9 Cook jobs available:

DAILY HOUSEKEEPER / LIGHT FAMILY COOK
4 days per week - 9AM to 3PM to include weekend working.
Nr Lewes, East Sussex (30 minutes’ drive from Tunbridge Wells)
Essential Requirements: Simple fresh healthy family cooking skills. Previous experience working as a housekeeper. Child and pet friendly (dog and cat) Driver with own car essential. Non-Smoker. DBS Check required

An experienced daily housekeeper with good cleaning, washing, and ironing skills to work as part of a small team, caring for a 7-bedroom country house near Lewes.   

Duties will include the day-to-day housekeeping, cleaning, washing and ironing, running errands, assisting the chef with food prep at weekends (but preparing simple fresh healthy dishes when she is off) and managing deliveries and occasionally helping with childcare.   

This is a lovely role working for an informal young family of four with two small children under 6, who have nannies. 

The family are in residence generally every weekend; thus, weekend working is required and the 2 additional days which can be flexible, making a four-day working week.

The property is a Grade II listed building in East Sussex with 45 acres of land.  The family employ a lovely Chef/House manager/Head Housekeeper, who you will work closely with.

SALARY NEGOTIABLE DEPENDING ON PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE--Previous private house or hotel experience preferred, but training can be given, although you must be child and pet friendly.  Attention to detail and an excellent and thorough cleaner is essential.  ASAP start.  4 day working week.  Excellent salary for the right person who must be a driver with own car. (HU3510)

DOMESTIC COUPLE
HOUSEKEEPER-COOK-GARDENER- HANDYPERSON-SECURITY
Nr Framlingham, Suffolk
Essential Requirements: Previous Private House Experience, Animal Friendly, Strong DIY Skills

Young couple with 2 small children recently moved into this small country estate during Summer 2021. The property is set in 38 acres in rural Suffolk, it is the family’s weekend and holiday home and over the next 2 years will undergo a refurbishment project, building work and major landscaping. There will also be several projects which will include reinstatement of a Victorian walled garden and creating a woodland space.

The housekeeper should have a detailed eye for cleaning, capable to deal with all family laundry including care of delicates and fine fabrics and ensure guest rooms are prepared within the main house and the guest cottages. You will be responsible for food shopping and household provisioning, arranging, and overseeing contractors for servicing and maintenance of household services.

Cooking for the family will be required on a regular basis, fresh healthy dishes, utilising fresh produce from the gardens as and when available. Batch cooking for the freezer, making jams and preserves etc. Ideally the housekeeper will be willing to assist in the gardens, weeding, watering, and harvesting fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Partner will be required to care for and develop the gardens, reinstating the walled garden into a kitchen garden to grow vegetables, fruit and develop new flower beds & rose garden. The role requires a knowledgeable gardener but not necessarily a horticulturist. All equipment including ride on mower / tractor will be provided.

You will have good DIY skills capable to repair fences, deal with small carpentry/ painting repairs, care for the swimming pool, tennis court, pressure wash pathways and patio areas. Weekly cleaning of the cars and the coordination of external contractors are all part of this role.

Both of the couple will need to be animal friendly as long term the family will have Chickens, Alpacas, dogs and possibly ponies in the future.

SALARY Circa £52-55,000 Gross per annum.  2-bedroom single storey cottage with small garden. Strictly Non-Smokers, enhanced DBS and excellent references required. Sorry no dependent children but small well-behaved dog considered. ASAP Start/ (HU3697)

EXPERIENCED DOMESTIC COUPLE
HOUSEKEEPER-FAMILYCOOK-DRIVER-MAINTENANCE & HANDYPERSON
LONDON W8
Essential Requirements: Previous experience running a large London residence.
Hands on couple who work well together. Good communication skills, driving licence and being self-motivated is a must.

Part residence home of London business couple, particularly busy when the clients are in residence. Their adult children visit occasionally although one is currently in residence. They also have an 18-month-old therefore you must be child friendly, although nannies take care of the entirety of the baby’s needs.

Duties will include all aspects of housekeeping, cleaning, washing, ironing, arranging flowers, running errands & shopping.  Fresh healthy home cooking a few times per week is desired, as the owners enjoy cooking themselves or eating out.  A chef and butler team are available for any larger entertaining or dinner parties.   

One of the couple must drive and be confident driving in London, there will be some driving duties for the principals and also airport runs. You will care for the cars and be proactive in their maintenance.

