Chef - Bank (Band 3)

Job summary

Working Hours : As & When

Support the Deputy Head of Catering in achieving the highest standards of food preparation, cooking and service. The post holder will provide attractive and palatable meals to hospital patients, staff and visitors, and will adopt responsibility at all times for the quality and outcome of each dish prepared and each task undertaken.

The chef will have a commitment to the highest standards of personal hygiene and dress, and take full responsibility for ensuring safe food hygiene and health & safety practices are observed at all times.

Assist in the preparation, cooking and service of food for Ellesmere Port Hospital.

Enhancements apply as follows:

Saturday: Time plus 35%

Sunday/Bank Holiday - Times plus 69%

Main duties of the job

1. Prepare, cook and serve meals as per menu to patients, staff and visitors, ensuring the highest standards of food hygiene throughout the process.
2. Observe and maintain all necessary "due diligence" records as requested, i.e.: Fridge, Freezer Temperature recordings, HACCP.
3. Follow/implement all aspects of food safety management systems, for which you are responsible.
4. Follow standard recipes and methods and make the most economical use of fresh/raw ingredients, whilst maintaining strict avoidance of waste.
5. Allocate work to the kitchen support staff, in conjunction with the Deputy Head /Manager, and assist in the induction and training of newly appointed Chefs, catering assistants and porters.
6. Check that all food received is in accordance with quality and quantity ordered, adopting basic stock control principles.
7. Assist in the ordering of certain perishable foods and dairy store items.

About us

The Trust's services are provided from three locations:

o The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 473 general and acute beds.o Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 60 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility.o Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust employs 5,964 staff (headcount) to provide care and treatment to a population of over 400,000 people living in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire.

The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System. Due to its location on the border with North Wales, the Trust also works closely with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

The Trust treats patients from England and some parts of Wales. During 2024/2025, there were approximately 643,000 patient attendances (inpatient, A&E, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery