Quality Controller/ Technical Assistant

Job description

Location: SW19 8ED, Gresham Way, Wimbledon Park, London

Are you a food scientist with practical experience in food retail and/or manufacturing? Do you want to join a dynamic company and support our growth with your technical expertise and eye for quality?

Bayley & Sage is growing, and we currently have an exciting opportunity for a Quality Controller/ Technical Assistant to join our team based in SW London.

We are retailers of premium fresh food, and we prepare our own range of salads, sandwiches, dips, soups, meal pots and breakfast pots and ready meals in our in-house Production Kitchen. We currently supply freshly prepared meals and ready to eat items to 14 Bayley & Sage stores, which will require a more focused approach to quality and technical management in our business. We are also growing our range of own label products procured through our supplier base.

About the role

To support the Technical Manager in ensuring the business meets its obligations with regard to food safety and quality.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a detail oriented and proactive Quality Controller/ Technical Assistant to join our Technical Department, ensuring that all Ready-to-Eat (RTE) products meet the highest food safety, hygiene, and quality standards. The successful candidate will play a key role in daily production checks, documentation, and compliance with food safety regulations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform routine quality checks throughout the production process (from raw material handling to final product packaging).
• Monitor hygiene, temperature controls, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) within the kitchen.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, food safety standards, and internal quality protocols.
• Record and report any non-conformances or deviations in quality or safety procedures.
• Conduct daily pre-operational checks of equipment, surfaces, and production areas.
• Verify correct labeling, expiry dates, and packaging integrity of finished products.
• Support traceability by ensuring all ingredients and products are accurately logged.
• Communicate effectively with kitchen staff and management on any quality concerns.
• Assist in training kitchen team members on hygiene, food handling, and quality standards.
• Participate in internal audits and support corrective/preventive actions.
• Conduct routine microbiological sampling of products.
• Carry out regular environmental swabbing to ensure hygiene compliance.

Desirable Qualifications and Requirements

• Previous experience in food production or quality control, ideally in a ready to eat environment.
• Understanding of HACCP, food safety regulations, and hygiene standards.
• HACCP Level 2 or 3 certification ( company will provide training if not already certified).
• Attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
• Good communication and reporting abilities.
• Physically fit to work in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Ability to work early shifts (starting at 6 AM)

Work Environment:

• Production kitchen handling chilled, ready-to-eat meals.
• Requires use of PPE and adherence to strict hygiene practices.

What we offer

• Pension scheme
• 28 days holiday
• 40% store discount
• Staff meals
• Training & Development

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Weekend availability

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In person