Chef apprenticeships - where to start
You can get into this job through
a university coursea college coursean apprenticeshipworking towards this role
University
You could study for a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:
- culinary arts
- professional cookery
You'll usually need 1 or 2 A-Levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma. You'll need 2 to 3 A-Levels, or equivalent, for a degree.
College
One way into the job is to take a college course, like a Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery or Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts.
You'll usually need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a Level 3 course. You'll need 1 or 2 A-Levels, a Level 3 diploma or relevant experience for a Level 4 or 5 course.
Apprenticeship
You can learn while you work by doing a Level 2 or 3 apprenticeship as a chef.
You may also be able to do this role in the armed forces. You'll usually need some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for a Level 2 apprenticeship. You'll need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship.
Work
You could start work as a kitchen assistant or trainee 'commis' chef and work your way up while learning on the job. You could apply for work with restaurants or catering companies.
Volunteering
If you have no experience, you could volunteer in a community kitchen before applying for a job.
Chef apprenticeships - what it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- knowledge of food production methods
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- leadership skills
the ability to work well with others
- knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
- maths knowledge
- the ability to work well with your hands
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Chef apprenticeships - what you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day tasks will depend on your role. You could:
- prepare attractive menus to nutritional standards
- control and order stock and inspect it on delivery
- gut and prepare animals and fish for cooking
- scrape and wash large quantities of vegetables and salads
- cook and present food creatively
- monitor production to maintain quality and consistent portion sizes
- work under pressure to make sure food is served on time
- keep to hygiene, health and safety and licensing rules
Working environment
You could work at a restaurant, in an NHS or private hospital, at a school, at a college or on a cruise ship.
Your working environment may be hot, physically demanding and humid.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Career path and progression - Chef apprenticeships
With experience, you could progress to section chef (station chef) and look after a particular area like desserts. The next step is sous chef, running an entire kitchen when the head chef is busy.
As head chef (also known as chef de cuisine), you'll run a kitchen, create menus and manage the budget.
You could move into the business side by taking a foundation degree or degree in hospitality management.
Very large establishments have executive chefs, usually in charge of multiple outlets. This is a management role and you would do very little cooking.
Another option is to train as a teacher or assessor working for a college or training provider.