Mobile Assistant Cook
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Mobile Assistant Cook based at South Stevenage/Welwyn/Hatfield and surrounding areas 20 hours per week
At HCL SAFEGUARDING IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.The safety of children and young people is at the heart of everything we do.
At HCL, we're more than just a caterer. We proudly serve over 16 million meals a year, delivering outstanding dining experiences across schools and the commercial sector.
As a Mobile Assistant Cook, you’ll be supporting the cook manager helping to prepare and serve nutritious food, while working as part of a team to deliver a great lunch service.
Let’s talk about the role of a Mobile Assistant Cook:
- Flexible to travel to primary & secondary schools to provide support services as required
- Prepare nutritious meals that meet client and student expectations
- Demonstrate a positive, team-oriented attitude with strong communication skills
- Support the Cook Manager with general tasks as required
- Assist with stock control and inventory management
- Represent the brand professionally, always maintaining a positive image
- Adhere to all food safety and hygiene standards
- Ensure full compliance with health and safety regulations
About the Ideal Mobile Assistant Cook:
- Committed to safeguarding children and young people
- Previous experience in education catering or a similar environment is essential
- Food Hygiene Level 2 certificate (required)
- Strong knowledge of health and safety requirements within a school environment
- Clear understanding of key allergens and the ability to cater for a wide range of special dietary requirements
- Competent in using IT systems for ordering, inventory monitoring, and maintaining accurate allergen records
- Able to support and work collaboratively as part of a team
Essential Vehicle Requirements:
- Full valid driving licence
- Business insurance
- Valid MOT and road tax
- Access to your own vehicle
Why join us?
Salary: £12.84 per hour (£11,298 per annum)
Mileage Reimbursement: 45p Per Mile
Hours: 20 hours per week - No Weekends, No Late Nights
Schedule: Term Time Only – Enjoy all School Holidays off
Uniform provided
Rewards: Spread the Word & Earn Up to £500 - Refer a Friend! (T&Cs apply)
Succeed with us: Career progression opportunities
Excusive discounts: via VIVUP for supermarkets, cinemas, retail, dining, hotels, and family activities
Wellbeing matters: Support through EAP & Financial Support via Stream
Safeguarding: Enhanced DBS Disclosure paid by HCL - No Cost to You
If you're passionate, driven and ready to grow, we'd love to hear from you. Take the first step and apply online - your MobileAssistant Cook career with HCL starts here.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
🍽️ Highlight your Food Hygiene Level 2 certificate prominently as this is explicitly required for the role
🚗 Emphasise your full driving licence and vehicle access early in your CV as mobility is essential for this multi-site position
🏫 Showcase any education catering or school environment experience as the advert states this is essential
🛡️ Mention your Enhanced DBS clearance or willingness to obtain one as safeguarding is their number one priority
📊 Quantify your catering experience: 'Prepared 200+ meals daily' or 'Managed allergen records for 15 different dietary requirements'
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Prepared 250+ nutritious school meals daily across 3 primary schools, maintaining Food Hygiene Level 2 standards and zero food safety incidents
- •Managed allergen records for 45 students with special dietary requirements using digital inventory systems, achieving 100% compliance during health inspections
- •Supported Cook Managers across 5 school sites, travelling 120 miles weekly while maintaining consistent food quality and service standards
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
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We've drafted a cover letter for Hertfordshire Catering Limited T/A HCL. Preview the opening, then unlock the full personalised version.
Letter preview — tailored to Hertfordshire Catering Limited T/A HCL
Dear Hiring Manager,
HCL's commitment to serving 16 million nutritious meals annually across Hertfordshire schools aligns perfectly with my passion for education catering. With my Food Hygiene Level 2 certificate and experience in school kitchen environments, I am well-equipped to support your Cook Managers across the Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage and Hatfield locations.
My background in education catering has given me extensive experience managing allergen records, preparing special dietary requirements, and maintaining the highest food safety standards in fast-paced school environments. I understand the critical importance of safeguarding in educational settings and hold an Enhanced DBS clearance.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How would you manage allergen records using IT systems?
- ›Describe your experience with Food Hygiene Level 2 requirements
- ›How do you ensure compliance with health and safety in school kitchens?
- ›What stock control methods have you used in catering?
- ›How would you cater for multiple special dietary requirements simultaneously?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you worked as part of a team in a fast-paced kitchen
- ›Describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly to support a colleague
- ›How do you maintain professionalism when representing a brand?
- ›Give an example of when you've had to travel between different work locations
- ›Tell me about a time you prioritised child safety in your work
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you worked as part of a team in a fast-paced kitchen
Describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly to support a colleague