Kitchen Cook

We are looking for a passionate and creative Kitchen Cook to join our team and help us make a difference. This role is ideal for someone who loves cooking from scratch, enjoys trying new things, and thrives in a fast-paced environment.

You’ll take pride in preparing delicious, high-quality meals - including homemade cafe dishes, freshly baked goods, and buffet-style meals - while ensuring cost-effectiveness and waste reduction. You’ll work closely with the cafe team to adapt menus in response to customer demand, food trends, and seasonal ingredients. In addition, you’ll play a key role in our developing catering offer and supporting our free community meals, ensuring that every meal served is fulfilling and made with care.

From time to time, you will also support our nursery, covering for our nursery cook during periods of leave. This includes preparing nutritious, child-friendly meals that meet dietary and allergy requirements.

If you want to use your skills to create great food while positively impacting the community, we’d love to hear from you.

Job Title: Kitchen Cook

Location: YMCA North Tyneside, primarily North Shields, NE29 0AB.

Contract Type: 35 Hours

Salary: £12.51 per hour

Benefits: In addition to joining a great team, our colleagues also benefit from enhanced holiday, your birthday off, access to a free and confidential Employee Assistance Programme, 24/7 GP Helpline, discount at our Café and Nursery, a free YMCA North Tyneside gym membership for you and a loved one, and training opportunities on various topics such as Safeguarding, Mental health, and Health and Safety.

To be successful, it is essential that you have relevant experience in a cafe environment and/or qualification in food hygiene or related fields. Previous experience in food preparation or serving is also acceptable.

Please note, the post holders must be able to work flexibly depending on the needs of the business and must be available for occasional overtime and weekends.

If you’re interested in this post and would like an informal chat, please contact us on 0191 2575434 and ask for Shona Stapley (Cafe Supervisor) or HR; both will be happy to arrange a time for you to discuss the role and expectations in further detail.

Closing date: Please apply ASAP without delay if you're interested as we will be interviewing as we go.

Interview process: One Stage Interview.

Proposed start date: ASAP

To Apply: Please apply by providing a cover letter detailing why you believe you are suitable for the position and an up-to-date CV. Please follow the link below to our online application form which will also ask for a CV to be uploaded.

Online Application Form: https://form.jotformeu.com/ymcanorthtyneside/ymca-online-application-for-e

Please note: The health, wellbeing, and safety of our colleagues and candidates during this time is of paramount importance, with this in mind, we have refreshed our approach to recruitment.

YMCA North Tyneside is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity amongst the workforce. We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and seek to create an inspiring and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and value inclusion and diversity, which we demonstrate through our activities, policies, and working practices.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: £12.00 per hour

Expected hours: 35 per week

Schedule: Monday - Friday (although flexibility may be needed for occasional work on weekends and bank holidays)