Local authorities provide midday meals for school children - and college students - who wish to take them. 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!

School cooks work for county, unitary and metropolitan councils.

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 8.30am or 9am to 1.30pm or 2pm. 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.

Free lunch and uniform are 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 bake cakes and biscuits, 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