Kitchen Assistant

Surrey County Council; Dorking; On-site; GBP 10,000 - GBP 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A local government organization in Dorking is seeking Kitchen Assistants to join their catering team at various outdoor learning centres. The ideal candidates will be passionate about cooking and have experience in kitchens. You will be involved in preparing nutritious meals, serving guests, and ensuring a pleasant dining experience. The role offers a competitive hourly wage, generous leave benefits, and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Benefits

26 days' holiday, rising to 31 days after 5 years

Option to buy additional annual leave

Generous local government pension

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts

Qualifications

• Experience in kitchens and enjoyment of cooking, whether at home or in a more commercial environment.
• Ability to follow instructions and work independently.
• A willingness to learn and participate in training, to include Food Hygiene L2.

Responsibilities

• Preparing and cooking healthy, tasty and nutritious meals.
• Serving guests and providing excellent customer experience.
• Clearing meals and maintaining cleanliness in the kitchen.

Skills

Experience in kitchens

Ability to follow instructions

Positive 'can do' attitude

Job description

• Category: Catering - Unqualified
• Contract type: Bank
• Working hours: Bank
• Posted on: 21 January 2026
• Location: See advert - Various

Description

This role has a starting salary of £14.88 per hour (comprising £12.89 per hour pay + £1.99 holiday entitlement).

We are excited to be hiring new bank Kitchen Assistants to join our team at Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development (SOLD).

We have breakfast shifts and dinners shifts across our centres, located at:

• Henley Fort Outdoor Centre, The Mount, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 4RH

Our Offer to You

• Playing a valuable part in the outdoor learning experience of our guests
• Working amongst a friendly and dynamic team
• Working with a range of customers and projects
• Working at 3 unique centres in beautiful locations
• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the role

SOLD is a provider of high-quality outdoor learning programmes. Our catering team prides itself on feeding our visitors homecooked and freshly prepared nutritious meals, fuelling our visitors for busy active days in the outdoors! We offer a hearty and delicious menu and the team cater for a range of dietary needs. The dining experience plays a key role in the overall high-quality experience of our visitors. To find out more about what we do, please visit our website: Surrey Outdoor Learning & Development

As a Kitchen Assistant, you will play a key role in preparing and cooking healthy, tasty and nutritious meals, including serving our guests, clearing of meals and offering an excellent customer experience.

Our usual shifts are 6am - 11am and 3pm - 7pm and these vary depending on the needs of the groups.

High Ashurst and Henley Fort are in remote locations so please consider your transport arrangements before applying.

To get a flavour of what it's like working at SOLD, have a look at our video .

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours :

• Experience in kitchens and enjoyment of cooking, whether at home or in a more commercial environment
• Ability to follow instructions and work independently
• A willingness to learn and participate in training, to include Food Hygiene L2
• A positive 'can do' attitude

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following four questions:

• Why did you apply for this role?
• Please describe what key skills and experience you have for this role?
• Please tell us about your favourite style of cooking.
• Please tell us which centre/s are you looking to work at and what is your availability.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Robin Ridsdale by e-mail at [e-mail] to arrange a convenient time or you can call 01372 378901 to leave a message.

We will be reviewing applications as they are received and contacting applicants to arrange an interview. Please complete all parts of the application.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.