Cook & Kitchen Supervisor

Summary

🌿 COOK & KITCHEN SUPERVISOR

Be part of something exciting at Elan Valley.

This is an exciting time to join the team at Elan Valley Visitor Centre.

Our visitor centre is entering an exciting period of transformation, with a major redevelopment planned that will bring a new and significantly expanded visitor experience, including a larger café and kitchen, new visitor facilities, exhibition and planetarium spaces, improved outdoor areas and much more [see plans via this link].

We’re looking for a Cook & Kitchen Supervisor to join our team now and help us build the foundations for this exciting next chapter.

This is a hands-on cooking role with supervisory responsibility — not a traditional Chef or purely supervisory position.

🌟 Why join us now?

This isn’t just another café job.

You’ll be joining the team at the beginning of an exciting journey, with the opportunity to develop your leadership skills, take on greater responsibility and grow alongside the future Elan Valley operation.

As the redevelopment progresses, there will be opportunities to be involved in developing new ways of working, supporting training and helping shape the future café and kitchen operation.

You could be joining us now and growing with the role as the new visitor centre takes shape.

Who we are

Fancy working somewhere a little different?

Did you know Welsh Water has its very own visitor attraction at Elan Valley? Open all year round, our Visitor Centre is home to a café, gift shop and activity centre offering both land and water-based activities. Join our friendly, enthusiastic team and enjoy working in one of the most beautiful settings in Powys.

Located in the heart of mid-Wales, Elan Valley is easily accessible from the nearby town of Rhayader and is just a couple of hours from Birmingham and Cardiff.

📍 What3words: ///earpiece.herds.nickname

📍 Postcode: LD6 5HP

📍 Getting here: Elan Valley is in a rural location with limited public transport, so you’ll need access to your own transport to get to and from site five days a week. There is no home working in this role.

Want a glimpse of where you could be working? Take a look around our beautiful Visitor Centre and see the setting for yourself: Watch our video!

What you’ll be responsible for

👩‍🍳 About the role

As Cook & Supervisor, you’ll play an important role in the day-to-day running of our café kitchen.

You’ll be a hands-on Cook and Supervisor, supporting the team while also preparing and serving great-quality food for our visitors.

This is not a traditional creative chef role. It’s a structured food production and supervisory position, working from a set/pre-authorised menu and approved ingredients.

You’ll be responsible for helping ensure food is prepared consistently, safely and efficiently, while supporting your colleagues and maintaining high standards.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Preparing and cooking food to our agreed menu
• Working with pre-authorised ingredients and recipes
• Maintaining high standards of food safety, hygiene and presentation
• Supervising and supporting the café kitchen team
• Line management responsibilities
• Supporting stock control and ordering
• Helping organise the kitchen and daily food service
• Supporting and developing colleagues
• Helping create a positive, welcoming team environment
• Working closely with the wider café and visitor-centre team
• Contributing to the development of the food operation as we move towards our exciting new visitor centre

About you

Essential Qualifications, Knowledge, Experience & Skills 

We are looking for a creative and positive person to join our team!

• Someone with ideas who loves making and sharing ideas for operational improvements
• Good grasp of MS Office and experience using PoS systems   
• Satisfactory DBS check    
• Practical health & safety and food safety experience in a visitor attraction or retail or restaurant environment    
• Experience working with the general public    
• Enthusiastic about putting our customers first every day    
• Food preparation experience
• Ability to work on own initiative    

🚀 Develop your career with us

We’re particularly interested in people who want to grow and develop, rather than simply looking for their next job.

The redevelopment will create opportunities for:

• 🌱 Developing your leadership skills
• 👩‍🍳 Building a team of outstanding Food Assistants 
• 👥 Developing and mentoring team members (Food Assistants) 
• 🎓 Supporting training and development 
• 🏗️ Being involved in the transition to the new visitor centre
• 📈 Taking on greater responsibility as the operation grows

Join us now and help shape what comes next.

Good to know

Recruitment process

Our recruitment process will include:

• Application: Submit your CV to Pauline Nineham at [email removed], or apply directly via the link in this advert. Either application method is accepted.
• Stage 1: Initial telephone conversation.
• Stage 2: Site visit and competency-based interview.

Working Pattern

• 37 hours over 5 days out of 7
• Annualised hours (usually more hours in summer and less in winter)

• Rota scheduled every 4 weeks
• Shifts will include bank holidays, school holidays and every other weekend
• Typical shift patterns:  Monday - Sunday 8.30am-4.30pm or 10am-6.30pm (to cover an 8 hour working day)
• Weekends and school holidays are our busiest times wher