Summer Jobs in Catering

A Food & Beverage Assistant pulling a pint of beer in Mungo's

Are you looking to earn some money this summer?

Kent’s catering team are currently seeking warm, positive people with bags of energy to help out over the busy summer season.

Ideal candidates must be reliable, punctual, and possess excellent communication skills. They should have a friendly and approachable personality, with the ability to work well in a fast-paced, high-energy environment.

If you’re looking to start a career in hospitality, or just want to learn new skills while you study, this could be the perfect job for you!

Responsibilities will include:

  • Greeting customers and taking orders
  • Serving food and drinks in a timely and efficient manner
  • Ensuring a clean and organized dining/kitchen area
  • Handling payments

Candidates must be available to work flexible hours (possibly including evenings and weekends), throughout the summer season. Prior experience is not necessary, but it is desirable.

How to apply?

If you’re interested in applying for this role (Food & Beverage Assistant), please send your CV, along with a potential start date, to catering@kent.ac.uk

Flexible casual contract with a total hourly rate equal to £7.83 – £10.89p/h (depending on age)

Application deadline: Friday 16 June 2023

Kerala Curry: Authentic Indian Street Food

A box of chickpea curry, rice, mango chutney, mint yogurt, and mini poppadums

Discover the flavours of South India this Summer term!

Gulbenkian Café chef, Anto, will be cooking up authentic Keralan street food from his pop-up food stall outside the Gulbenkian Arts Centre, for the duration of the Summer term.

The menu will change on a weekly basis, meaning customers can enjoy a variety of different South Indian dishes, from aromatic biryanis to mouth-watering dosas.

Find the Kerala Curry street food pop-up outside the Gulbenkian Arts Centre, 9 May – 16 June, Monday to Friday, 11.00 – 14.00.

V – Vegetarian | Ve – Vegan | GF – Gluten Free

Week 1

Tue 9 May – Fri 12 May

Homemade Chicken Curry (GF) £6.00
Served with basmati rice and poppadums.

Homemade Aloo Gobi Curry (Ve, GF) £5.00
Served with basmati rice and poppadums.

+ Mango chutney (Ve) and minted soya yogurt (Ve)

Week 2

Mon 15 May – Fri 19 May

Chicken Masala Dosa £6.00
Indian style pancake filled with chicken masala. Served with fresh chilli, coriander, onion, coconut chutney, and minted soya yogurt.

Vegetable Masala Dosa (Ve) £5.00
Indian style pancake filled with vegetable masala. Served with fresh chilli, coriander, onion, coconut chutney, and minted soya yogurt.

Week 3

Mon 22 May – Fri 26 May

Homemade Chicken Biryani (GF) £6.00
Served with a hard-boiled egg and topped with chilli, coriander, and onion.

Homemade Vegetable Biryani (V, GF) £5.00
Served with a hard-boiled egg and topped with chilli, coriander, and onion. (Vegan option available)

+ Mango chutney (Ve) and minted soya yogurt (Ve)

Week 4

Tue 30 May – Fri 2 June

Bombay Street Pulao (Ve, GF) £6.00
An all-in-one rice and vegetable dish.

Butter Chicken £5.00
Served with cumin rice, poppadums, fresh coriander, chilli, and onion.

+ Mango chutney (Ve) and minted soya yogurt (Ve)

Week Five

Mon 5 June – Fri 9 June

Sabzi Vegetable Curry (Ve, GF) £5.00
Served with fried rice and poppadums.

Aloo Paneer Onion Curry (V) £5.00
Served with fried rice and poppadums.

+ Mango chutney (Ve) and minted soya yogurt (Ve)

Week 6

Mon 12 June – Fri 16 June

Pick ‘n’ Mix Indian Snacks – 4 for £10

Homemade Giant Onion Bhaji (Ve, GF) £3.00
Homemade Chicken and Vegetable Samosa £3.00
Homemade Vegetable Samosa (Ve) £3.00
Homemade Spinach & Onion Pakora (Ve) £3.00

+ Mango chutney (Ve) and minted soya yogurt (Ve)

A basket filled with a vegetable dosa and drizzled with mint yogurt

Plant-Based Loyalty Scheme

A close up image of a hand holding the plant-based loyalty card which has been stamped a number of times

Get ready to help fight the climate crisis, protect nature, and improve human health!

The School of Anthropology and Conservation’s student-led Sustainability Working Group have been working with the catering team to produce a plant-based loyalty card.

The loyalty scheme rewards customers with a FREE meal for every 9 vegan meals purchased in a campus restaurant, cafe, or bar.

Plant-based loyalty cards can be used in:

  • Rutherford Dining Hall
  • Sibson Café
  • The Street Kitchen
  • Dolche Vita
  • Mungo’s
  • Origins
  • Hut 8
  • K Bar
  • Gulbenkian Arts Centre Café

 

The loyalty scheme is not just for vegetarians and vegans, but for flexitarians who are looking to reduce their meat consumption. The scheme offers an easy way for customers to try the delicious meat-free meals on campus, whilst saving money.

Loyalty cards can be picked up in participating outlets, at the till.

For more information, please contact Philippa Page (P.Page@kent.ac.uk)

Gulbenkian Open Air Film Festival

Gulbenkian Open Air Film Festival Title card with a background of stars and light clouds

Get ready for an epic summer of cinema under the stars! From 11 May – 8 June, as part of the Gulbenkian Open Air Film Festival, you can enjoy a different movie every Thursday night on the big screen outside the Gulbenkian Arts Centre!

The festival will be showing a variety of different films, from 90’s romantic comedy, Pretty Woman; to biographical fantasy musical, Rocketman.

Gulbenkian Open Air Cinema events are free to attend and non-ticketed, so you can just turn up on the night and enjoy the film!

What’s on?

Encanto (Sing Along) – Thursday 11 May, 21.00
Licorice Pizza – Thursday 18 May, 21.00
Pretty Woman – Thursday 25 May, 21.00
Shaun of the Dead – Thursday 1 June, 21.00
Rocketman – Thursday 8 June, 21.00

Will there be food and drink?

A selection of food, drink, and snacks will be available for purchase during the event. Enjoy fries, wings, nachos, ice cream, popcorn, sweets, and drinks while you sit back and enjoy the film.

There will also be an outdoor bar, serving a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Can I bring something to sit on?

There will be hay bales to sit on, but you are more than welcome to bring backrests, chairs, or picnic blankets to watch the film. We recommend you wrap up warm and wear lots of layers – even summer nights can get quite cold.

What happens if it rains?

As we all know, the Great British Summer can be unpredictable, so in the event of rain, film screenings will move indoors to the Gulbenkian Arts Centre cinema (except for Licorice Pizza on Thursday 18 May).

What time does the film start?

The film starts at 21.00, but you are more than welcome to arrive earlier, get comfortable, and order some snacks before the film begins. Food and bar open from 18.00.

Are the screenings accessible?

Access to the site is along level, hard paths.

The cinema area is predominantly level grass, with limited hard standing pathways. In the event of bad weather, mud and puddles are likely.

Please let us know if you require any additional support and our on-site staff members will be more than happy to help.

Are there toilet facilities?

Yes, toilets are available in the Gulbenkian Arts Centre.

Will there be subtitles?

Films will not be shown with subtitles. However, for hearing-impaired guests, we recommend the use of an app called ‘Subtitle Viewer’ where you can search for the film and play the subtitles as the film plays on the big screen.

For more information, please email Daniel Parsons – D.Parsons@kent.ac.uk

Pancake Day 2023

American pancake stack with blueberries

 

Rejoice, batter-based desert lovers, Pancake Day is coming up again on Tuesday 21 February. From American-style stacks to classic lemon and sugar crêpes, we’ve put together a list of places on campus you can enjoy pancakes…

Gulbenkian Cafe

American Pancake Stack – £4 – OUT OF STOCK

With your choice of topping:

  • Blueberry & Maple Flavoured Syrup (V)
  • Crispy Bacon & Maple Flavoured Syrup
  • Nutella (V)
  • Nutella & Banana (V)
  • Nutella & Strawberry (V)

Savoury Dosa Pancake – £6

A North Indian rice pancake filled with mixed vegetable sabzi curry

Mungo’s

American Pancake Stack – £4

With your choice of topping:

  • Blueberry & Maple Flavoured Syrup (V)
  • Crispy Bacon & Maple Flavoured Syrup
  • Nutella (V)
  • Nutella & Banana (V)
  • Nutella & Strawberry (V)

Dolche Vita

Classic Crêpe – £1.50 – OUT OF STOCK

Lemon & Sugar Crêpe – £1.50 – OUT OF STOCK

Extra toppings 50p each: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, banana, chocolate sauce, Biscoff sauce, strawberry sauce, toffee sauce, honey, syrup, whipped cream, Biscoff crumb, Oreo crumb

Work at the Lambeth Conference

Are you looking to earn some extra money this summer?

The Commercial Services & Estates catering team are looking for enthusiastic, hard-working individuals to lend a hand at this year’s Lambeth Conference (18 July – 10 August).

Member of staff helping at an outside event

What is the Lambeth Conference?

Meeting around every ten years since 1867, the Lambeth Conference is an international meeting of Anglican bishops convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The conference takes place across venues at the University of Kent, Canterbury Cathedral, and Lambeth Palace during the British summer of 2022.

Over six hundred bishops (and their partners), from all over the world, will travel to the conference.

bishops at the Lambeth conference

What roles are available?

To ensure the Lambeth Conference is a success, the catering team are looking to recruit extra Food and Beverage Assistants and Bar Bistro Supervisors to help deliver a professional and memorable catering experience.

Duties will include:

  • Assisting with the preparation and serving of meals and beverages.
  • Providing first class customer service.
  • Ensuring kitchen and service areas are clean and tidy.
  • Working within a team to provide a high-quality catering experience.

Applicants must have a can-do attitude, bags of energy, and be willing to muck in! They will need to be able to work quickly and accurately within a busy environment and have a flexible approach to work.

Working at the Lambeth Conference will be challenging, but it will also be exciting and rewarding.

This is a great way to gain experience in the catering industry; and add valuable, transferable skills to a CV!

 

FREE on-campus accommodation will be available to those working 35 hours or more!

Member of staff putting dishes on a table

How to apply?

For more information, please email Adam Watkins A.P.J.Watkins@kent.ac.uk

Pancake Day (Tuesday 1 March)

The most indulgent day of the year is almost here again. Nothing is more irresistible than a stack of pancakes, drizzled in maple syrup, slathered in Nutella, or spritzed and sprinkled with traditional lemon and sugar.

Shrove Tuesday falls a little later this year, which means we’ve all had plenty of time to practice our pancake flipping skills (in theory). But if you would rather leave the hard work (and washing up) to the experts, here’s where you can get your pancake fix…

Gulbenkian Café (Gulbenkian Arts Centre)

10:00 – 16:30 (whilst stock lasts)

American style pancake stack topped with:
– Bacon and maple flavour syrup £4.50
– Chocolate and banana (V) £4.50
– Apple, cinnamon, golden syrup, strawberry coulis, and soya yoghurt (Ve) £4.50

Mungo’s (Eliot College)

9:00 – 21:00 (whilst stocks last)

*HALF PRICE PANCAKES ALL DAY*

American style pancake stack topped with:
– Blueberry and maple flavour syrup (V) £2.25
– Bacon and maple flavour syrup £2.25
– Banana and honey (V) £2.25
– Nutella (V) £2.25
– Nutella and banana (V) £2.25

Vegan pancakes also available – just let a member of staff know.

V – Vegetarian | Ve – Vegan

Pancake stack with berries

Festive Food & Drink on Campus

It’s nearly that time of the year. Christmas is coming! Gather your friends and colleagues together for a festive feast with all the trimmings.

Here are a few suggestions of where you can enjoy Christmas food and drink on campus…

 

Rutherford Dining Hall

Christmas Menu (6 – 16 December)

Traditional Christmas Lunch – 2 courses for £8.95
Choose from traditional roast turkey or festive nut roast with all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding or vegan chocolate orange torte.

To book a table, please call the dining hall on 01227 823500 or email rutherforddining@kent.ac.uk. All pre-booked groups will receive complimentary Christmas crackers.

Rutherford Christmas Lunch

Dolche Vita

Christmas Menu (1 – 16 December)

Chef’s Special Christmas Lunch – £7.00 (ex VAT)
A Christmas dinner with a Dolche Vita twist. No booking required. Includes a complimentary mince pie (whilst stocks last). 

Gingerbread Latte – £2.50
served with a traditional steamed milk top

 

Mungo’s

Christmas Menu (22 November – 16 December)

The Very Merry Mungo’s Burger – £6.80
Turkey breast topped with cranberry sauce, cheese, streaky bacon, and cheese sauce in a charcoal infused sesame seed brioche bun. Served with skinny fries.

The Christmas Club Sandwich – £6.00
Toasted triple stacked sandwich with turkey breast wrapped in streaky bacon and stuffed with chorizo, sage and paprika. Topped with cheese, tomato, lettuce, and sweet chilli mayo.

Gingerbread Latte – £3.00
served with whipped cream, cinnamon, and a mini gingerbread man

Mince Pie Milkshake – £4.00
topped with whipped cream

Gingerbread Milkshake – £3.50
topped with whipped cream (Vegan version also available)

The Very Merry Mungo’s Burger

Gulbenkian Café

Christmas Menu (15 November – 17 December)

Kentish Pigs in Blankets Mac and Cheese – £7.50
Gooey Kentish Mac and Cheese with extra little chunks of sausage wrapped in bacon.

Kentish Brie and Cranberry Croque Monsieur – £6.00
A festive take on a French classic – Brie and cranberry toasted sandwich topped with a mornay sauce and baked.

Handmade Pigs in Blankets Sausage Roll – £2.50
What do you get if you cross pigs in blankets with sausage rolls? Delicious Christmassy sausage-and bacon puff-pastry snacks.

After Eight Peppermint Hot Chocolate – £3.50
topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and mini marshmallows

Baileys Hot Chocolate – £4.95
topped with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder

Gingerbread Latte – £3.30
topped with whipped cream and a mini gingerbread man

Brie & Cranberry Croque Monsieur

Create

Christmas Drinks Menu (22 November – 16 December)

Gingerbread Latte – £3.00
topped with whipped cream, cinnamon, and a mini gingerbread man

Mint Hot Chocolate – £3.00
topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and mini marshmallows

Gingerbread Latte and Mint Hot Chocolate

K-Bar

Christmas Cocktail Menu (29 November – 17 December)

Gingerbread Martini – £5.00
Baileys, Kaluha, and gingerbread syrup

Hot Apple Pie Cocktail – £5.00
Spiced rum, Licor 43, apple juice, whipped cream, and cinnamon

 

Bag It

Christmas Signature Sandwiches (6 December – 16 December)

Boxing Day Turkey & Bacon Sub – £3.90
Turkey breast, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise in a soft sub roll

Brie, Chestnut & Cranberry Mayo Doorstop – £3.90
Brie, chestnut, and cranberry mayo between two thick slices of bread

Vegan Christmas Panini – £3.50
Smoked Applewood vegan cheese, vegan bacon, cranberry sauce

 

Sibson Café

Christmas Menu (6 November – 16 December)

Beefy Festive Feast Burger – £6.50 (ex VAT)
2 juicy beef patties with cheese, caramelised red onions, pig in blanket, and Santa slaw

Christmas Chicken Burger – £6.50 (ex VAT)
Seasoned chicken breast with grilled bacon, brie, cranberry sauce, and Santa slaw

Rudolph’s Veggie Feast – £6.50 (ex VAT)
Soya based patty with vegan cheese, caramelised red onions, cranberry sauce, and Santa slaw

Jumbo Pig in Blanket Hot Dog – £6.00 (ex VAT)
Served with caramelised red onions and Santa slaw

 

And that’s not all! There are plenty more festive offers and promotions across campus to celebrate the season. Keep an eye out for festive drinks, cakes, and street food. Visit your nearest café, bar or restaurant to discover what’s on offer.

 

Download the Order Up! app and begin your festive order today

Valentine’s Day Special: Aphrodite’s Desire

Aphrodite's Desire: Chocolate Mousse with passionfruit yogurt

Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without something chocolatey and indulgent, so why not round off your romantic dinner with this vegan chocolate mousse? Appropriately named Aphrodite’s Desire, this decadent dessert has been specially created by Kent’s very own Chef de Cuisine, Rob Grimer.

If you’ve never tried a silken tofu chocolate mousse before, this recipe will take you completely by surprise! It’s decadent, rich, velvety smooth, creamy, and unbelievably easy to whip up. You’ll never guess that this dessert is vegan.

You can try different variations of this recipe by adding extra ingredients and toppings, the possibilities are endless. Why not add a dollop of nut butter, some flaked almonds, or a sprinkling of freeze-dried raspberries?

Looking for the perfect main course to wow your loved one? Look no further than Ben Elsbury’s Dolche Vita-style chicken katsu curry.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Kent Hospitality! xoxoxo

Aphrodite’s Desire (vegan chocolate mousse with passionfruit yogurt)

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
• 200g silken tofu, drained
• 100g vegan dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ tbsp treacle
• ½ lime, juiced
• 2 passion fruits
• 2 tbsp caster sugar or to taste
• 2 tbsp thick vegan yogurt

Recipe:
1. Put the tofu, vanilla extract, treacle and lime juice in a large bowl and blend with a hand blender until silky smooth (you can use a whisk, but it will take slightly longer).

2. Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl sat over a saucepan of simmering water, being careful not to let the bowl touch the water.

