Compass Group UK & Ireland
Catering Assistant

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Catering Assistant
Salary: up to £12.71 per hour
Location: Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable
Contract: Zero Hour
About The Role
As a Catering Assistant, you'll be part of a dynamic, fast-paced team, contributing to a positive and friendly work environment. You’ll play an important role in supporting day-to-day café operations, delivering excellent customer service, and maintaining a clean, welcoming space for all visitors.
This role offers great opportunities for personal growth and development within a company that values individuality and invests in its people. Your hard work will be recognised and rewarded, making this an excellent opportunity to develop your career at a world-renowned cultural institution.
What can we offer you?
- A collaborative and inclusive culture where your ideas are valued and creativity is encouraged
- Free staff meals while working on site
- Access to training, mentoring, and development through Restaurant Associates and Compass Group UK
Your Key Responsibilities
- Provide warm, friendly, and efficient customer service
- Serve food and beverages to brand and quality standards
- Follow all health & safety, food safety, and hygiene practices
- Operate tills accurately and handle transactions responsibly
- Maintain clean, tidy, and well-presented front-of-house and seating areas
- Support simple food preparation, restocking, and product display
- Assist with cleaning and general upkeep of service areas
- Help with opening and closing duties as required
- Contribute to sales promotions and deliver positive visitor experiences
- Support service during special events as part of an all-round catering team
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Our Ideal Catering Assistant Will
- Experience in a café, restaurant, or catering environment
- Friendly, approachable, and committed to great customer service
- Confident working in a fast-paced, visitor-focused environment
- Able to follow instructions and work well as part of a team
- Good communication skills and a positive can-do attitude
- Understanding of food safety and hygiene practices (training provided)
- Flexible and reliable, with the ability to work weekends and busy peak periods
About Us
Restaurant Associates is a leading premium hospitality provider with an ethos drawn from our history of fine and high-quality dining in London and New York.


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Within our venues team, we provide catering and hospitality services to some of the most iconic visitor attractions and destinations in the UK including the Imperial War Museum London, Glyndebourne Opera House, Knebworth House, Design Museum, Whipsnade Zoo, and many more. Within these amazing venues, we operate a host of bespoke cafés and restaurants, as well as delivering private events ranging from small meetings to large-scale ground events of up to 1000 people. You can find a full list of our venues on our website.
Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!
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