Job Description

Salary: £27,319 with progression to £28,778 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 2 August 2026

The Role

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced, multi-talented and highly skilled Chef to join our highly motivated team in the University’s In-House catering department EAT@NEWCASTLE.

You will have experience in working within a similar environment with relevant food preparation and cooking experience and possess a level 2 Food safety for caterer’s certificate. You will be able to undertake a range of food preparation tasks to a high standard whilst always complying with Food Hygiene regulations.

The role will provide high quality food for university customers through traditional cooking methods or cook chill.

The University catering and hospitality is a busy fast paced environment, working in multiple locations across Newcastle University Campus . Kitchens where you may be in a team of 6 or 7 or events where you may be customer facing, you will regularly engage with and work closely with Kitchen Porters and General Assistants, loading vehicles along with managing daily deliveries can make for heavy work. A typical day is an 8 hour plus shift 9 to 5 or 10 -6, to meet business needs you will need some degree of adaptability and flexibility. At times you may work alone, but in general it is a huge team effort and one which comes with huge loyalty and personal reward.

The standard rota system is 5 out of 7 days (notice of shifts will always be provided).

For general enquiries, please contact us at 0191 208 6363 or email, catering@ncl.ac.uk

To apply , please upload CV and cover letter outlining how your skills and experience align to the person specification within the job description.

Interviews will consist of a formal interview, and skills based practical assessment. w/c 17th August 2026

Key Accountabilities

• To prepare and produce food in accordance with the Service’s Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Policy either through cook chill or traditional cooking methods to meet customer demand
• To ensure the work environment and work practices comply with operating procedures, food hygiene regulations and health and safety legislation, e.g. equipment is clean and in full working order, monitoring food temperatures and reporting irregularities
• Support line manager with the planning of menus and recipes to meet current trends, expectations and customer demand
• To order, control and use food items required for menu production, checking they are of the type, quality and quantity required, to ensure cost effectiveness and to minimise wastage
• To be responsible for achieving agreed gross profit within your area of control
• Assist with co-ordinating the activities of catering staff, where appropriate, to ensure service delivery
• Participate in the development of policies and procedures for the Service to establish best practice for service provision to customers
• Support the Service’s commitment to training and development by participating fully in training courses designed to improve personal skill levels and knowledge. Plan, oversee and where appropriate, deliver training and development to staff e.g. PDR and Induction

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Awareness of current trends and issues within the catering industry
• Up-to-date knowledge of legislation in relation to Food Hygiene, HACCP and Health and Safety
• Relevant experience in a large scale catering operation

Attributes and Behaviour

• Ability to communicate clearly
• Customer focused approach
• Ability to keep calm in pressurised situations
• Positive attitude
• Team player
• Able to work in other locations as required
• Ability to work unsupervised and prioritise workload
• Willingness and ability to establish and maintain good working relationships

Qualifications

• Food Safety for Caterers Level 2 Certificate
• City & Guilds 706/1/2 NVQ Level 1/2 in Food Production

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 28442

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