Volunteer Cook at the Farm
Cyrenians Farm Enterprise,
12 Humbie Holdings
Kirknewton,
EH27 8DS
Overview
Cyrenians Farm Enterprise is a 7-acre community smallholding in West Lothian, where we grow food, skills and community. Our project seeks to address the various challenges relating to sustainability, inclusion, learning and wellbeing in our community.
We do this in our organic market garden where we grow food using regenerative principals which we include in our local organic veg-bag enterprise.
We also have an outdoor education program where we teach green-skills to young people at risk of the causes and consequences of homelessness.
Our goal is to provide a space for cultivating relationships - with the land, with ourselves and each other and we seek to empower people in a values-led and person-centred way.
Compassion, Respect, Integrity and Innovation are at the heart of all we do.
What are the aims and expectations of the role?
· You will be part of a friendly team of staff and volunteers, supporting the work we do to tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness.
· We have a commercial kitchen on-site with all the required utensils etc.
· Food prep and basic meal planning (coordinate with farm staff to see what’s available for the week ahead)
· Cooking 1-3 days a week (Tues – Thurs) for regular volunteer and staff team – (fuelling our team with good nourishing food is something we love to do as a way to say thankyou for all their hard work)
· Cooking for groups of up to 20 people. Usually less.
· Clearing up/washing up – we are hoping to get a commercial dishwasher installed which will make this simpler.
· Weekly temperature checks for fridges and freezers.
· Weekly cleaning checklist for food-prep and food-storage areas.
· Keeping fridges and freezers organised
· Helping with fareshare food orders
· We can provide aprons, gloves and other PPE.
· Good hygiene and appropriate dress around food preparation is important.
What kind of volunteer are we looking for?
We’re recruiting a volunteer cook to help out at Cyrenians Farm. You will be cooking for our eager team of hard-working volunteers and staff who assist our coordinator with the operations at the farm as well as for groups of workshop participants (up to 20 people).
You’ll be preparing our home grown produce as well as surplus food from our Fareshare depot in Leith. All ingredients provided.
We’re looking for experience and the ability to cook for larger numbers. Ideally, you’ll be familiar with HACCP procedures and have a current food hygiene certificate
Seasonally there will be the opportunity to assist with making preserves and jam too.
Essential
· You must be 18 or over.
· You must be willing to be a member of the PVG Scheme (we will process this for you)
· You must be confident in preparing food for groups of up to 20 people. (Ideally 3+ years of experience cooking for groups in a commercial setting.)
· Ideally you will be familiar with HACCP procedures.
· Ideally you will have a current food-hygiene certificate.
Desirable
· Enjoy working with other people as well as alone
· Good listening skills
· Enjoy being creative with fresh produce. (fruit and veg)
· Happy cooking both veggie and meat dishes
· Friendly and approachable
· Reliable with good time keeping
· Able to work with individuals who may have different support needs
· Non-judgmental
· Flexible and able to adapt to changing needs
· Respectful of confidentiality
What can you gain from this opportunity?
· Meet new people - as part of a friendly volunteer and staff team working to deliver a values-led service in our community.
· Gain further understanding in organic/regenerative market gardening
· Opportunities to get involved with seasonal activities on the farm (e.g. apple harvest, scything etc)
· Take home some fresh produce and preserves etc.
· Chat to our resident bee-keeper and learn about bees
Further Info
Expenses
We cover local travel costs at public transport rate or mileage.
About Cyrenians
Cyrenians is over 50 years old. We began with the creation of an innovative community to meet the needs of a group of homeless people who had fallen through the cracks of whatever support was available at the time. Our roots lie in responding to the injustice of homelessness.
We have spent the last five decades journeying with people grappling with the causes and consequences of homelessness through building and nurturing of trusted relationships and engaging with social exclusion and inequality which has so often been at the root of their tough reality. We are values-led and relationship based; our core values are Compassion, Respect, Integrity and Innovation.
Cyrenians’ head office is based in Edinburgh, with smaller offices in other areas, including Falkirk and West Lothian. Cyrenians is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), registered charity SC011052.