Retail Catering Assistant

Location: University Hospital Southampton, SO16 6YD
Salary: Agenda For Change Band 2, £25,272 plus excellent benefits
Contract Type: Permanent, 37.5 hours per week
Schedule: Flexible shifts 5 days out of 7 (Monday to Sunday), Typical shifts: 7am to 3pm, 12pm to 8pm, 9am to 5pm

Ready to impact a better future?

As a Retail Catering Assistant in our Retail Catering team at University Hospital Southampton, you'll help deliver a high-quality catering service for patients, visitors and colleagues. Your work will support a positive experience across the hospital by providing excellent customer service, maintaining food safety standards and helping ensure catering services run smoothly every day.

Our work touches lives, and your work has purpose. In this role, you'll help create a welcoming environment where patients, visitors and employees can access quality food and refreshments. Through care, trust and a focus on service, you'll make a positive impact on communities while supporting a service that people rely on every day.

What you'll do as a Retail Catering Assistant

• Provide a courteous and efficient catering service to patients, visitors and colleagues.
• Prepare and serve food and beverages to agreed quality and hygiene standards.
• Deliver excellent customer service while helping to optimise retail sales.
• Clean catering areas, equipment and work surfaces to required hygiene standards.
• Operate cash registers and handle cash accurately and responsibly.
• Maintain food safety, health and safety, infection control and quality standards at all times.
• Store stock correctly, rotate products appropriately and help minimise food waste.
• Support colleagues across the team and work flexibly to meet service needs.

Does this sound like you?

• Experience in a catering or hospitality role.
• Good knowledge of basic food hygiene practices.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage confidently with customers and colleagues.
• Excellent customer care skills and a positive, approachable attitude.
• Able to follow work instructions, procedures and agreed standards accurately.
• Comfortable completing mandatory training and working within health and safety requirements.
• Able to cope with the physical demands of the role and remain focused in a busy environment.

What we offer

• 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays (and the option to buy up to five additional leave days each year)
• Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
• Over 1,100 internal courses available, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships (we currently offer over 60 different apprenticeships), mentoring opportunities, and a focus on internal progression.
• Employee Assistance Programme, Bupa Anytime HealthLine, wellbeing app, 30% off at Serco-managed leisure centres, and 24/7 access to a virtual GP service
• Discounts across around 1,000 retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel
• Paid volunteering day, tax-free charitable giving through Payroll Giving Scheme, donate your pennies from your monthly pay to the Serco People Fund Charity
• Our employee networks support connection by providing spaces for collaboration, learning, and belonging. They represent and empower all our colleagues including veterans, LGBTQIA+ employees, women, parents and carers, people with disabilities, and people from all cultural backgrounds.

Vetting and checks:

As well as checking eligibility to work in the UK, you will also complete an Occupational Health Questionnaire to help us identify and provide any support you may need to undertake the role effectively.

Let's impact a better future, together. Apply today.

A little bit about us:
At Serco, everyone plays a vital part in delivering essential public services that make a real difference. As a global team of 50,000 people across Defence, Transport, Justice, Immigration, Healthcare, Leisure and Citizen Services, we’re united by a shared purpose: to improve the services that communities rely on. Guided by our values of Trust, Care, Innovation and Pride, our people make meaningful impact, every single day.

Our inclusive recruitment commitment:
We prioritise your skills and potential. As a Disability Confident Leader, the Top Great British Employer of Veterans 2026, and a Gold Inclusive Employer Standard holder, we champion equal opportunities for all. We offer flexible and hybrid working where possible and make reasonable adjustments throughout recruitment and employment.

• Guaranteed Interview Scheme: Applicants with disabilities, veterans and people with convictions, who meet the minimum job criteria, are guaranteed an interview. Simply opt into the relevant scheme on the application form.
• Ban The Box: We also support fair access for those with unspent criminal convictions through our ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some roles may have security exemptions).

For support with your application, please contact recruitmentuk@serco.com.

Let’s impact a better future, together. Apply today.