Chef
At a glance
- Band
- Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Full-time, Monday to Friday staggered shifts (7:00 am to 5:00 pm)
- Posted
- 03/09/2026
- Closes
- 16/09/2026
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Role summary
This role is for a Production Chef at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital's Central Production Kitchen, focusing on preparing high-quality, nutritious patient meals using a modern cook-freeze system. The kitchen holds a Food for Life Silver Award, emphasizing sustainability and local sourcing. The position offers a stable environment with standard healthcare hours, typically Monday to Friday, without evening or weekend shifts. The chef will contribute to patient recovery by catering to diverse dietary needs.
Essential criteria
- City & Guilds 706/1 706/2 or equivalent vocational level 3 qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience
- Level 3 Food Hygiene/Safety
- Level 3 Allergen awareness
Desirable criteria
- Formal Dietetics Course
- Large scale Catering experience within healthcare sector
- Experience of special dietary requirements gained through Education & training to level 3.
- ``Work unsupervised in all areas of the kitchen
- Previous experience within catering sector
- Previous NHS experience
- Skills/Competencies
- Attention to detail inc. Accuracy & ability to multi-task.
- Culinary Expertise (Excellent knife skills, Equipment knowledge, Safety/Sanitation methods, cooking methods)
- Evidence of creativity by introducing new recipe ideas in areas of control
- Good understanding of food nutrition
- Good understanding of H&S, HACCP & COSHH regulations
- Understand the needs of Special Diets for patients
- Personal Attributes
- Able to work as part of a team and mix with other members of staff
- Ability to communicate effectively with all hospital staff
- Passion for cooking
- Evidence of working in busy kitchens
- Qualificaions
- City & Guilds 706/1 706/2 or equivalent vocational level 3 qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience
- Level 3 Food Hygiene/Safety
- Level 3 Allergen awareness
- Formal Dietetics Course
- Large scale Catering experience within healthcare sector
- Experience of special dietary requirements gained through Education & training to level 3.
- ``Work unsupervised in all areas of the kitchen
- Previous experience within catering sector
- Previous NHS experience
- Skills/Competencies
- Attention to detail inc. Accuracy & ability to multi-task.
- Culinary Expertise (Excellent knife skills, Equipment knowledge, Safety/Sanitation methods, cooking methods)
- Evidence of creativity by introducing new recipe ideas in areas of control
- Good understanding of food nutrition
- Good understanding of H&S, HACCP & COSHH regulations
- Understand the needs of Special Diets for patients
- Personal Attributes
- Able to work as part of a team and mix with other members of staff
- Ability to communicate effectively with all hospital staff
- Passion for cooking
- Evidence of working in busy kitchens
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 3 at £24,625 – £25,674 a year, across England.
This advert: £25,760 – £27,476 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 4d ago · Closes in 10d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
Chef
The closing date is 16 September 2026
Job summary
Are you a passionate chef looking for an exceptional work-life balance within an award-winning team? University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (UHD) is seeking a dedicated and skilled Production Chef to join our state-of-the-art Central Production Kitchen (CPK) based at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. Our CPK produces high-quality, nutritious patient meals using a modern cook-freeze regeneration system. We proudly hold the Food for Life Silver Award , reflecting our strict commitment to sustainability, local sourcing, and organic produce. This role offers a highly stable employment environment with standard healthcare hours and no evening or weekend shifts required (subject to future service reviews), providing a rare opportunity for true work-life balance in the culinary industry.
- Base Location: Central Production Kitchen (CPK), Royal Bournemouth Hospital
- Hospitals Served: Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch Hospitals
- Working Pattern: Full-time, Monday to Friday staggered shifts (7:00 am to 5:00 pm)
Interview: September 25th
Main duties of the job
As a Production Chef, you will prepare nutritious meals that cater to a wide range of dietary and cultural requirements, directly impacting patient recovery and well-
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