Visitor Experience Team - Chef

Background

The Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) works to ensure that Scotland’s seas and coasts are alive with wildlife, celebrated and protected by all. We act to save seabirds and restore Scotland’s marine environment through conservation, learning, and unforgettable wildlife experiences:

Conservation – We manage internationally important seabird islands, including Bass Rock, which is home to one of the largest gannet colonies in the world, and Craigleith, where our community conservation project, SOS Puffin, has quadrupled the population of breeding puffins.

Learning – We seek to build an understanding of and a passion for the marine environment. Over 60,000 children and young people have engaged with our education programme.

Experience – We operate one of the leading nature visitor centres in the UK, welcoming over 170,000 visitors a year, and were awarded the Gold Green Tourism Award in April 2025.

This role involves active, hands-on work, including standing and moving for extended periods. We welcome applications from all candidates and will consider reasonable adjustments to enable applicants with disabilities to perform the role.

Job description

We are looking for a dynamic and hard-working Chef to join our Catering team. They will play a vital role in ensuring our customers have a great experience with us, and because the profits from the Seabird Café go straight to our charity you will also be helping make vital conservation and education work happen. We welcome hundreds of people each week to our cafe, and as Chef you will ensure that the variety, quality, and sustainability of everything we serve is second to none.

Principal responsibilities 

The main responsibilities of the Chef are: 

• Prepare and cook meals to a high standard, ensuring that the ingredients used are of high quality and best practice is followed regarding food hygiene and allergen safety. 
• Ensure our food is presented in a consistent and attractive way. 
• Work with the Catering Manager and our other Chef to provide cover throughout the week, including during staff holidays and other absences. 
• Support the development of our menu to use more locally sourced, seasonal and sustainable produce and to ensure our customers can enjoy a varied, exciting choice of meals. 
• Take responsibility for maintaining and cleaning the kitchen area/equipment ensuring that all appropriate standards are met. 
• Ensure all food and other items are stored properly. 
• Monitor stock levels and place orders as required. 
• Ensure that all duties are undertaken in compliance with health and safety, food standards and hygiene regulations and practices, as well as our internal procedures. 
• Carry out any other reasonable duty which is within the competence of the post.

Essential skills and experience

• Organised with an ability to work effectively in what can be a fast-paced, high-volume business at peak times. 
• A team player – adaptable and flexible.  
• A confident communicator. 
• An appropriate means of transport to get to the Centre (between 0830 and 1800). 
• Alignment with our charity’s conservation and education goals.

Desirable skills and experience 

• A willingness to learn on the job and/or to work towards an SQV cooking certificate. 
• An awareness of and affinity to environmental sustainability principles, particularly related to food

Other benefits you will enjoy as a Scottish Seabird employee include

• 35 days annual leave (based on full-time hours, part time team members will get a pro-rated annual leave entitlement).
• Workplace pension
• Training and development opportunities for everyone.
• Access to Cycle to Work Scheme
• Access to Health Cash Plan
• GP Advice Line and Counselling Service
• 20% discount in the charity’s Gift Shop, Café,
• 10% discount on the Scottish Seabird Centre boat trips
• Discounted access to a range of Scottish visitor attractions with an Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) card.

If you don’t have the required experience but are keen to learn, get in touch for an informal discussion about the role as training will be provided.

Working pattern: Variable hours per day, Thursday to Sunday Varied opening hours across the year (Summer 0900 and 1800, Winter 0900 - 1600) Evening events and holiday cover.

To apply – Please email a cover letter and CV by 12:00 on Wednesday 8 July.