Nursery Cook

The Old Station Nursery Limited; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading nursery provider in Portsmouth is seeking a Cook to join their team at Stubbington Lodge. The position requires expertise in preparing nutritious meals, an understanding of food allergens, and a valid Food and Hygiene certificate. You will be responsible for menu planning, budget management, and creating enjoyable cooking experiences for children. Offering competitive pay and childcare perks, this is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a nurturing environment for children.

Benefits

Free childcare for the first month

52% discount on childcare

31 days of holiday including birthday

Enhanced pay for overtime

Access to The National College for training

Perkbox discounts and wellbeing tools

1 paid volunteer day off per year

Flexible working hours

Qualifications

• Experience preparing and cooking delicious meals.
• Previous experience of working with allergens.
• A Food and Hygiene certificate.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve delicious, nutritious meals for the children.
• Plan menus and manage food orders within budget.
• Engage children in baking activities.
• Maintain a safe, clean, hygienic kitchen environment.

Skills

Experience preparing and cooking meals

Knowledge of allergens

Passion for childcare

Education

Food and Hygiene certificate

Job description

Overview

Join Our Team as a Nursery Cook!

At Stubbington Lodge, we’re looking for an experienced Cook to join our team. Bring your enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication, and let’s make a difference together!

To be considered for this position, candidates must hold a valid Food and Hygiene Certificate and demonstrate strong knowledge of food allergens and dietary requirements. Previous experience in scratch cooking, baking, andmenu preparation is also required.

Please note: we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Why You’ll Love Working With Us

We know our people make all the difference, so here’s how we make a difference for you:

• Childcare Perks: Free childcare for the first month and 52% discount (based on working hours) to support your family.
• Holiday and Celebrations: 31 days of holiday (inclusive of national bank holidays and the Christmas closure week), plus your birthday off!
• Enhanced Pay for Overtime: Your hard work deserves recognition.
• Career Development: Access to The National College full of training and courses
• Exclusive Discounts & Wellbeing Support: Enjoy Perkbox discounts and wellbeing tools.
• Recognition & Rewards: Refer a friend or family for exciting bonuses and celebrate milestones with long-service awards.
• Work-Life Balance: Flexible full-time and part-time opportunities.
• Volunteer Day: 1 paid day off per year to volunteer and give back to the community.

Pay: £13.35 per hour
Working Hours: Monday to Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm
Location: Good Manors Day Nursery Stubbington Lodge, 45 Stubbington Avenue, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 0HP

What Your Role Involves

As a Cook in our nursery, you’ll:

• Prepare and serve delicious, nutritious meals for the children.
• Plan menus and manage food orders, ensuring everything stays within budget.
• Create fun learning experiences by engaging in baking activities with the children.
• Maintain a safe, clean, and hygienic kitchen environment in line with health and safety standards.

What You’ll Bring to the Role

• Experience preparing and cooking delicious meals
• Previous experience of working with allergens
• A Food and Hygiene certificate
• Drive, passion and care for your work

About our Nursery

The Good Manors Day Nursery Stubbington Lodge team is proud to be rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. A former family home that has since been refurbished, we have continued the family feel at our Portsmouth nursery, where attentive staff engage with children through meaningful play experiences and discussion to really understand what makes each child unique. We’ve maximised our outdoor space to create an inviting and engaging learning environment. Children can explore water, a sand pit, plants and a mud kitchen, and we provide various resources to support all areas of learning as part of our holistic learning approach. Taking care of animals and their environment is a keen topic for our children. They enjoy providing clean soil and cutting and preparing food for our pet African Land Snails and are supervised in handling them with care. The nursery is located just off the A2047 London Road, on Stubbington Avenue, opposite Beresford Road.

The Old Station Nursery is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all applicants to share this commitment. All roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks, satisfactory references, and verification of your right to work in the UK and any essential qualifications. If successful, our recruitment and compliance team will guide you through every step of the onboarding process. We are an inclusive employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments will be considered to ensure fairness and accessibility for all candidates.