Here at Reading we farm food, we research food, we teach food, we invent food and we make food.
We’re food experts and are passionate about everything from farm to fork.
And, when it comes to catering, we’re a country mile ahead of every other university in the UK
We are looking for applicants who share our passion for great food to join us on our journey to create the best campus food experience. We produce fresh, nutritious, and tasty dishes from scratch, with our menus changing daily and following seasonality across six kitchens.
Our love of food is in the DNA of the University. We are global leaders in educating and researching all things Agriculture, Food, Nutrition and Sustainability. We even have our own farms to supply our kitchens!
We are committed to the 24 Principles of Menus of Change, guiding our thinking around nutrition and sustainability: Visit www.reading.ac.uk/menusofchange to find out more.
If you are interested in a particular role, feel free to make an initial enquiry to discuss further before the application process.
Our Kitchens operate 7am to 11pm, seven days per week, for 31 weeks (term time). We are offering a 36 hour contract alongside 21 days holiday plus Bank Holidays & Closure Days. We generally don’t permit holiday to be taken during this period unless for your birthday, school half terms, eloping etc. Outside of term time (21 weeks) we are quieter and encourage holidays to be taken, with around half our sites closed. We pay additional top-ups to monthly pay for early morning, evening and weekend working.
Visit our website www.clever-cuisine.com – our home page for students who regularly eat with us for more information.
You’ll need to write two or three paragraphs before starting the application form telling us about your passion for great food and cooking and anything else you feel would be of interest to us!
Ensure you have any paperwork to hand relating to your career and professional development including School, College or University qualifications, Food Safety and key employment dates/details. If you don’t have formal qualifications please tell us about your experience around cooking food from scratch, either at home or at work or anything else that you think is relevant.
The next stage is an informal 45 minute discussion via Microsoft Teams (download here) with where we want to hear about your journey as a chef and yourself. This is also a chance to find out more about us, so a great opportunity to ask whatever you wish.
The final stage is for you to come into one of our kitchens for around 4 hours to see how you work as part of a team and for us to assess your ability around cooking. Our friendly team will make you feel welcome and support you during this. This may include asking you to prepare a practical idea before arriving and then cooking/implementing it when on-site.
If you want to come on board and join the most forward thinking and sustainable teams on any University Campus in the country, read through our list of vacancies to find your relevant role!