A catering assistant is responsible for taking care of all aspects of hygiene as well as helping to prepare food and serve it to customers.

At its simplest form, the role of a catering assistant is to help out in the kitchen and to be responsible for hygiene and cleanliness within food preparation areas. They usually help prepare catering orders, or actually serve the food items after preparing them.

Catering assistants are also responsible for carrying out basic food preparation tasks, such as washing and peeling food. They are also likely to organize the store room, as well as being responsible for unloading deliveries from suppliers.

They will also collect and dispose of waste. It is not unusual for a catering assistant to clean and cut up meat, fish and vegetables, as well as operate machinery.