Kitchen volunteers at REfUSE Café are the creative force behind the magic that happens in our kitchen every day.
They transform rescued ingredients into delicious meals, helping to fight food waste while feeding the community. It’s a hands-on, fast-paced, and rewarding role — chopping, cooking, and plating up alongside a supportive team who share skills, stories, and plenty of laughs.
Whether you’re a confident cook or just keen to learn, every kitchen volunteer helps bring our values to life: turning what might have been wasted into something wonderful and proving that food — and people — are far too good to waste.
As a kitchen volunteer, we ask that you can work under pressure, thrive in a busy team and be able to take and follow instructions.
A basic understanding of cooking is required as you will be working in an industrial-style kitchen.
For those wanting to learn how to cook, we recommend Handcrafted, an organisation we closely work with, as a point of call.
We ask that you undergo a kitchen trial so that we can assess your confidence and comfortability within the kitchen. If successful, you’ll have the opportunity to
develop your skills alongside our kitchen leads which would also include completing your Level 2 Food Safety with us.
We are looking for volunteers who:
Enjoy cooking at home
Can learn quickly
Understand basic health and safety regulations regarding the kitchen
Can work under pressure in a fast-paced environment
Enjoy cleaning to a high standard
Enjoy working in a small, dynamic team
Have the interpersonal skills to communicate with each other
The café is open from 9am to 3pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
Morning and afternoon shifts are available. Arrangements can be made around your availability.
Training packages are available around Food Hygiene Level 2, Allergen Awareness and Safeguarding. Other on-the-job training is provided on shift.
Volunteers are able to enjoy a drink, a speciality coffee and meal per shift.
