Recruitment

Vacancies at Mid Devon Mobility

We currently have a vacancy for a Community Kitchen Coordinator & Cook

If you are interested in applying for this role, please send your CV along with a covering letter to Faye Ashton to Mid Devon Mobility, Level 6. Multi Storey Car Park, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 6PN or email ceo@middevonmobility.org.uk  (The listing will be closed as soon as sufficient applicants have been received)

Job Description: Community Kitchen Coordinator/Cook 

Location: Mid Devon Mobility, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 6NB 

Term of contract: Fixed Short-Term 6 month contract. with the possibility of extension dependant on funding 

Hours: 16.5 hours a week. Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9am – 3pm (includes a 30 min unpaid break) (Additional hours may be available)

Remuneration: £10 per hour

About the position:

Our Project was originally funded through the Corona virus Community Support Fund and will improve, expand and develop our existing Community Hub space to include a small community kitchen for lunch preparation. The first six months focus has been on delivering hot meals directly to our customer’s door. Due to its high demand, we have extended the project for a further six months. Our long-term plan is to continue to operate this service both in our Community hub and direct to door. As part of your role, you will create cookery videos for individuals or small groups needing support with preparing and cooking meals to stay well and healthy.

Our current Community Hub space in Tiverton is due to reopen in May and will be at the heart of this project. The Community Hub will enable us to once again provide a welcoming, safe, inclusive community space.  We foresee these facilities will become a widely used resource for the local community for many years to come. 

Mid Devon Mobility, rely on volunteer support to assist with the day-to-day running of the charity. The support from our volunteers is crucial for the delivery and expansion of this project and will aid us building a stronger Community in Tiverton and the surrounding areas. 

The Kitchen Coordinator/Cook will work closely with the Community Hub Coordinator, the Kitchen Assistant and Volunteers to ensure this project is a success. Our kitchen will be providing hot and cold meals to those most vulnerable within the Mid Devon Area, ensuring best quality and quick delivery.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about cooking. Your role will be to create menus, cook, and prepare high quality tasty home cooked meals for our beneficiaries. During the COVID19 pandemic we will be delivering meals in and around the Mid Devon Area and once restrictions have lifted we will be hosting lunches in our Community Hub, which is a non-judgemental environment where users can come and eat, socialise and tap into other services and receive support.

The Coordinator will also, with the support of the Business Development Manager, develop and strengthen our pool of volunteers, and increase referrals and general awareness of this vital provision.

 Main Responsibilities

• Create and promote weekly/monthly menus
• Prep and Cook meals that can be delivered hot.
• Create an inclusive, welcoming and supportive environment
• Supervise, identify and support volunteers to support meal preparation and delivery
• Liaise with local food providers, establish links with local supermarkets and food businesses, and collect surplus food from them
• Ensure safe and hygienic food handling practices are learned and implemented by all program participants and volunteers
• Provide monthly reports on progress, user numbers and issues arising
• Assist with communications, events and other organisation-wide activities.
• Ensuring the food preparation areas are clean and hygienic
• Washing utensils and dishes and making sure they are stored appropriately
• Sorting, storing and distributing ingredients
• Washing, peeling, chopping, cutting, cooking and preparing
• Disposing of rubbish
• Organising linen laundry
• Cleaning the food preparation equipment, floors and other kitchen tools or areas
• Ensure that all due process is followed e.g. paperwork completed on time, temperature checks, allergens identified are made explicit
• Work with local people to identify barriers to cooking and eating healthily
• Use skills, knowledge and judgement to identify levels of cooking capabilities within groups and tailor meal preparation sessions appropriately

Requirements and attributes:

Essential

• A minimum of 1 years’ experience working/cooking in a kitchen (preferably in a community setting)
• Knowledge and skills in food safety, healthy cooking and nutrition (Food Safety Training can be provided)
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Creativity, flexibility, adaptability, and a sense of humour.
• Flexible approach to working hours (occasional weekend work maybe required)

 Desirable

• Demonstrated capacity to work with people experiencing marginalization/ poverty
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team
• Demonstrated initiative and independence
• A working knowledge of MS Office
• Knowledge and ideally experience of working with waste and surplus food providers
• Experience of volunteer management
• Qualified to at least level 2 food and hygiene or preparedness to work towards it
• Knowledge of and ideally experience of working to provide food in an outreach capacity
• Understanding of finance and business planning for catering projects
• Driving licence
• Commitment to creating welcoming spaces beyond the provision of food
• Partnership working and relationship management skills
• Understanding of and commitment to the principles and values of cooperatives

 Please Note: The successful applicant will need to undertake a DBS check.