Commis Chef - El Castillo
| Posting date: | 01 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 12 May 2026 |
| Location: | DL14 |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | The Auckland Project |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: |
Summary
The Auckland Project
At the heart of our sites is Auckland Palace, the home of the Prince Bishops of Durham and the historic seat of faith and power in the North of England. The experience across our sites is deeply linked to those two themes and are repeated throughout the Palace and its gardens, the Faith Museum and the Mining Art and Spanish Galleries. The collection of our venues, spaces and places invites conversations about belonging, faith, loss, sacrifice, community, love and creativity. We would like our visitors to explore and to discover things about our town, our country and their own lives. We want to create encounters – and need your help to do so.
The role purpose
We are looking for an enthusiastic Commis chef to join our passionate food and beverage team mainly based in El Castillo but also moving around our other food venues. This diverse role will work in a small team and produce fresh, delicious food. You will be using fresh, locally sourced ingredients including produce from our Walled Garden. This role will include being customer facing at times and will require a calm and pleasant persona.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a passionate and driven team. As a key member of the team, you will contribute to the delivery of exceptional hospitality; making you a part of an organisation dedicated to the regeneration, conservation and celebration of Bishop Auckland. This will be achieved by maintaining a safe, happy creative workplace founded in professionalism and strong team ethic.
Key Responsibilities
• Ability to listen, learn, and be part of a small team
• Responsible for preparing, cooking and presenting dishes, maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen to our exceptionally high standards alongside.
• Carry out all cleaning duties allocated in accordance with the cleaning schedule
• Work with a sense of urgency and have an eye for detail
• Full awareness for all menu items, recipes, allergens, and presentation standards
• Work within specified processes around our stock management and EPOS solution, ensuring that all information is up to date and that all processes are completed on a day to day basis.
Health & Safety
Be committed to good health and safety and access practice, ensuring familiarity and compliance with TAP policies, procedures and guidelines and the health and safety of visitors, staff, volunteers and contractors at all times.
Person Specification:
Essential Criteria
• At least one year experience in a similar role
• Strong communication & interpersonal skills
• Ability to multitask in a busy environment
• Basic Knife skills are essential
• Must be passionate about food.
• Ability to work within a team or on own initiative as required
• Good personal hygiene
• Problem-solving attitude
• Attention to detail
• Must be flexible to work evenings, weekends & Bank holidays over a 7 days period
Desirable Criteria
• Food Hygiene L2
• Kitchen experience
• Level 2 in numeracy & literacy
The Auckland Project focus
The Auckland Project works hard to create a positive change for those living, working and visiting Bishop Auckland. We have created a visitor destination in Bishop Auckland, incorporating Auckland Castle (once home to the Prince Bishops of Durham), a Spanish Art Gallery, Faith Museum, Walled Garden, Deer Park, Mining Art Gallery, Auckland Tower visitor centre and Weardale Railway.
Our visitor destination and community development programme broadly fits into three areas:
1. The social environment: we help individuals and communities by creating a sense of curiosity, hope and faith in themselves and the world around them. We provide opportunities for skills development and partnerships, building a year-round tourist market and supporting small creative industries to thrive
2. The natural environment: we protect, sustain and enhance the world around us
3. The built environment: we restore and enhance the beauty and historic significance of the buildings, structures and assets in our care.
By working with us, you are helping to ensure the town’s future is as magnificent and vibrant as its past.
How to Apply
Apply for this role by downloading and completing an application form from https://aucklandproject.org/support-us/jobs/ and emailing this to recruitment@aucklandproject.org
Closing date: Tuesday 12th May 12 Noon
We are unable to accept CVs as application. We only accept a completed application form which can be found at https://aucklandproject.org/support-us/jobs/
If we receive a high volume of applications, we reserve the right to close the application process early.
At the heart of our sites is Auckland Palace, the home of the Prince Bishops of Durham and the historic seat of faith and power in the North of England. The experience across our sites is deeply linked to those two themes and are repeated throughout the Palace and its gardens, the Faith Museum and the Mining Art and Spanish Galleries. The collection of our venues, spaces and places invites conversations about belonging, faith, loss, sacrifice, community, love and creativity. We would like our visitors to explore and to discover things about our town, our country and their own lives. We want to create encounters – and need your help to do so.
The role purpose
We are looking for an enthusiastic Commis chef to join our passionate food and beverage team mainly based in El Castillo but also moving around our other food venues. This diverse role will work in a small team and produce fresh, delicious food. You will be using fresh, locally sourced ingredients including produce from our Walled Garden. This role will include being customer facing at times and will require a calm and pleasant persona.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a passionate and driven team. As a key member of the team, you will contribute to the delivery of exceptional hospitality; making you a part of an organisation dedicated to the regeneration, conservation and celebration of Bishop Auckland. This will be achieved by maintaining a safe, happy creative workplace founded in professionalism and strong team ethic.
Key Responsibilities
• Ability to listen, learn, and be part of a small team
• Responsible for preparing, cooking and presenting dishes, maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen to our exceptionally high standards alongside.
• Carry out all cleaning duties allocated in accordance with the cleaning schedule
• Work with a sense of urgency and have an eye for detail
• Full awareness for all menu items, recipes, allergens, and presentation standards
• Work within specified processes around our stock management and EPOS solution, ensuring that all information is up to date and that all processes are completed on a day to day basis.
Health & Safety
Be committed to good health and safety and access practice, ensuring familiarity and compliance with TAP policies, procedures and guidelines and the health and safety of visitors, staff, volunteers and contractors at all times.
Person Specification:
Essential Criteria
• At least one year experience in a similar role
• Strong communication & interpersonal skills
• Ability to multitask in a busy environment
• Basic Knife skills are essential
• Must be passionate about food.
• Ability to work within a team or on own initiative as required
• Good personal hygiene
• Problem-solving attitude
• Attention to detail
• Must be flexible to work evenings, weekends & Bank holidays over a 7 days period
Desirable Criteria
• Food Hygiene L2
• Kitchen experience
• Level 2 in numeracy & literacy
The Auckland Project focus
The Auckland Project works hard to create a positive change for those living, working and visiting Bishop Auckland. We have created a visitor destination in Bishop Auckland, incorporating Auckland Castle (once home to the Prince Bishops of Durham), a Spanish Art Gallery, Faith Museum, Walled Garden, Deer Park, Mining Art Gallery, Auckland Tower visitor centre and Weardale Railway.
Our visitor destination and community development programme broadly fits into three areas:
1. The social environment: we help individuals and communities by creating a sense of curiosity, hope and faith in themselves and the world around them. We provide opportunities for skills development and partnerships, building a year-round tourist market and supporting small creative industries to thrive
2. The natural environment: we protect, sustain and enhance the world around us
3. The built environment: we restore and enhance the beauty and historic significance of the buildings, structures and assets in our care.
By working with us, you are helping to ensure the town’s future is as magnificent and vibrant as its past.
How to Apply
Apply for this role by downloading and completing an application form from https://aucklandproject.org/support-us/jobs/ and emailing this to recruitment@aucklandproject.org
Closing date: Tuesday 12th May 12 Noon
We are unable to accept CVs as application. We only accept a completed application form which can be found at https://aucklandproject.org/support-us/jobs/
If we receive a high volume of applications, we reserve the right to close the application process early.