Come and join The Stables team!

Job Description

Post Title: Cook & Kitchen Assistant

Responsible to: Food & Beverage Manager

Key contacts: Chef, all other staff and volunteers, external suppliers and customers

Contract: This role is offered on a casual worker basis; hours are not guaranteed and will be offered depending on operational needs.

Rate of pay: £12.71 per hour

Background

The Stables, based in Milton Keynes, is one of the UK’s leading music organisations with a vision to engage the widest range of people with music in all its diversity. As a registered charity we strive to enrich people’s lives with opportunities to access, participate in and experience live music, and the arts in general.

We deliver more than 400 concerts across all music genres and 250 learning and participation projects each year. The venue is used to welcoming over 100,000 visitors to the site annually. We also produce events across the city including IF: Milton Keynes International Festival, a large-scale event which engages people with extraordinary events in unusual spaces and in unexpected ways.

The Stables has three bars (The Main Bar, The Snack Bar, and The Stables Kitchen/ Stage 2 Bar), serving a wide range of drinks and snacks/ food. The Stables also provides the bar service at IF: Milton Keynes International Festival and associated events.

We are proud to hold a 5 Star Food Hygiene Rating.

Stage 2 is transformed into a pre-event event dining experience (The Stables Kitchen) each evening for a two-hour service between 6pm - 8pm, prior to concerts in the main auditorium. We also offer lunch menus for daytime events such as our Sunday Sessions and family shows.

We can accommodate up to 40 covers in the restaurant with additional seating in the outside courtyard (weather permitting). We also cater for Corporate, Private and internal events taking place at The Stables, serving hot and cold buffets, canapes and bespoke sit-down meals.

Find out more at stables.org

Job Purpose

As a Cook & Kitchen Assistant at The Stables you will work within the Hospitality Department, reporting directly to the Food & Beverage Manager and supporting the Chef on duty. You will work as part of a small kitchen team to ensure the smooth preparation and service of food to a high standard.

Principal Responsibilities

Please note that this Job Description is designed to give you an overall view of the job and is not a definitive list of tasks.

Prepare food and support the Kitchen

• Support the smooth day-to-day operation of the kitchen.

• Assist the Chef in preparing and delivering the menu dishes to a high standard for lunch, dinner or any event service as required.

Prepare ingredients including washing, peeling and basic food prep.

• Use equipment such as mixers, special knives and cutters under supervision of the Chef

• Ensure food is cooked for the correct time and temperature in accordance with food safety standards.

Maintain hygiene and food safety standards

• Understand the importance of following HACCP (Food Safety) guidelines and completing the necessary checklists in compliance with Health & Safety and Food Standards Agency guidelines.

• Understand and follow allergen, intolerance and dietary requirement procedures.

• Play an active role in maintaining the cleanliness and order of the kitchen, pot wash and dry store at all times.

• Assist in the pot wash duties before, during and after service, including washing dishes, pans, crockery and cutlery.

• Load and unload the dishwasher and maintain equipment as required.

• Clean the kitchen (including oven) to a high standard after every service.

• Assist the Chef in deep cleaning the kitchen once a week.

• Clean all fridges ahead of the weekly grocery order.

• Dispose of food waste in accordance with procedures.

Manage stock and storage

Receive, store and record deliveries accurately and in a timely manner.

• Organise the dry store efficiently.

• Check expiry dates and rotate food stock to ensure proper stock control.

• Ensure all food is used within the safe and prescribed period, with particular attention to perishable goods.

Other

• Undertake any other duties as required appropriate to the level of responsibility of the role, as reasonably required.

• Be flexible with working hours including evenings and weekends.

Required Knowledge and Experience

Criteria	Essential	Desirable
Job Related	• Previous work in a professional kitchen	• Previous work in a restaurant orgastro pub
Experience/	OR• Trained at college and keen to develop and learnnew skills in a professional kitchen.• Clear understanding of- HACCP Meaning & Procedures- Food Hygiene Level 1- HACCP Level 1 Allergen AwarenessOR• Willing to undergo training to obtain professionalqualifications required in a commercial kitchen.
Skills
Personal • Polite, courteous and friendly.Qualities • Ability to work in a calm and focussed mannerwhen under pressure in a fast-paced environment.• Able to take direction.• Fast learner.• Organised with good attention to detail.• Team player with positive attitude.• Flexible and able to undertake evening andweekend work.• Ability to undertake light physical tasks associatedwith the role.• Punctual and reliable.• Takes pride in maintaining high hygiene andcleanliness standards in a professional kitchen.

Key Terms and Condi ions

The current rate of pay for this post is £12.71 per hour.

This role is offered on a casual worker basis therefore hours are not guaranteed and will be offered depending on operational needs. Number of shifts per week to be agreed with the Food & Beverage Manager. You will be expected to be available for weekend shifts.

The job will be subject to an initial three-month review period.

Applicants must be 18+ years old.

Full terms and conditions will be made available following a successful interview/ appointment.

Applicants who wish to discuss the role in advance of application can arrange to talk to Jo Cooper on 01908 280828 or email joana.cooper@stables.org

To Apply

Please submit a CV with covering letter that details your interest and suitability for the role with particular reference to how you meet the skills and experience required.

Completed applications should be returned to kelly.long@stables.org or by mail to Kelly Long, The Stables, Stockwell Lane, Wavendon, Milton Keynes, MK17 8LU by 12 noon on Monday 7 September 2026.

The Stables is committed to equality of opportunit in recruitment. We value a diverse team and welcome applications from all ectors of the community. We are commited to protecting your personal data. Our Data Privacy Policy for Appliants gives you detaild information on when and why we collect your personal nformation, how we use it and how we keep it secure. Please see our Privacy Statement on our website(htps:/stables.org/data-protection-policy-forthose-who-work-with-us) for further information.