Assistant Chef

Job description

Are you passionate about cooking and providing nutritious meals for young children? As an Assistant Chef at Busy Bees, you’ll play a vital role in our kitchen team, preparing healthy meals that support children’s growth and development. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a nurturing environment where you will contribute to the wellbeing of children while gaining valuable experience in catering within the early years sector.

Busy Bees is the UK’s leading nursery group, with nearly 400 nurseries across the UK and more overseas. We are dedicated to giving every child the best start in life and are proud to have won awards for our workplace culture. At Busy Bees, we ensure that every member of our team feels heard, valued, and nurtured.

We offer a supportive environment that empowers you to create engaging, educational spaces where children can thrive. As part of our team, you’ll be introduced to our unique Bee Curious curriculum, designed to foster curiosity and confidence in young learners.

Through our partnership with BBC Children in Need, we provide fantastic opportunities for community involvement and fundraising to support children’s lives.

Busy Bees Horsham, rated Good by Ofsted, has a capacity of 130 children and features a passionate team dedicated to giving every child the best start in life. Our staff actively participate in network meetings and training around West Sussex to build strong links with other nurseries and schools, enhancing our collaborative efforts in early childhood education. Conveniently located just a 10-minute walk from Little Haven station and with a bus stop just one minute from the nursery offering regular services, we ensure easy access for families. We also provide free parking for staff, fostering a supportive and accessible work environment.

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: Mornings only
• Friday and Monday: Full day

• Competitive salary
• Ongoing professional development and career progression
• Our ‘Hive’ benefits and wellbeing hub, with discounts across a huge range of retailers
• Up to 28 days holiday per year (including bank holidays)
• Your birthday off – it’s our gift to you!
• 25% childcare discount
• Enhanced family leave and return to work bonus
• Menopause support through Peppy
• Financial support through Salary Finance
• Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Easy access to your workplace pension through Cushon
• Discounted Private Medical Insurance (PMI)

But wait, there’s more! You’ll also enjoy access to our Benefits and Wellbeing platform, Hive, offering a huge array of retail discounts to help your money go further. Plus, our Wellbeing Hub features resources to support your physical and mental health. We celebrate our team members through our Celebrating You section and provide a dedicated Grow with Us area sharing exciting development opportunities and training designed to support you to thrive and grow at Busy Bees.

Key Responsibilities:

• Part cooking
• Mainly washing up and housekeeping
• Prepare healthy, nutritious meals that meet dietary requirements for children
• Support the Chef in overseeing kitchen operations and maintaining food safety and hygiene standards
• Ensure kitchen inventory is well-maintained and assist with ordering and stock management
• Support meal preparation and assist in the cleaning and maintenance of kitchen equipment

Ideal Candidate:

• Experience in leadership within early years settings is preferred
• Strong mentoring and problem-solving skills
• Ability to drive improvements and ensure compliance

If you have a passion for leading teams and supporting quality education, apply today!

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

horsham

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

04-11-2026

Profession type

Manufacturing / Industrial

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English