Storal
Trainee Production Chef (Level 2 Apprenticeship)
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Nursery: Willow Tree Nursery School
Address: Chingford Avenue, Great Clacton, Clacton On Sea, Essex CO15 4US
Hours: 40 hours per week
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm
Reports To: Nursery Chef / Kitchen Manager
About the Role
Do you love food, enjoy being part of a team, and want to help little learners grow big and strong? As our Trainee Production Chef, you'll learn how to create nutritious, delicious meals for children in a busy Early Years setting. From preparing healthy lunches to creating tasty snacks, you'll play an important role in supporting children's wellbeing, development, and lifelong healthy eating habits.
Every day is different. One day you might be preparing a rainbow vegetable pasta, the next you'll be introducing children to new flavours or helping to create a menu for National Picnic Day!
Working alongside experienced catering professionals, you'll learn how to safely prepare meals, follow recipes, maintain high standards of food hygiene, and work towards your Level 2 Production Chef Apprenticeship.
What You'll Be Doing
Creating Delicious Food
- Preparing and cooking nutritious meals and snacks for children aged 0-5.
- Following standard recipes and menus to ensure consistency and quality.
- Helping to accommodate dietary requirements, allergies, and cultural preferences.
- Assisting with food preparation, portioning, and presentation.
Fuelling Little Minds
- Supporting healthy eating initiatives across the nursery.
- Helping children develop positive relationships with food.
- Promoting nutritious choices and encouraging children to try new foods.
- Taking pride in knowing your meals help children learn, play, and grow.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
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.
It 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.
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.
Kitchen Superhero Duties
- Maintaining excellent standards of food hygiene and cleanliness.
- Following food safety, health and safety, and allergen procedures.
- Safely operating kitchen equipment.
- Monitoring stock and helping to reduce food waste.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
- Working closely with nursery staff to meet children's needs.
- Communicating effectively with colleagues, suppliers, and families where appropriate.
- Supporting a positive and friendly working environment.
- Participating in training and apprenticeship learning activities.
The Ingredients We're Looking For
Essential
- A passion for food and cooking
- Positive attitude and willingness to learn
- Reliable and organised approach to work
- Good communication skills
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Commitment to maintaining high standards of hygiene and safety
Extra Tasty Qualities
- Previous kitchen, catering, or hospitality experience
- An interest in nutrition and healthy eating
- Creativity and enthusiasm when preparing meals for children
What You'll Gain
- Level 2 Production Chef Apprenticeship Qualification
- Real-life experience in a professional kitchen environment
- Food safety and catering skills for a lifelong career
- Support from experienced mentors and colleagues
- The opportunity to make a positive difference to children's health and wellbeing every day
The Reality Check
You will occasionally:
- Be asked why cucumber tastes different when it's cut into stars.
- Become surprisingly passionate about portion sizes.
- Learn that broccoli trees are apparently far more exciting than broccoli.
- Feel proud knowing that your cooking has fuelled a day of learning, laughter, and adventure. Most importantly, you'll help provide healthy, nutritious meals that give children the very best start to their day and their future.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Essentials:
- Are 16 or over, have a passion for children and an aptitude for learning
- Minimum requirements to apply for this role are English and Maths GCSE grades 2 or E or above OR Functional Skills Level 1 or above.
- Are able to commit to a full apprenticeship programme.
- By applying for this vacancy, you have given your consent to share your information with the employer on this advert in order for your grades to be confirmed on the HM Government Personal Learning Record Service. Where grades can not be confirmed, certificates will need to be provided by the applicant
- Maximum of 40-minute drive by either car or public transport
If you're ready to mix learning, food, and fun into an exciting career, we'd love to hear from you!
- We pay for your DBS upfront along with reimbursing your annual update service charge
- We partner with world-leading third parties such as Pay Captain, Vitality, and Peppy
Storal is the highest of standards when it comes to safeguarding, the welfare of children, and creating a work environment that encourages feedback, discussion, and resilience. We take our role in the safety of children, our families, and our team extremely seriously. As governed by the EYFS, we have a designated safeguarding lead in each setting and all staff (and volunteers) complete thorough compliance checks prior to employment including employment references & DBS.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills