A little bit about us

Looking for a job that actually makes a difference - and fits into your day-to-day routine?

At The Lunch Bag, we deliver healthy, hot school meals to children across Ireland. We're the country’s leading school meal provider, and we’re on a mission to help children build healthy habits for life.

We’re changing children’s lives, one lunch at a time. Are you flexible, bubbly, and keen to bring a little extra joy to the school day? We’re looking for people who want to help us keep driving forward and doing something great. Bonus? You’re off when the schools are!

So, what’s the job?

We’re on the hunt for School Lunch Operatives – reliable, cheerful people who take pride in doing things right and bring a bit of warmth to every school day.

Think of yourself as the final link in the lunch chain. All meals are prepared in our headquarters in Nenagh, Tipperary, and then delivered to the Hot Drop Locations. It’s from there that you’ll take over. Your duties will consist of heating the meals in the oven, loading them into vans and driving them to the schools.

If you’re a detail addict and thought this was a little vague, here’s a list for you:

Load pre-packaged school meals into ovens.
Turn on oven and heat meals to specific temperature according to HACCP guidelines.
Unload ovens and load into vans.
Drive the lunches in a company vehicle to the local schools.
Ensure adequate stock levels.
Follow and maintain work and cleaning schedule.
Maintain temperature and cleaning records.
HACCP and Manual Handling Training will be provided.

What we’re looking for

Since you’ll be representing The Lunch Bag in schools, we’re looking for doers - people who are sound, good-natured, and genuinely care about doing a good job. Our values matter to us, and to keep improving the lives of children across the country, we need people who share that same goal.

We’re not asking for bodybuilders, but you do need to be able to lift 14kg boxes as part of the job. You may also need to climb some stairs – not every facility in Ireland has a lift

Working for children is really rewarding – their cute little faces can brighten your day... just don’t let them get hungry or they’ll turn into tiny monsters! So we’re looking for someone who can work quickly, stay calm under pressure, and still do things properly.

All you need is the ability to read English, have full clean Irish driving license, and heat each lunch with care.

We’re looking for cheerful people who like being out and about. Teleportation would make life easier, but until that arrives, we need drivers who are happy to take a roughly one-hour trip to deliver meals to local schools.

I still have questions actually…

No problem! We’re here to answer them.

When will I work?

This job is offered on a part-time basis, 5 hours a day, Monday through Friday! Typical hours of work are 08:00 to 13:00 with some flexibility required as start and finish times may be a little earlier or later.

Will I have to work all year long?

No! As schools close for the summer, we follow the academic calendar. As a result, you will work with us approx 183 days of the year and will have the rest off to enjoy some well-deserved rest! Our staff sign on to Social Welfare as Educational Sector Workers during the summer months.

What benefits do I get by joining The Lunch Bag?

Well, for starters - a genuinely supportive team who’ve got your back.

The role’s flexible, ideal if you’re looking to ease back into work or just want something steady during school terms.

How much is it paid?

It’s THE question everybody is asking! The same way we take care of the children in the schools, we take care of our people. You will earn €14.65 per hour – 50c above minimum wage.

Operative - ARDÁN Newcastle

Benefits

Job Description