Assistant Chef
Content + Source + Freshness • 16 Dec 2025 • 95% confidence
Offer value
This role offers significant value due to the strong employer brand, comprehensive benefits package, and professional development opportunities.
- Competitive salary with comprehensive benefits.
- Strong employer reputation in early years education.
- Ongoing professional development and growth opportunities.
- Ideal for those passionate about early childhood nutrition.
Pros
- Strong support for employee wellbeing and professional growth.
- Regular exposure to catering in an educational setting, enhancing experience.
- Diverse benefits including childcare discounts and wellness programs.
Cons
- Potentially demanding work schedule due to kitchen operations.
- Limited scope for advanced culinary techniques in a nursery setting.
- Experience in early years settings may limit candidate pool.
Who it's for
Mid-level • Full-time in a nurturing environment
Good fit
- Culinary professionals with a background in early childhood education
- Individuals passionate about healthy meal preparation for children
- Team players eager to contribute to a positive work environment.
Not recommended for
- High-end chefs seeking fine dining experiences
- Candidates preferring sporadic or part-time work
- Those uninterested in working within childcare settings.
Motivation fit
Key skills
About the job
Join Our Team at Busy Bees – Leading Nursery Group in the UK
Are you passionate about cooking and providing nutritious meals for young children? As an Assistant Chef at Busy Bees, you’ll be a key part of 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.
About Us
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.
Why Work at Busy Bees?
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.
Our Charitable Commitment
Through our partnership with BBC Children in Need, we offer fantastic opportunities for community involvement and fundraising to support children's lives.
About our Nursery
Busy Bees Holmes Chapel, rated "Good" by Ofsted, has a capacity of 105 children. Our nursery embraces a warm and welcoming environment, providing boundless learning opportunities for your child to flourish and thrive.With an expansive garden area, your child can explore their imagination and discover their independence outdoors while connecting with nature, developing their motor skills, and taking on safe risks.Conveniently located on Manor Lane just off the A54, we are only a 5-minute drive from the M6 at Junction 18. For those using public transport, Holmes Chapel train station and the nearest bus stop at Aldi are both just a 5-minute walk away. Free parking is also available for added convenience.
Busy Bees Benefits
- 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 huge array huge of retail discounts helping your money to go further, along with a Wellbeing Hub featuring resources to support your physical and mental health. A Celebrating You section showcasing the ways we recognise and reward our valued team members. Plus, a dedicated Grow with Us area sharing the exciting development opportunities and training designed to support you to thrive and grow at Busy Bees.
Key Responsibilities:
- 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.
- Ideally experience in leadership within early years settings.
- Strong mentoring and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to drive improvements and ensure compliance.