3. Fold the melted chocolate into the tofu mixture. Spoon the mixture into two special glasses and refrigerate until set.

4. Cut both passion fruits in half and scoop out the pulp and seeds. Mix with the caster sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Fold half the passion fruit mix into the yogurt and leave in the fridge to set for about an hour.

5. To serve, remove the chocolate mousse from the fridge, top with a dollop of passion fruit yogurt, and pour over the rest of the passion fruit sauce. Garnish the dish with some grated chocolate and fresh fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, and tropical fruit will work well for this recipe.

Top tip: If you’re not vegan, you could swap the vegan yogurt for some thick Greek yogurt instead.

Did you have a go at this recipe? If yes, high five! Well done you! Why not share your attempt on Instagram and tag us @unikentfood?

Valentine’s Day Special: Chicken Katsu Curry

Chicken Katsu Curry

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, so why not wow your sweetheart with a delicious homemade meal?

We’ve asked Kent’s Chef de Cuisines, Ben Elsbury and Rob Grimer, to come up with a scrumptious two-course Valentine’s Day dinner that’ll surprise and delight your loved one. These dishes are low cost and easy enough for any home chef to master, whatever the skill level.

Today we’re going to focus on the main course. For this, Ben’s chosen a student-friendly chicken katsu curry. This Japanese-inspired curry is a decadent treat with its golden, breaded chicken and smooth curry sauce. If you know someone who’s longing for a Dolche Vita-style katsu curry – this is the dish for them!

Getting the panko breadcrumbs to stick to the chicken is probably the trickiest part of this recipe, so take your time and read the instructions well.

Tomorrow we’re going to be publishing the recipe for Rob’s Valentine’s Day dessert, Aphrodite’s Desire, a vegan chocolate mousse with passionfruit yogurt. So, tune in tomorrow for more delicious declarations of love. 

Chicken Katsu Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
• Vegetable oil
• 2 chicken breasts
• Juice of half a lime
• 10g coriander, chopped
• 1 egg
• 10ml milk
• 60g panko breadcrumbs.
• 40g plain flour
• 40g chip shop curry sauce mix
• 40g carrot, cut into thin matchsticks or grated
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 50g red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 50g white cabbage, thinly sliced
• 150g jasmine rice
• Salt and pepper
• ½ lime, cut into segments for garnish

Recipe:
1. Prepare all the ingredients and have them ready in front of you – it always makes cooking much easier. Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan and bring two saucepans of water to the boil (one with about 1litre of water for the rice, and one with 250ml of water for the curry sauce – this will be needed later in the recipe.)

2. Begin by preparing the raw slaw. Mix the carrot, red onion, red cabbage, white cabbage, chopped coriander, and lime juice in a bowl together. Season well with salt and pepper and leave in the fridge.

3. Now prepare the breading station. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour with some salt and pepper. In a second bowl, beat the egg and milk together. In a third bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs. Top tip: breading chicken can get a little messy, you might want a bowl of hot soapy water to hand.

4. Slice your chicken breasts in two widthways, starting from the thickest part of the breast. You should now have four thin chicken fillets.

5. Working with one piece at a time, dip each chicken breast into the flour, then shake off the excess. Next, run the chicken through the egg mixture, again, shake off the excess. Finally, dip the chicken into the panko breadcrumbs and coat on both sides. You can gently press the breadcrumbs into the chicken to make sure they stick. Lay the chicken pieces on a plate once done.

6. Heat a good glug of vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add your chicken fillets and fry for a couple of minutes on each side until the breadcrumbs begin to colour.

7. Once golden, transfer the chicken pieces to a baking tray or oven proof dish and cook in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

8. While the chicken is in the oven, cook the jasmine rice to the packet instructions and add the curry sauce granules to the 250ml of boiling water, stirring well.

10. Once the chicken is cooked, slice the breaded chicken pieces into strips at an angle. To check your chicken is cooked, cut into the thickest part of the meat and check that its firm and white. Put the chicken back in the oven for a few minutes if it still looks pink.

11. To serve, generously heap the jasmine rice onto one side of your plate, add the slices of breaded chicken to the other, pop a little raw slaw on the side, and liberally pour the curry sauce on top. Serve with lime wedges.

Top tip 1: You can adapt this recipe to make it vegan. Simply substitute the chicken for firm tofu and use soy milk instead of the egg mixture.

Top tip 2: Can’t find panko breadcrumbs? You can use regular breadcrumbs instead.

Did you have a go at this recipe? If yes, high five! Well done you! Why not share your attempt on Instagram and tag us @unikentfood?