Hosting and supporting people seeking asylum in Bristol

Fancy spending your Monday's as a chef?

We're looking for volunteer chefs to help out as part of our kitchen team on Mondays. BHN’s primary purpose is to prevent destitution amongst people whose asylum claims have been refused, and who need the safety and stability to work on making new claims. One of the ways we do this is through our Monday Welcome Centre Drop-In, where we provide a hot meal for around 150 people every week.

BHN provides a free hot lunch every Monday, for over 100 people. The food is all prepared, cooked and served by our service users, who we call members. As our members come from many different cultures, our food is varied and delicious!

Chefs will support the Kitchen Coordinator to lead the kitchen team in planning the menu and preparing this meal each week.

BHN will provide training and Food Hygiene qualification.

Application Form

Flip through the tabs below to find out more about the different roles, or contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Cait, at cait@bhn.org.uk

Purpose

Our volunteer Chefs are supported by the Kitchen Manager to lead the team on the practical cooking and delivery, make sure that everyone is working efficiently and safely, and that lunch is served on time.

Menu and food preparation
in line with our written guidance, and in consultation with the Kitchen Manager (or other staff, in the Kitchen Manager’s absence):

plan the menu, according to what food supplies we have
lead on the preparation, cooking and delivery of a meal which is filling, nutritious, and meets different dietary needs
make sure that the dietary information board is accurately completed, listing all allergens and whether the dish is meat / vegetarian / vegan
make sure that the food is ready to be served at 1pm

Training, support and supervision

BHN provides all kitchen volunteers with a kitchen induction, and (in partnership with Bristol City Council) the course for a Level 2 Certificate in Food Hygiene. This certificate must be obtained before Chefs can begin their role, although you can participate as a Kitchen Volunteer before this point.

We have a well equipped kitchen, and detailed written guidance on all kitchen processes. Full induction on these will be provided by the Kitchen Manager.

All BHN volunteers are given training in confidentiality, boundaries and safeguarding.

Volunteer chefs will be supported and supervised by the Kitchen Manager, or in their absence, the Welcome Centre Manager or Director.

Role Requirements

We are looking for people with the following skills and experience:

experience of following food hygiene requirements
experience of cooking and /or planning meals for a large number of people
ability to work with others as part of a team
ability to stay calm in a busy kitchen, and promote a calm environment
good time management and planning skills
ability to support others with their tasks
patience
good communication skills

Days / hours / location:

9:30am – 2.00pm on Mondays

BHN Welcome Centre, Easton Family Centre, Beaufort St BS5 0SQ

Food safety and hygiene

In line with our detailed kitchen processes:

oversee safe and clean working practices in the kitchen
give calm and clear instructions to Kitchen Volunteers, and help them to follow safe practices
ensure that the kitchen and surrounding areas are kept clean and safe
check and record cooking temperatures
undertake kitchen opening and closing checks, in agreement with the Kitchen Manager
ensure all recycling and food waste is disposed of correctly
ensure the kitchen is left clean and tidy at the end of the day.

Other volunteer opportunities at BHN

Barbers

Chef & kitchen volunteers

Breakfast table volunteers

BHN is always looking for people who love our values to get involved in BHN. If you are available on Monday daytimes or Tuesday evenings and would like to get involved please fill out an application form below.

We are currently looking for:

We might also be looking for something else that we don't know we're looking for yet! Please get in touch if you'd like to help out but are unsure how your skills would fit.

You can fill in our Volunteer Application Form here:

If you have any questions about volunteering, email our Volunteer Coordinator, Cait at cait@bhn.org.uk.

Volunteer Application Form

We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experience of the asylum system in the UK. Members can also talk to us directly about volunteering by coming to the Monday drop-in.