Nursery Chef - New Cross Nursery and Pre-School - Full Time
| Posting date: | 20 August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £31,806 per year + industry leading benefits |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 19 September 2025 |
| Location: | New Cross, South East London |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | London Early Years Foundation |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: |
Summary
Nursery Chef - Full Time – New Cross, SE14 - £31,806 per year + amazing benefits
Work in a friendly kitchen and enjoy working with children every day
"When I arrive at the nursery in the morning, the children's faces light up." - Conchobar, Senior Chef
We're the London Early Years Foundation, or LEYF Nurseries for short; a family of 40+ nurseries. Our people love working for us because we focus on the child and their family, and give them the best start in life.
We give you strong in-house training at our Chef Academy. You'll work sociable hours in a friendly environment, and you'll love interacting with the children in your nursery.
What's in it for you?
"It's not just a kitchen job; you get to engage with the children a lot." - Bruno, Chef
• An extra £1,000 uplift in your salary (for 40-hour week qualified chefs) when you complete our inhouse Early Years Chef Academy
• You work sociable hours - no evenings or weekends
• Generous pension at 7% from us (1% from you)
• 70% discount on childcare fees
• Up to 35 days off a year, including 8 bank holidays, 3 days off between Christmas and New Year, and your birthday (pro-rated for part-time hours)
• Lots of training, promotions and nurturing work environment
• Sector-leading parental leave
• Many other benefits that take care of you, including access to a wellbeing app, shopping discounts, annual conference and money for team celebrations
A bit about the role
"It's a different working environment - a lot friendlier and calmer." - Conor, Senior Chef
You'll help prepare nutritious meals for children and feel real job satisfaction from promoting healthy eating habits for life. Children love the cooking and food-related activities run by our Chefs.
You'll enjoy working with the wider nursery team but also get ownership of the kitchen and suppliers, ensuring a healthy environment and keeping children with allergies safe. You'll be part of the LEYF chef community contributing across our settings, sharing ideas and recipes.
You will need:
• The right to work in the UK
• A positive attitude and excited to work with children
• Food Hygiene Level 2 or equivalent, or be willing to do the course in the first week of work (paid for by LEYF)
About the nursery
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted, New Cross Nursery and Pre-School provides Early Years education and care to children from birth to 5 years old. Based in the borough of Lewisham, New Cross Nursery and Pre-School which is a short walk from local bus routes and transport hubs offers a fun and exciting environment for children to enjoy and learn in. The rooms are split over 2 floors and being one of our larger settings, they have a spacious garden which gives the children opportunities to expand their outdoor learning.
Apply now
Contact us today, our friendly recruiters are waiting to hear from you.
Work in a friendly kitchen and enjoy working with children every day
"When I arrive at the nursery in the morning, the children's faces light up." - Conchobar, Senior Chef
We're the London Early Years Foundation, or LEYF Nurseries for short; a family of 40+ nurseries. Our people love working for us because we focus on the child and their family, and give them the best start in life.
We give you strong in-house training at our Chef Academy. You'll work sociable hours in a friendly environment, and you'll love interacting with the children in your nursery.
What's in it for you?
"It's not just a kitchen job; you get to engage with the children a lot." - Bruno, Chef
• An extra £1,000 uplift in your salary (for 40-hour week qualified chefs) when you complete our inhouse Early Years Chef Academy
• You work sociable hours - no evenings or weekends
• Generous pension at 7% from us (1% from you)
• 70% discount on childcare fees
• Up to 35 days off a year, including 8 bank holidays, 3 days off between Christmas and New Year, and your birthday (pro-rated for part-time hours)
• Lots of training, promotions and nurturing work environment
• Sector-leading parental leave
• Many other benefits that take care of you, including access to a wellbeing app, shopping discounts, annual conference and money for team celebrations
A bit about the role
"It's a different working environment - a lot friendlier and calmer." - Conor, Senior Chef
You'll help prepare nutritious meals for children and feel real job satisfaction from promoting healthy eating habits for life. Children love the cooking and food-related activities run by our Chefs.
You'll enjoy working with the wider nursery team but also get ownership of the kitchen and suppliers, ensuring a healthy environment and keeping children with allergies safe. You'll be part of the LEYF chef community contributing across our settings, sharing ideas and recipes.
You will need:
• The right to work in the UK
• A positive attitude and excited to work with children
• Food Hygiene Level 2 or equivalent, or be willing to do the course in the first week of work (paid for by LEYF)
About the nursery
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted, New Cross Nursery and Pre-School provides Early Years education and care to children from birth to 5 years old. Based in the borough of Lewisham, New Cross Nursery and Pre-School which is a short walk from local bus routes and transport hubs offers a fun and exciting environment for children to enjoy and learn in. The rooms are split over 2 floors and being one of our larger settings, they have a spacious garden which gives the children opportunities to expand their outdoor learning.
Apply now
Contact us today, our friendly recruiters are waiting to hear from you.