Introduction
Local authorities provide midday meals for school children and
college students. They take particular care to provide meals that
are good value for money and provide a balanced meal since for many
children school lunch is the main meal of the day. School
cooks face the particular challenge of preparing nutritious meals
that children will actually eat. They are notoriously choosy
customers and have very definite tastes!
Work Environment
Kitchens can be hot - and busy - as the time to serve the meals
approaches. However since school kitchens provide a limited number
of dishes which are served at the same time, planning is easier and
the atmosphere less hectic than in commercial restaurants.
Cooks usually work from 8.00am or 9am to 1.30pm or 3pm. Work is
normally in term time only. Cooks who work in further education
colleges may work more hours and provide an evening meal service
between 5pm and 9pm. A uniform is provided.
Daily Activities
Cooks normally begin the day by checking that they have all the
ingredients they require for the day's lunch. They then
allocate work to their kitchen assistants. Some will be assigned to
washing and preparing vegetables and salad while one or more might
help to cook the main dishes.
When the children arrive, the kitchen staff serve the food to
the children, either from a serving hatch or from a cafeteria style
counter. Cooks often help to do this to get the opportunity to meet
the children and receive their comments. When lunch is
finished cooks supervise the kitchen staff who wash the dishes and
clean the kitchen. Towards the end of the day they plan their
menus, following the council's guidelines on nutrition and healthy
eating. (Sometimes they are provided with approved recipes by the
council's nutritionist.) They also balance cash and order
supplies from the council's approved suppliers.
Schools often provide snacks, salads and fresh fruit in addition
to hot meals. Cooks sometimes prepare snacks, which are sold
to staff and children at break time. They have to train their
kitchen assistants and ensure that hygiene, cleanliness and safety
procedures are followed at all times.
Skills & Interests
School cooks must:
- have an interest in food preparation;
- be aware of children's likes and prejudices;
- have creative skill to present nutritious or new foods in an
attractive way;
- be able to work to a tight budget - skill in making best use of
available ingredients is essential;
- be able to plan methodically, make sure that dishes are ready
at the right time and cope with several tasks at once.
In all but the smallest kitchens cooks will have kitchen
assistants to supervise, so they must have good communication
skills and be willing to accept responsibility.
Entry Requirements
Previous catering experience may be accepted in place of formal
qualifications but councils usually expect school cooks to have a
qualification such as City & Guilds 706/1 and 2 or S/NVQ Level
2 in Food Preparation and Cooking (check the C & G website for
more information www.city-and-guilds.co.uk).
Also a Basic Food Hygiene Certificate and a Basic Health and Safety
Certificate are essential. Further qualifications in Kitchen
Supervision or Kitchen Management could be advantageous.
Apprenticeships may be available.
As this is a job that involves working with children it is
necessary for applicants to agree to their employing council
undertaking a police check to establish whether they have a
criminal record.
Future Prospects & Opportunities
A small school might employ just one cook and one assistant. In a
large school or in a college there might be a catering staff of six
or more. There are prospects of promotion to head cook or
assistant cook in a catering team and ultimately to catering
manager.
Further Information & Services
Department for Education www.education.gov.uk/schools
Food Additives & Ingredients Association www.faia.org.uk
People 1st www.people1st.co.uk
Springboard UK Ltd www.springboarduk.org.uk
The Craft Guild of Chefs www.craftguildofchefs.org
You may find further information about this area of work through
Careers Wales (www.careerswales.com/) or
in your local library, careers office or school careers
library.