Jay Star

Community Chef | Growing Links (CIC)
Growing Links is a Community Interest Company focused on tackling food poverty, building a sustainable food system, and providing essential meals for homeless and vulnerable families. In my role, I oversee the ordering, preparation, and cooking of nutritious meals for volunteers and individuals in emergency accommodation, as part of a contract with Cornwall Council. I prepare and send off around 50 meals or more per day. Due to the nature of our work, I work with seasonal produce that changes daily based on donations, which requires quick thinking and flexibility. I am adept at problem-solving, allowing me to creatively prepare a wide variety of meals with available ingredients, ensuring that every meal is nutritious and tasty.

I take great pride in making a positive impact within the community and love engaging with service users and local members to contribute to the wellbeing of those in need.

This year I've also been working part-time as a baker at the Roundhouse, a take away coffee and food spot in a historic Victorian toll booth at the top of Causewayhead, Penzance. I absolutely loved working there, engaging with customers and learning lots of new recipes. I achieved customer satisfaction by coming in early and baking a variety of fresh goods daily and ensured consistent quality with regular equipment checks.

• Involved in a range of kitchen responsibilities, including cooking, food preparation, cleaning and stocking taking
• I found immense fulfilment in curating visually enticing starters and desserts, while also solely managing the sea-food take-away section
• Additionally, I eagerly took on extra front-of-house shifts, when needed, as I really enjoy interacting with customers as well as the social aspect of working long shifts as part of a group

• Developed strong attention to detail, time management, and effective multitasking skills through hands-on experience as a cleaner for the Truro College campus, working as part of a wider team during my college years