Join Our Team – Temporary Head Cooks & Kitchen Assistants Wanted

Nightingale Chefs, part of the Chefs for Chefs family, are expanding our team of passionate and experienced kitchen professionals to support care homes, schools, and other catering establishments across the UK.

Whether you’re a Kitchen Assistant or Head Cook, this is your opportunity to showcase your skills, support diverse kitchens, and enjoy flexible work that fits your lifestyle.

What You’ll Be Doing

As a temporary kitchen professional, you’ll step into established kitchens and help maintain smooth day-to-day operations. Your duties will include:

• Preparing, cooking, and serving nutritious meals to a high standard.
• Supporting kitchen teams with food prep, service, and cleaning tasks.
• Maintaining excellent food hygiene, safety, and organisation at all times.
• Adapting quickly to new environments and contributing positively to the team.
• Collaborating with catering managers and chefs to deliver consistent, high-quality service.

Role Expectations

Kitchen Assistant – Support cooks and chefs with basic food prep, maintain cleanliness and hygiene, manage dishwashing areas, and assist in keeping the kitchen organised.

Head Cook – Oversee kitchen operations, manage rotas, ordering, and stock control, ensure compliance with food hygiene regulations, and lead kitchen teams effectively.

What We’re Looking For

• Level 2 Food Hygiene and Allergen Awareness certificates (minimum).
• Safeguarding certification relevant to working in care or education environments (preferred, not essential)
• An existing DBS certificate is essential – either recently issued or registered on the Update Service.
• Two professional references covering recent employment.
• Reliable, adaptable, and professional approach.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.

Why Join Nightingale Chefs?

With over a decade of experience in hospitality recruitment, we understand the demands of professional kitchens — and we value the hard work that goes into every shift.

We offer:

• Competitive hourly pay with weekly holiday pay included.
• Flexible working hours to suit your lifestyle.
• Variety of assignments across care homes, schools, and catering sites.
• Ongoing support and professional development.
• UK-wide placements through our Chefs for Chefs network.

Pay Rates

UK-Wide:

• Kitchen Assistant – £14.00ph + holiday pay (£14.00ph total)
• Head Cook – £15.50ph + holiday pay (£17.37ph total)

London Rates:

• Kitchen Assistant – £14.00ph + holiday pay (£15.68ph total)
• Head Cook – £16.50ph + holiday pay (£18.49ph total)

Join a team that cares as much as you do.

If you’re passionate about great food and making a positive impact through your work, we’d love to hear from you.