Catering Assistant - Working for Essex

About the role

Catering Assistant

Fixed Term, Full Time

£25,081 per annum (full time equivalent)

Location: Danbury

Closing Date: 14th February 2026

Essex Outdoors will be looking for enthusiastic and motivated people to join our catering teams at Danbury between April and September 2026.

Please click this link to apply Catering Assistants and please do not use the red apply button

Aged 16 years or over, while experience isn't essential, you’ll need to have plenty of energy and initiative and be great at working as part of a team as well as on your own. Based at one of our very busy outdoor activity centres, you will assist Chefs and Cooks in providing three great choice and quality meals a day for up to 250 residential visitors. You will be part of a friendly, customer-focused group of people in a vibrant fast-paced environment. Full in-house training is provided, and there may also be the opportunity to complete nationally recognised qualifications.

About the role:

Responsible for basic food preparation
Washing up, using a fully automated machine and cleaning some larger cooking items by hand
To ensure that cleanliness is maintained within the facilities and are adequately stocked
To maintain a high standard of personal and general cleanliness and hygiene to comply with statutory regulations
To use powered cleaning and catering equipment in accordance with the relevant safety requirements

During the season there may be some early starts and late finishes, as well as the requirement to work weekends or bank holidays. In return we provide a competitive salary, full in-house training for all staff, as well as an Essex Outdoors t-shirt to wear with your own presentable attire and appropriate footwear.

To find out more about Essex Outdoors, please click here: Essex Outdoors

Work for Essex Outdoors?

Generous Local Government Salary related pension scheme
Access to hundreds of discounts and benefits through Essex Rewards
Access to our health and wellbeing support platform with Vita Health Group

About our Centre

Our Essex Outdoor site at Danbury is a large centre set on a 70-acre site of beautiful countryside and woodlands. Danbury runs a large range of both land-based and water-based activities.

Work alongside the Catering Lead to ensure the Catering Department delivers its objectives, ensuring best value for money and accurate in-year spend.
Contribute to the planning of work schedules and ensure staff are allocated according to business need.
Contribute to managing all staff working in the Catering Department, to ensure that FTE, Seasonal and Capita/Agency staff all have a deep understanding of their roles to increase efficiency and continuity of great service.
Responsible for ensuring hygiene practices and regulations are stringently implemented in the kitchen and areas where food is handled/served whilst maintaining appropriate health and safety standards for all catering and serving areas to ensure the wellbeing of customers.
Contribute to the management of on-site vending and the creation of menu plans for the centre, making appropriate provision for special dietary requirements and budget limitations.
Contribute to the ordering of food and other supplies, stock control and controlling waste at a required level, whilst ensuring the correct, safe and economical use of equipment and fuel. Complying with procurement and financial processes.
Engage with appropriate stakeholders to define requirements and achieve quality, timely and value for money services.
Prepare, cook and, where necessary, serve meals and beverages to a standard and quality expected by Essex Outdoors and its customers. Carry out associated cleaning duties if required.
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Experience You Will Bring

Possesses a 706/1 qualification or equivalent plus experience of working within a large volume catering environment.
Current First Aid and Food Hygiene certificates.
Ability to develop skills and knowledge within role.
Ability to ensure the maintenance of a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene for all resources to comply with statutory regulations.
Experience of preparation, cooking and service of food and beverages to the required standard and volume with the ability to create and follow agreed menus and recipes.
Ability to use kitchen and cleaning equipment and train others in the correct use of this equipment.
Ability to manage and support the work of others and show good organisational skill
Good communication skills, both verbal and written with experience of delivering excellent customer service.
Ability to prioritise own workload and that of a team.

How to apply?

If you would like to apply for this position you will need an up-to-date CV and a personal statement explaining your interest in the role including the following information.

Availability - What is your earliest start date after 1st April 2026?
Commitments - Please provide the dates of any commitments that mean you are not available to work between April and September 2026, for example booked holiday, university, exams etc.

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.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email Jamielea.wallis@essex.gov.uk

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