grade 9 - 4 or equivalent experience.

Desirable

  • Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate or equivalent experience.
  • Level 2 Health and Safety Certificate or equivalent experience.
  • NVQ or apprenticeship in a Catering subject.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

  • Health & Safety knowledge including manual handling techniques, fire safety.

Desirable

  • Training on Equality and Diversity.
  • NVQ Level 1 -Multi-skilled Food Service.

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • Ability to communicate with a range of groups ie multi-cultural patients, visitors and staff.
  • Basic computer skills.
  • Ability to create and maintain good working relationships with individuals or teams.
  • Understanding of the reasons for and ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a large team.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

Herries Road

Sheffield

S5 7AU


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

Herries Road

Sheffield

S5 7AU


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Assistant Food Service Manager

Tracy Winder

tracy.winder@nhs.net

01142714466

Details

Date posted

03 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£24,465 a year pa/pro rata for part time staff

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

190-1411-DIR-S

Job locations

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

Herries Road

Sheffield

S5 7AU


Supporting documents

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