Catering in a care home is not the same job as a restaurant kitchen, and most chefs who make the move say they wish they had done it sooner. You are cooking three proper meals a day for people who know your name, and you are home for the evening.
What does it entail?
Planning and cooking breakfast, lunch and evening meals for residents, working to dietary requirements, allergies and modified textures. Stock ordering and rotation, kitchen hygiene and temperature records, and keeping to food safety standards. In larger services you may be leading a small kitchen team; in smaller ones it is you and a well-organised fridge.
Is this for me?
If you can cook well, work cleanly and take pride in a menu, yes. Care catering rewards consistency more than flair. The residents eat your food every single day, so getting the shepherd's pie right matters more than plating it cleverly.
It suits chefs who are tired of late finishes and weekend service, and cooks who want their evenings back without leaving the kitchen altogether.
What do you need to work as an agency chef with Tezlom?
- Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene certificate (we can arrange this if yours has lapsed)
- Kitchen experience in any professional setting
- Enhanced DBS, either processed with Tezlom or on the Update Service
- A minimum of 2 satisfactory references
- Right to work in the UK
Care experience is not required. Willingness to learn how catering works in a care setting is.
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Chef & Kitchen FAQs
Do I need care experience to cook in a care home?
No. Kitchen experience is what matters. A lot of our chefs come from pubs, hotels and restaurants and find care catering a much better fit for family life, because the hours are sociable and there are no midnight finishes.
What qualifications do I need?
A Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene certificate as a minimum. If yours has lapsed we can sort that. You will also need an Enhanced DBS, as you are working in a care setting, and two references.
What are the hours like?
Mostly daytime. Breakfast, lunch and tea services, finished by early evening. No split shifts running to midnight and no Christmas Day chaos unless you want it.
What kind of cooking is it?
Proper home cooking, done well, for people who look forward to it all morning. You will be catering for dietary needs, textures and allergies, so it is more skilled than people assume, and residents will absolutely tell you what they think.
Will I be cooking on my own?
It depends on the service. Some kitchens run a chef plus assistants, others are a one-person operation. Your branch will tell you exactly what you are walking into before you accept the shift.
How do I get started?
Apply below and your local branch will call you. Once your compliance is done, you pick the shifts that suit you and you are paid weekly.
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