Bank Chef

Job description

Our cultural ambition is to have a culture that places people at the heart of all we do, where we all belong, and where learning, improvement and excellence thrive.

Job overview

We're looking for a skilled, passionate chef to join our Catering team at Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

If you're energetic, hardworking and committed to delivering high-quality, freshly cooked, nutritious food, this is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the experience of our patients, staff and visitors.

About the Role

As a Chef within our busy hospital kitchen, you will play an important role in ensuring our meals are fresh, wholesome and attractively presented. You will work as part of a supportive and experienced team, preparing meals to meet nutritional standards and supporting our wider catering service.

Our Catering Department is one of only a handful within the NHS that delivers true fresh-cooked catering on-site for both patients and retail services. We are proud to be recognised as one of only seven Exemplar Fresh Cooked Sites nationally, showcasing best practice in high-quality, nutritious food provision. Our chefs work closely with dietitians, nutritionists and clinical teams to cater for a wide range of medical, cultural and specialist dietary requirements - ensuring every patient receives safe, appropriate and nourishing meals tailored to their needs.

Main duties of the job

• Preparing and cooking dishes using fresh ingredients
• Ensuring meals are cooked to a high standard and well presented
• Working to forecasted meal numbers and maintaining portion control
• Supporting the delivery of function and event catering when required
• Maintaining high standards of food safety, allergen awareness and nutritional knowledge
• Operating effectively in a high-volume production kitchen

We are looking for someone who can thrive in a busy environment, stay calm under pressure, and is motivated by producing quality food every day.

About You

To succeed in this role, you will need:

• Previous experience working as a chef in a quality-driven kitchen
• Strong practical skills and confidence preparing food from scratch
• Good knowledge of allergens, dietary requirements and nutritional content
• A positive attitude and genuine passion for food
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Flexibility to work shifts across a 7-day rota, including some weekends

Working for our organisation

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides outstanding care to a population of around 600,000 across Hampshire and parts of West Berkshire. We operate three hospital sites:

• Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital
• Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester
• Andover War Memorial Hospital

We are proud of our inclusive culture where people belong, learn and grow. With over 9,000 staff and an annual turnover of £500 million, we offer excellent career development opportunities and the chance to be part of a collaborative, forward-thinking organisation.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information about this role please see Job Description document attached.

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Person specification

Training and Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Basic food hygiene certificate
• City and Guilds 706/1 and 706/2 or equivalent

Desirable criteria

• Intermediate food hygiene certificate
• City and Guilds 706/3
• Computer literate

Experience and Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Experience of large scale food production
• Ability to work autonomously
• HACCP, COSHH
• Working knowledge of Health and Safety

Desirable criteria

• Experience working in an NHS Catering environment
• Knowledge of legislation - The Food Act 1990
• Food Hygiene Regulations 1995

Skills and Ability

Essential criteria

• Effective team member with the ability to work unsupervised.
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills.
• Effective organisational skills and ability to manage time and prioritise work
• Attention to detail
• Agility to change work pace to meet needs of service.
• Ability to make judgements unaided and to work pro-actively.

Other role specific requirements

Essential criteria

• Professional manner and organised approach
• Enthusiastic, determined and assertive
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Flexible
• Calm under pressure
• Occasional flexibility in working hours may be required
• High levels of personal hygiene
• Physically fit

Using AI in Your Application

We support the use of technology to help manage time and improve efficiency, but it is your responsibility to ensure your application is personalised and accurately reflects your own skills, experience and values.

AI tools can be useful when drafting an application, but they should only be used to assist you. The content submitted must be your own work and an authentic representation of your knowledge, abilities and experiences.

Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may be rejected. For example, we may receive multiple applications containing identical or generic wording that does not reflect the individual applicant.

The use of AI during assessments, including interviews, is not permitted unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment. For virtual interviews, you may be asked to provide a 360-degree view of the room and confirm that no additional devices are being used. If AI use is suspected during an interview, we may pause the interview, ask questions regarding its use, or adapt our assessment approach.

Working in healthcare requires integrity, honesty and accountability. We expect all applications and assessments to be a genuine reflection of your own experience, knowledge and values.
Our Commitment to Inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in both the delivery of our services and the recruitment and management of our staff.

We welcome applications from everyone who has the skills, experience and values required for the role, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity.
Happy to Talk Flexible Working

We are committed to supporting flexible ways of working and will consider all requests for flexible and part-time working wherever service needs allow.
Important Information About Your Application
Recruitment Process

Applications are submitted through our recruitment system, Trac. Following submission, all correspondence relating to your application will be sent from apps.trac.jobs. Please regularly check your inbox, including your junk or spam folders.

Shortlisted candidates will normally be contacted at least five working days before their interview date.
Vacancy Closing Dates

This vacancy may close before the advertised closing date if sufficient applications are received. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as early as possible.
English Language Requirement

In line with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, all applicants must be able to communicate effectively in spoken and written English. This will be assessed during the recruitment process.
Pre-Employment Checks and Probation
Keeping Patients Safe

At Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, patient safety is our highest priority. We recommend that staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and understand that we continue to care for patients who are COVID-19 positive within our services.
Probationary Period

All new employees will be required to complete a six-month probationary period as part of their employment with the Trust.

Tackling Climate Change: Hampshire Hospitals aims to embed sustainability and net zero carbon principles into the delivery of care across all its services. To find out more, search