You will also be responsible for liaising with external contractors and general day to day maintenance of the property. Running errands, dealing with food shopping, provisioning and ensuring the residence runs smoothly.

Hours are longer when the owners are in residence, you will need to manage your own time, plan ahead and be well organised. Essential that both parties of the couple are adaptable and can be flexible on all indoor duties including setting tables, serving guests drinks and wine cellar management. There is a lovely roof terrace which is managed by a gardener, no plant knowledge is required however an eye for detail is.

Salary Negotiable depending on experience.  2-bedroom separate house adjacent to the main residence with courtyard area. 2 days off per week with flexibility to work longer days and take time back when the principals are away. Good communication skills and good team players essential Sorry no pets or dependants. (HU3809)

RESIDENTIAL HOUSEHOLD MANAGER/BUTLER/ COOK WITH GOOD FRONT OF HOUSE SKILLS.
Lausanne, Switzerland
Essential Requirements:   Previous Private House Experience, Driver Essential, Conversational French, Non-Smoker.
Rural location between Geneva & Laussane – ½ Hour drive to Geneva

Part residence family holiday home in the canton of Vaud.

The residence is used by the family of 5 (including 3 children 18,16 and 13yrs and pet dog) during school holidays. The family live in London and have a summer home in Southwest France and a chalet for the Winter Season in the Swiss Mountains. You will be asked to travel to France occasionally throughout the year and spend Christmas & New Year at the Chalet.   

When the family are not in residence you will be required to keep the property in tip top order but working hours can be less. However, when the property is occupied longer hours and days will be required, with time taken back when clients not in residence.    

You will be responsible for ensuring the security of the property, monitoring of the security system internally and externally, liaising with external contractors for maintenance visits, quotes and repairs, supervising any work carried out.

In addition, first class front of house and formal food and beverage service skills, and experience as a butler and household manager is essential.  You should also be a confident cook as you will be required to provide breakfast daily and occasional lunch as well as stand in for the chef on the chefs’ days off.  

The family have a small dog which you will feed walk and generally care for when the family are in residence, so a dog lover is essential.    

This is a uniformed position, black trousers and white shirt, a separate one-bedroom flat with own entrance and terrace is provided.  TOP SALARY NEGOTIABLE DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE – 2 DAYS OFF PER WEEK.  DRIVER ESSENTIAL, CAR AVAILABLE IF REQUIRED. FRENCH SPEAKER & NON-SMOKER ESSENTIAL

SMALL WELL-BEHAVED PET CONSIDERED BUT SORRY NO DEPENDANT CHILDREN.

(HU3708)

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CO-AGENT - SHE'S IN SWITZERLAND

MARLBOROUGH, WILTSHIRE
RESIDENTIAL- COOK/HOUSEKEEPER
(Partner to follow own occupation very welcome)

Lovely long-term vacancy for a country-loving traditional cook/housekeeper to join this fun, high-energy, informal family at their weekend country farmhouse, on a large estate near Marlborough.   

The family of five includes 3 small children between ages 8 and 4yrs and they have 2 small dogs. The family also own 4 ponies that are at a livery yard locally and they ride every weekend. They have a love of the outdoors walking, riding, tennis, wakeboarding, skiing and are always out and about. They usually arrive on Friday and return to London on Sunday evening during school term-time, but during holidays will spend more time there and will also entertain family and friends. 

During the holidays, the children’s nanny will also accompany the family. Both parents are completely hands-on with the children, but you may occasionally be asked to babysit and essential that you love being around small children.

Other duties will include menu planning and an excellent home cook is required. You will have shared duty of breakfast, lunch and dinners as the family also love to cook. You will generally cook for between 2 and 4 adults and 3 children, but with occasional lunch or supper parties and Sunday lunches. They also get in support when needed and have a local chef they work with.  The employers enjoy fresh and locally sourced produce. You need to have a natural flair and love for cooking, enjoy trying new recipes and have a genuine passion for it but you do not need to be a qualified chef.

The garden has a lovely vegetable patch so if you enjoy gardening then a big plus. You will need to provision and use local suppliers, there is a superb butcher and fishmonger locally and farm produce available for fresh ingredients.

This is an informal home, and the family are neat and tidy people and very hands-on, so although the housekeeping role is part of the duties, when the family is in residence, cooking takes priority.  The usual day to day housekeeping – cleaning, laundry, and shopping etc. all managed easily for a well-organized person.

The family will be moving house within the next 4 years approximately I hr drive from current location.

