At tombola, great food plays an important part in creating a positive and welcoming workplace. As a Chef, you’ll be part of our Culinary Team, preparing fresh, high-quality meals that bring colleagues together throughout the day.

From breakfast through to lunch service, this role helps ensure the café provides a consistent, enjoyable experience for everyone who visits. Working as part of a small and supportive kitchen team, the role contributes to menu development, maintains high food and hygiene standards, and helps deliver a smooth and efficient food service.

What you’ll be doing

Preparing and delivering fresh food
High-quality dishes are prepared and delivered across breakfast and lunch service, ensuring food is ready on time and presented to a consistently high standard.

Maintaining kitchen standards
Food preparation, kitchen cleanliness and health and safety practices are maintained to ensure a safe, organised and efficient working environment.

Supporting menu development
Ideas and input are shared when developing new menus, helping introduce variety while ensuring dishes can be delivered in a timely and cost-effective way.

Working collaboratively in the kitchen
Close collaboration with colleagues across the kitchen team ensures service runs smoothly, even during busy periods.

Managing food safety and compliance
Records are maintained for food storage and refrigeration temperatures (HACCP), and current food hygiene regulations are followed at all times.

Supporting kitchen operations
Flexibility is key in a small team environment, with support provided across different kitchen responsibilities when needed, including covering for colleagues when required.

Working with suppliers
In the absence of the Head Chef, communication with suppliers helps ensure ingredients are delivered to the expected quality and within agreed budgets.

What we’re looking for

• A genuine passion for cooking and preparing fresh food

• Experience working across multiple kitchen stations within a food service environment

• Strong food preparation skills, including knowledge of cooking techniques, ingredients and kitchen equipment

• Ability to manage time effectively and deliver food to service schedules

• Confidence working in a fast-paced kitchen environment while maintaining high standards

• Good communication and interpersonal skills when working with colleagues, suppliers and café guests

• Awareness of budget considerations when preparing meals and ordering ingredients

• Understanding of health, safety and food hygiene standards

• An organised and adaptable approach to changing workloads

Experience that would be helpful

• Previous experience working as a Chef within a fresh food operation

• Experience working in a small, collaborative kitchen team

• Knowledge of dietary requirements and allergen management

• Up-to-date knowledge of food hygiene regulations

• Awareness of wider food industry trends and traditions

The impact you’ll have

The café plays an important role in daily life at tombola. It’s a place where colleagues come together, take a break from their day, and connect with people from across the business.

The Culinary Team helps support a healthy, balanced workplace — providing meals that keep people energised and engaged throughout the day, alongside the occasional treat.

The café is also a highlight for visitors, often becoming something people look forward to when returning to tombola.