Job Description

Work in a friendly kitchen and enjoy working with children every day

"When I arrive at the nursery in the morning, the children's faces light up." - Conchobar, Senior Chef


We're the London Early Years Foundation, or LEYF Nurseries for short; a family of 40 nurseries. Our people love working for us because we focus on the child and their family, and give them the best start in life.


We give you free in-house training at our Chef Academy. You'll work sociable hours in a friendly environment, and you'll love interacting with the children in your nursery.

What's in it for you?

"It's not just a kitchen job; you get to engage with the children a lot." - Bruno, Chef

An extra 1,000 uplift in your salary (for 40-hour week qualified chefs) when you complete the Chef Academy course You can work sociable hours - no evenings or weekends Lots of training, promotions and nurturing work environment Generous pension at 7% from us (1% from you) 70% discount on childcare fees Up to 35 days off a year, including 8 bank holidays, 3 days off between Christmas and New Year, and your birthday (pro-rated for part-time hours) Sector-leading parental leave Many other benefits that take care of you, including access to the Headspace app, shopping discounts, annual conference and money for team celebrations

A bit about the role

"It's a different working environment - a lot friendlier and calmer." - Conor, Senior Chef


You'll help the nursery chef prepare nutritious meals for children and feel real job satisfaction from promoting healthy eating habits for life. Children love the cooking and food-related activities run by our Chefs.


You'll enjoy working with the wider nursery team but will also work closely with the chef to manage the kitchen and suppliers, ensuring a healthy environment and keeping children with allergies safe. You'll be part of the LEYF chef community contributing across our settings, sharing ideas and recipes.


You'll have the opportunity to take part in training at our Early Years Chef Academy, where you can train to be a LEYF chef.

You will need:

The right to work in the UK A positive attitude and excited to work with children Food Hygiene Level 2 or equivalent, or be willing to do the course in the first week of work (paid for by LEYF)

About the nursery

Rated Good by Ofsted, Farrance Road Nursery & Pre-School provides Early Years education and childcare to children from birth to 5 years old. You can find us in Chadwell Heath, not far from Chadwell Heath railway station. We're a large, modern nursery, with separate rooms for different age groups and a garden for outdoor play. Our baby room is equipped with a gym and sensory area.

Apply now

Contact us today, our friendly recruiters are waiting to hear from you.


The Company has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years. We have a vast number of employees, and provide support to clients from all over the country.