Nursery Cook

Description

Nursery Cook

Location : Exeter

Salary : 26100 per annum

Contract / Hours : Permanent / Full Time 40 hours per week

Closing date : Midnight on the 5th of January 2026

Interviews : to be held on the 19th of January 2026

• Time off to recharge – 33 Days leave per year.
• 24/7 Confidential Helpline speak to trained counsellors any time 365 days a year for emotional wellbeing or mental health support.
• Enhanced Well‑being: 8 sessions In‑Person, Phone or Online Counselling or CBT.
• Treat yourself:
  Staff discounts portal and blue light card with 15000 retailers.
• Salary Finance access to financial advice and the ability to manage savings or loans directly from your salary.
• Childcare Discount: a whopping 60% off childcare within our nurseries and out of school clubs.
• Up to 3 Days Dependency Leave to care for dependents in an emergency.
• Paid maternity, adoption and paternity leave.
• Gain professional qualifications and excellent training / development opportunities.
• Secure your future:
  Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover.

We're thrilled that you're considering a career with Spring. Spare us five minutes and we will tell you what you need to know.

Imagine a place where laughter echoes, imaginations run wild and every day is a new adventure. That’s Spring Nursery! We're not just a nursery; we are a family dedicated to creating a joyful and nurturing environment where children are part of Action for Children’s mission to provide outstanding early education that's accessible to all.

At Spring we are committed to supporting your career growth! Check out our Spring Career Progression Map attached to this advert which highlights the options for progression into a specialist role.

We're looking for a Nursery Cook to join the team at Spring Cedars. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with experience in a larger or commercial kitchen who’s ready to take on a rewarding role preparing nutritious and tasty meals for young children every day.

As our cook you'll take full ownership of the kitchen, working from our set menus to plan, prepare and serve balanced child‑friendly meals. You’ll manage stock levels, place food orders and always maintain excellent hygiene and safety standards. You’ll take pride in keeping the kitchen spotless, well‑organised, and running smoothly.

This is a Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM role where you’ll be responsible for providing breakfast, healthy snacks, lunch and tea for the children.

• Planning healthy meals with staff that are nutritious, varied and tasty, considering the children’s dietary and cultural requirements.
• Taking full responsibility for compliance with all relevant food hygiene and Health & Safety requirements.
• Ensuring that all stock is ordered and replenished as needed, that food is correctly stored in line with guidance and that stock is rotated and all equipment is kept clean and in good repair.
• Keeping waste to a minimum, ensuring our impact on the environment is as minimal as it can be and costs are kept low.
• Managing the food budget and taking responsibility for the expenditure and invoicing.
• Always following latest legislation in relation to food and food hygiene and taking part in all necessary and required training as needed.

• A basic food hygiene certificate – Level 3 preferred but can be obtained in the role.
• A passion for cooking and following the spring menu and inputting new ideas and recipes into menu updates.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Experience in a similar role working in a catering environment.

Contact: If you need support with your application please contact our Recruitment Team at quoting reference 12353.

At Spring we’re dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic and disabled candidates as they are under‑represented within the organisation. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups.

Male staff are often under‑represented within this sector and we would like…