Chef

Join Our Team at Busy Bees – Leading Nursery Group in the UK

Are you passionate about cooking and providing nutritious meals for young children? As a Chef at Busy Bees, you’ll be a key part of our kitchen team, preparing healthy meals that support children’s growth and development. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a nurturing environment where you will contribute to the wellbeing of children while gaining valuable experience in catering within the early years sector.

Busy Bees is the UK’s leading nursery group, with nearly 400 nurseries across the UK and overseas. We are dedicated to giving every child the best start in life and are proud to have won awards for our workplace culture. At Busy Bees, we ensure that every member of our team feels heard, valued, and nurtured.

We offer a supportive environment that empowers you to create engaging, educational spaces where children can thrive. As part of our team, you’ll be introduced to our unique Bee Curious curriculum, designed to foster curiosity and confidence in young learners.

Through our partnership with BBC Children in Need, we offer fantastic opportunities for community involvement and fundraising to support children’s lives.

Busy Bees Oxford, rated Good by Ofsted, is a purpose-built nursery with a capacity of 110 children. It is supported by a longstanding staff team dedicated to meeting individual needs and providing all children with the best start in life. We enhance our community connections through visits from the local police station and fire service, and we actively contribute to our local food bank each winter.

The nursery features a large, secure on‑site car park and benefits from great bus links just a two‑minute walk away. We also offer free parking for staff.

• Competitive salary
• Ongoing professional development and career progression
• Our ‘Hive’ benefits and wellbeing hub, with discounts across a large range of retailers
• Up to 28 days holiday per year (including bank holidays)
• Your birthday off – it’s our gift to you
• 25% childcare discount
• Enhanced family leave and return-to-work bonus
• Menopause support through Peppy
• Financial support through Salary Finance
• Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Easy access to your workplace pension through Cushon
• Discounted Private Medical Insurance (PMI)

We also provide access to our Benefits and Wellbeing platform, Hive, which offers a wide range of retail discounts, a Wellbeing Hub with resources to support your physical and mental health, a Celebrating You section to recognise our valued team members, and a Grow with Us area for development opportunities and training.

• Prepare healthy, nutritious meals that meet dietary needs.
• Oversee kitchen operations, ensuring food safety and hygiene compliance.
• Manage kitchen staff and collaborate with regulatory bodies during inspections.
• Maintain kitchen inventory and handle purchasing efficiently.

• Food Hygiene Certificate (Level 2 or above).
• Experience in catering or kitchen operations.
• Empathy and understanding – each child is unique.

If you’re passionate about food and nutrition and have experience as a Chef, an Assistant Chef, a Cook or have managed a café, we encourage you to apply now!