Early Childhood Cook
Location: Being Early Education – Pymble
Employment Type: Part-Time / Full-Time (Negotiable)
About Us
At Being Early Education, we believe that food is so much more than nutrition, it's an opportunity to build lifelong healthy habits, connect children with where food comes from, celebrate culture, and create joyful experiences every day.
We are a 52-place early learning service with a strong commitment to providing children with fresh, wholesome and delicious meals. We prepare as much food from scratch as possible, grow produce in our vegetable garden, and believe that every meal should be nutritious, beautifully presented and enjoyed by children.
We're looking for someone who shares our passion for quality food and wants to make a genuine difference in children's lives.
About the Role
As our Early Childhood Cook, you will be responsible for planning, preparing and serving nutritious meals and snacks each day for approximately 52 children aged from infancy to preschool.
This role is perfect for someone who loves cooking, takes pride in their work, enjoys working independently, and understands that consistency, organisation and attention to detail are essential.
Children's safety is our highest priority. Many of our children have food allergies and medical dietary requirements, so meticulous food preparation and excellent food safety practices are critical.
Key Responsibilities
- Plan and prepare healthy, nutritious and appealing meals and snacks that comply with the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Get Up & Grow recommendations.
- Prepare as much food as possible from scratch using fresh ingredients.
- Create meals that children genuinely enjoy while encouraging healthy eating habits.
- Cater safely and accurately for allergies, anaphylaxis, intolerances and cultural or religious dietary requirements.
- Prevent cross-contamination through excellent food handling and preparation practices.
- Maintain exceptional standards of kitchen hygiene and cleanliness.
- Complete daily kitchen cleaning schedules and food safety documentation.
- Monitor food temperatures, storage and stock rotation in accordance with Food Safety Standards.
- Order food and kitchen supplies while minimising waste and managing the kitchen budget responsibly.
- Maintain an organised, clean and efficient kitchen at all times.
- Work collaboratively with educators to support cooking experiences, healthy eating initiatives and nutrition education.
- Care for and utilise produce from our vegetable garden wherever possible.
- Contribute ideas for seasonal menus and special celebration meals.
About You
We're looking for someone who is:
- Passionate about children's nutrition.
- Fast, efficient and able to work well under pressure.
- Exceptionally organised.
- Clean and tidy in everything they do.
- Able to multitask and manage competing priorities.
- Reliable and punctual.
- A positive and supportive team member.
- Proud of producing high-quality meals every day.
- Meticulous with food safety procedures.
- Calm and able to follow allergy management plans precisely.
- Willing to continuously learn and improve.
Essential Requirements
- Current Working With Children Check (or willingness to obtain).
- Understanding of safe food handling practices.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills.
- Ability to work independently.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Ability to safely manage multiple dietary requirements.
Desirable (but not essential)
- Certificate III in Commercial Cookery, Hospitality or equivalent.
- Food Safety Supervisor Certificate.
- Experience working in an early childhood service.
- Knowledge of childhood nutrition.
- Experience preparing allergy-friendly meals.
Don't have these qualifications? That's okay.
We are happy to provide training to the right person if they demonstrate the right attitude, organisation, work ethic and willingness to learn.
Why Join Being?
You'll become part of a team that genuinely values food as an important part of children's development.
We offer:
- A supportive and welcoming team.
- Ongoing training and professional development.
- Opportunity to be creative with seasonal menus.
- A beautiful kitchen and vegetable garden to work with.
- The chance to positively influence children's lifelong relationship with food.
- A workplace that values quality, innovation and continuous improvement.
If you're someone who believes children deserve delicious, nourishing meals made with care and love, we'd love to hear from you.
Pay: $26.44 – $29.65 per hour
Benefits:
- Childcare assistance
- Employee discount
- Free food
Work Location: In person
