Junior Academy Chef
Banbury, GB, OX16 3UU
ABOUT THE ROLE
The UK Chocolate Academy is a centre of excellence where customers come to be inspired, educated, and immersed in the world of chocolate. We are a small, dedicated, and hard‑working team looking for a passionate Junior Academy Chef to support us in delivering exceptional experiences. In this role, you’ll help us create chocolate solutions for a wide range of customers, assist with Academy operations, and contribute to the smooth running of courses, events, and day‑to‑day activities.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Support the day‑to‑day running of the Academy, including courses, customer visits, virtual events, filming, and sales team requests
- Prepare the Academy ahead of customer visits, ensuring all spaces are fully set up and presentation‑ready
- Deliver a high standard of customer service during courses and customer days, both front of house and behind the scenes
- Assist in creating products for application testing, customer briefs, and project work
- Prepare ingredients and equipment for courses, supporting in‑house chefs, guest chefs, customer days, offsite visits, and filming
- Maintain a clean, organised Academy environment, ensuring equipment is safe and in good working order
- Welcome and host visitors with professionalism, creating a positive and engaging experience
- Prepare light lunches for customers
- Conduct stock checks and place orders to maintain adequate supplies
- Work independently, using initiative to manage tasks effectively
- Support product testing activities, including chocolate and patisserie‑based applications
ABOUT YOU
- Passionate about chocolate, pastry and bakery, with curiosity for industry trends
- Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate and NVQ Level 3 in Professional Cookery or Patisserie (or equivalent)
- Strong communication skills and confident in customer‑facing environments
- Organised, proactive, and able to manage time and priorities effectively
- Calm under pressure, adaptable to changing schedules, and comfortable working independently
- Positive, flexible team player with a willingness to support a wide range of tasks
- Comfortable with manual handling and being on your feet for most of the day
- Proficient in Microsoft Office; hospitality experience is a bonus