There is a small furnished 2-bedroom (1 double/1single) cottage available. The daily working hours are 8.00am to 6.00pm with one hour off for lunch. 2 days off per week (usually Tuesday & Wednesday).

Salary circa £33,000 Gross, driver with own car essential. Partner and Dog very welcome. (HU3105)

RESIDENTIAL HEAD HOUSEKEEPER / FAMILY COOK
Nr Reading, Berkshire
Essential Requirements: Previous Private House Experience, Flexibility, Pet Friendly Driver and Non-Smoker essential. Good level of family cooking, previous experience with management of small housekeeping team. Computer and IT Savvy.

Fantastic new position for a dedicated and flexible, experienced head housekeeper to work as part of a team taking care of this beautiful Estate near Henley on Thames.

You will need to have previous experience in taking care of the interior of a private country household. This property is a combination of both formal and informal service, with great attention to detail with high standards at all times.

As head housekeeper you will report to the principal and House manager and will be responsible for a small team of housekeepers including a dedicated laundress. This is hands on role, which means you will involve yourself in all aspects of the daily housekeeping tasks needed to keep the house to an immaculate standard.

The Estate is fully staffed, you must have a flexible and positive attitude and enjoy working as part of a team. The residence is occupied half of the year mainly Spring through the summer, the main house has 9 bedrooms and there are 3 guest cottages.   

Duties will include:

• Housekeeping
• Overall Management of the housekeeping team
• Taking care of antiques, brass, silver and fine fabrics.
• Assisting Butler with front of house service.
• Turn down service
• Family cooking when principals are in residence

(Chef available for formal gatherings or parties)

• Walking the dogs
• Assisting the estate / house manager with daily running of the household.    

The working week is 5 days out of 7 on a rota, weekend working will be required especially when the principals are in residence. An average of 8 hours per day with any additional hours take in lieu.

Salary circa £45,000 Gross per annum depending on experience. Beautiful new 2-bedroom apartment provided, accessed via the main house but totally private.

Strictly non-smokers, ideally computer literate and previous household experience is essential. Sorry no dependant children. Driver essential. (HU3561B)

RESIDENTIAL HOUSEKEEPER / COOK
Zurich, Switzerland
Essential Requirements:   Previous Private House Experience, Driver, Fluent English and Conversational German, Pet Friendly

RESIDENTIAL HOUSEKEEPER / COOK
Monday to Friday with flexibility to cover occasional weekends

New position for a young professional couple who require an experienced housekeeper to care for the family villa approximately 10 mins drive from Zurich City.

The housekeeper will have sole responsibility for the day-to-day housekeeping of this family home which will include all household cleaning, making beds, changing linens, laundry and co-ordinating and scheduling servicing contractors and suppliers.

You will be required to provision and keep the residence well stocked with supplies, run errands, and ensure that linens, writing supplies, bathroom items etc are all replenished.  You should have experience with delicates and fine fabrics and ideally wardrobe management skills with couture clothing experience.

Fresh healthy cooking is required and ideally previous experience of table service.

A gardener is also employed, any assistance in the gardens would be welcomed as time allows.

You should be pet friendly and willing to assist with feeding the chickens, in the future the family may acquire a dog.

The principals are looking for a long-term housekeeper with a minimum of 3 years’ experience working in a private residence. The working week is Monday to Friday, 42 hrs per week, but with flexibility for occasional extra duties if there are guests. Overtime hours will be paid.

Occasionally you may be asked to travel to additional properties in Switzerland and Europe.

Salary negotiable depending on experience, fluent English and conversational German.
New build one bedroom apartment will be provided. Driver essential.
DBS Check and excellent written references essential (HU3622)

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CO-AGENT - SHE'S IN SWITZERLAND

RESIDENTIAL HOUSEKEEPER / COOK
Barnet Hertfordshire
Essential Requirements: Previous experience of housekeeping and cooking in a private family home. Good team player. Fluent English, well presented, Driver and Non-Smoker essential. Ability to work Tuesday to Sunday with flexibility for longer hours when the client is in residence.

Experienced housekeeper required for privately-owned Palladian Mansion, located just outside Barnet and set in 250 acres of parkland.  The house is used both as a private part time residence and let out for both filming and private corporate events.

We are looking for an experienced hands-on housekeeper/cook to join our small and friendly team. Reporting to the General Manager, you will be responsible for day-to-day housekeeping duties along with another daily housekeeper. Cooking will be for the family, fresh, simple family level for small numbers.

