Agency Chef

Job title: Agency Chef

Location: Reading

Contract type: Temp

Starting on: April 2026

Rate of pay: Mon- Fri £15.00 to £22.00 + Holiday pay per hour
Weekends £15.00 to £32.00 per hour + Holiday pay per hour

Are you wanting to choose the hours you work and be paid for every hour you work?

Do you enjoy working in a variety of different kitchens gaining experience in all sectors of our industry?

If the answer is yes, then we would love to hear from you.

The role: You will be working for one of the UK's leading recruitment agencies providing chefs cover to a variety of catering and hospitality business. Our clients are: Hotels, Golf clubs, Sporting Venues, Private clubs, Garden centres, Retirement villages, Schools, Colleges, Universities, Pubs, and Restaurants along with many other catering and hospitality venues. As a chef , you will work in different venues providing vital cover to ensure that our clients can provide a great food offer to their customers.

Benefits:

• Paid weekly
• Hourly Pay
• Flexible working hours
• Free meals whilst on duty
• Free Parking available
• Opportunities to gain experience in diverse venues
• Training and development available

Key information:

• Immediate Start
• Choose your working days and we will match you with suitable shifts
• Work Monday to Friday or just weekends - The choice is yours.
• Variety of shift patterns available for full time and part time hours

Key responsibilities include:

• Knowledge and ability to independently and effectively run your section, for example, meat, fish, vegetables, pastry, butchery, sauces, grill, starches, starters, fry, pantry and roast
• The ability to supervise, engage and teach Commis Chefs and Kitchen Assistants
• The ability to delegate tasks appropriately
• Ability to work without close supervision and deliver quality work
• Strong ability to produce good quality food and first-rate culinary skills
• A flair, passion and a love of ingredients
• Strong organisational skills
• An ability to work unsupervised and consistently deliver quality work
• Experience of a variety of kitchen environments and cuisines
• Awareness of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
• Good maths/numeracy skills
• Good oral communication with all members of the team
• Prepare, cook and present food as per your station
• Prepare food to ordering during service as per your station/section e.g. meat, fish, vegetables, pastry, butchery, sauces, grill, starches, starters, fry, pantry and roast
• Ensure you and your team have high standards of food hygiene and follow the rules of health and safety practises in the kitchen
• Manage and train any assigned Commis Chefs or Demi-Chef de Parties working with you
• Monitor portion and waste control to maintain profit margins
• May be involved in assisting the Head Chef and Sous Chef in creating menu items, recipes and developing dishes

As a Chef you will be/have:

• Strong attention to detail
• Enthusiasm and willingness to develop your own skills and knowledge, plus those around you
• Flexible and have a willingness to embrace new ideas and processes
• Good team management skills
• Team player qualities and the ability to work well with staff at all levels in the kitchen
• Positive and approachable manner
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced kitchen
• A cool/calm/level head when under pressure and during a busy service
• *In the care sector need a basic awareness of allergens, special diets, portion control and recipe costings, under guidance from the Sous Chef or Head Chef

Qualifications/Licences/Certifications/Experience

• City & Guilds 706/1 or 706/2 in Catering
• NVQ/SVQ Level 2 (or equivalent)
• Level 1 and 2 Food Safety Awards
• Minimum 1 year's relevant experience
• Awareness of manual handling techniques
• Awareness of Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) and chemical safety
• Experience of kitchen equipment including different knives
• Understandable level of English spoken and written
• Any health and safety and food hygiene courses

Desired but not necessary

• Level 2 Health and Safety in the Workplace Award
• Level 3 Food Safety Awards

If you've got what it takes to be our next Agency Chef , then don't hesitate to apply today!

Blue Arrow is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to helping find great work opportunities for great people.