Cafe Assistant
Permanent, Part Time
£25,959 per annum
Location: Braintree
Working Style: Fixed-base worker
Closing Date: 28th April 2026
Please note this is a part time position. The pro rata salary will be £20,183.96 per annum
The Role
Excellent opportunity to join the cafes team at Great Notley Country Park, delivering excellent customer service within a stunning location in Braintree.
To read more about our business area, please visit:
Climate, Environment and Customer Services
The Opportunity
Essex is a diverse county with some of the highest levels of deprivation in the country through to highly affluent communities, which gives us a wide variance in life expectancy and quality. Culture and Green Spaces will deliver exceptional customer experiences, demonstrating the benefit of Essex’s strategic location, with the objective of developing a financially sustainable operation.
As Café Assistant will ensure a clean, safe, tidy and welcoming place for customers to buy and consume food within the Cafes based in Country Parks. Undertaking basic food preparation and processing in line with safe food processes and practices, complying at all times with food and health and safety requirements. Providing an excellent customer experience by offering help and support to visitors.
Accountabilities
- Serving customers with drinks and food, preparing and/or cooking simple food and cold/hot drinks, in accordance with food safety regulations, to meet customer orders.
- Washing up, using a dishwasher, clearing tables, sweeping floors, cleaning equipment and structure deep cleaning, to ensure all health and safety standards are met.
- Responsible for identifying tasks and ensuring these are completed to a high standard.
- Contribute to stocktaking, and stock movement to ensure stock and consumables are used and maintained correctly.
- Responsible for operating tills and handling cash, ensuring compliance with correct procedures.
- Responsible for complying with all health and safety rules ensuring the proper use and care of protective clothing and equipment.
- Completing records on time and accurately
- Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
- Responsible for stock management & ordering
The Experience You Will Bring
- Educated to RQF Level 2 (GCSE) or equivalent by experience.
- Experience of working within a Catering environment.
- Ability to develop skills and knowledge within role.
- Experience of delivering excellent customer service.
- Good communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Ability to prioritise own workload and work within a team.
Why Essex?
As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.
In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.
At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.
As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
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If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email jamielea.wallis@Essex.gov.uk
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