The successful applicant will come from a housekeeping background and will be able to demonstrate a flexible approach and excellent attention to detail. It would be helpful if you were computer literate and can use email and also have some knowledge of alarm and phone systems.

Key responsibilities include:

1. To be responsible for the security of the house and to ensure a member of staff is in the house at all times.
2. Arrange the house staff rota to ensure there is cover at all times.
3. Keep an accurate record of petty cash expenditure and add to the monthly accounting spreadsheet.
4. Ensuring that all areas of the house are clean and free of dust on a daily basis.
5. Cleaning/care of antique furniture and paintings. Advise General Manager of any items requiring specific attention or repair.
6. Making sure all bedrooms are kept clean and tidy and beds are made.
7. Ensuring all private and communal bathrooms/lavatories are kept clean and that high levels of hygiene are maintained.
8. Making sure that all general medicines/First Aid kits are kept stocked and within their ‘use by’ dates.
9. Checking all cleaning supplies are kept stocked, maintaining a stock list and advising if anything needs to be purchased.
10. Care and basic maintenance of all cleaning and laundry equipment and areas. Report any issues to the General Manager/Houseman.
11. Care and cleaning of silverware/brass using the correct methods as requested.
12. Laundering of clothes and bed linen.
13. Dealing with any contractors, workmen or visitors as required.
14. Working with other staff members to ensure that security within the house and grounds is maintained.
15. Work weekends and occasional Bank Holidays as required to ensure the house is not left empty.

Cook role (when family in residence)

1. Prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner when the principals are in residence.
2. Serve meals/refreshments/snacks as requested.
3. To cook for small informal & occasional family dinner parties as requested.
4. To use fresh, healthy ingredients in cooking where possible, as per the family’s dietary requirements.
5. To manage the kitchen and larder areas and ensure that they are kept clean and tidy and high levels of hygiene are maintained at all times.
6. Ensure all refuse bins, recycling and food waste is dealt with correctly.
7. Purchase food and ensure minimum wastage by ensuring kitchen supplies are sourced and managed efficiently.
8. Liaise with the principals and the House Manager to plan menus.
9. Ensure all household fridges and freezers are cleaned and well organised.
10. Occasional informal meal for staff during filming and events.
11. Work with the gardening team to ensure that produce grown on the estate is used where possible.

Hours of Work:

• From 9am to approx. 5pm, when the owners are not in residence but flexible for longer hours when they are.
• Generally, the Housekeeper will be required to work 5 days a week, and most weekends. Wednesday and Thursday will be the two days off each week. One weekend per month off per month will be agreed in advance.

Accommodation:

• A private spacious newly refurbished 2-bedroom flat is provided within the Main House.
• All services are provided for with the exception of phone calls.    

SALARY NEGOTIABLE depending on previous experience. Partner to follow own occupation and dog accepted and welcome. ASAP Start (HU3630)

RESIDENTIAL HOUSEKEEPER / COOK (Separate Cottage provided)
Holland Park, London, W8
Monday to Friday from 7am through to 7pm
Essential Requirements: Long term experience working in a private home. Self sufficient sole charge housekeeper with good family level cooking skills. Non-Smoker. Child friendly.

We have a family of four based in Holland Park. They are looking for a professional, experienced, and conscientious housekeeper to look after a 6-bedroom property that spans over four floors. This is a live-in role, and you will be provided with your own private one-bedroom cottage within the grounds. Your role will be to ensure the efficient running and tidiness of the family home.

• Full responsibilities of all housekeeping duties
• Managing all the laundry, taking care of delicate fabrics, ironing, and wardrobe management.
• Cleaning, floors, and upholstery with specialist products.
• Ensuring all areas of the house are clean, tidy, and organised.
• Ordering and replenishing stock as and when needed.
• Running errands, ordering/shopping at wholefoods and other supply stores.
• Preparing and cooking healthy family meals. Light lunch and an evening meal. The ability to follow recipes.
• Answering the door and taking in deliveries.
• Occasional babysitting of two children. A baby and a 7-year-old.

The family are looking for someone who has an excellent eye for detail and takes pride in their work. Someone with high standards of cleanliness and has excellent organisational skills. You must have a minimum of 8 years’ experience and have worked in a similar role. Fluent in English with strong communication skills.

This is a very discreet family who will make you feel very welcome and appreciated.

January/February start. Salary Negotiable depending on experience. (HU3817)