Food Services Assistant (Casual)

Location: West Dean, Sussex (PO18 0QZ)
Contract: Casual
Hours: As and when required
Salary: £12.77 per hour, plus 12.07% holiday pay

Join the West Dean team

West Dean is a unique place to work, bringing together creativity, heritage, hospitality, and education in the heart of the South Downs National Park. Our stunning 6,350-acre estate is home to West Dean College, award-winning gardens, historic collections, events spaces, and a vibrant community of students, visitors, and guests.

We are looking for enthusiastic and reliable Casual Food Services Assistants to join our Food Services team and help deliver a welcoming, high-quality experience across our cafés, dining areas, and event spaces.

About the role

As a Food Services Assistant, you will play an important role in supporting the smooth running of our food and beverage services. Working across a variety of outlets, you will help create an enjoyable experience for students, visitors, and private guests by delivering friendly, professional service and maintaining high standards throughout each shift.

This is a varied, hands-on role where no two days are the same. You may support café service, formal dining, events, or student catering, helping with everything from preparing service areas and serving food and drinks to maintaining cleanliness and replenishing supplies.

You will be part of a friendly and supportive team that takes pride in delivering excellent customer service, while championing quality, seasonal food and sustainable practices.

Key responsibilities

• Support food and beverage service across West Dean’s cafés, dining rooms, event spaces, and other service areas
• Prepare and set up service areas, ensuring they are clean, organised, and fully stocked
• Serve food and drinks to a high standard, ensuring presentation, portioning, and temperature requirements are met
• Provide friendly and attentive customer service to students, visitors, and event guests
• Replenish stock, including beverages, consumables, and service items
• Maintain cleanliness across dining and service areas in line with food hygiene standards
• Clear tables, manage waste appropriately, and support general housekeeping duties
• Assist with stock checks, food storage, and rotation of supplies
• Clean and maintain beverage equipment and service areas
• Follow all food safety, health and safety, and workplace procedures

About you

We are looking for someone who is friendly, reliable, and enjoys working as part of a team. You will have a positive approach and take pride in helping to create a welcoming environment for everyone who visits West Dean.

You will bring:

• Experience in a customer-facing role
• Excellent customer service skills and a professional, approachable manner
• A flexible and reliable approach, with the ability to work a variety of shifts including evenings, weekends, and bank holidays
• The ability to work effectively in a busy environment and support different service areas as required

Previous experience in food service, hospitality, or catering would be desirable, although full training will be provided. A basic Food Hygiene Certificate and Allergy Awareness training are required for the role (training can be provided).

What we offer

As part of the West Dean team, you will benefit from:

• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Free use of West Dean College facilities, including the swimming pool, library, and tennis courts
• Free on-site parking
• The opportunity to work in a unique cultural and heritage setting within the South Downs National Park

Apply today

If you are passionate about delivering great service and would like to be part of a team that helps create memorable experiences for our students, visitors, and guests, we would love to hear from you.

Please apply via our careers site: West Dean Careers.