Career guide with VIDEO – Commis chef apprentice

The Apprentice Commis Chef assists with the daily operation of the kitchen whilst ensuring that the institution’s reputation for excellent food quality is upheld. The apprentice will also be required to undertake an NVQ 2 in Professional Cookery whilst in the role.

Watch the video on how to become a Commis Chef Apprentice

Once trained, here are some example responsibilities:

• Commit to fulfilling the agreed apprenticeship and demonstrate the values required to achieve this, meeting deadlines, and undertaking training as required to support qualification within the timeframe specified, normally a maximum of 15 months
• Provide food preparation and high standards of cooking that meets regulatory and legislative requirements around food hygiene and stakeholder requirements in terms of dietary requirements and presentation
• Demonstrate a willingness to learn and maintain industry knowledge, especially around allergens
• Provide operational catering services to the café and deliver front of house services as required
• Maintain high standards of hygiene and cleanliness across all work areas Provide high levels of customer care by interacting politely and professionally with all customers
• Support back-room functionality such as the checking of deliveries
• To support directorate and inter directorate projects or initiatives and proactively engage in cross team collaboration helping to deliver efficiencies and improvements that ultimately progress the knowledge, quality, and visibility of the outdoor learning experience we provide to our stakeholders
• Attend and proactively participate in regular performance reviews and charity meetings as required
• To act as a positive ambassador for UK Youth and share knowledge and experience of the development of UK Youth and its profile
• Undertake any other duties and reasonable requests that are in keeping with the nature of this post.

Salary

Your earning potential as a Commis chef apprentice depends on your skills and the style of the venue you would be working at, so you could be earning anything between £17,000 to £18,500 if you are based in London.

Working hours

The working hours vary depending on where you work but upwards of 40 hours, and you can expect to work unsociable hours, including early mornings, late evenings, weekends and holidays.

What entry qualifications and training do you need?

Education Attainment:

Apprentices without level 1 English and maths will need to achieve this level and apprentices without level 2 English and maths (or a GCSE in these subjects) will need to take the tests for this level prior to taking the end-point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.

Professional Qualifications:

Food Hygiene Certificate

What experience do you need to be a Commis chef apprentice?

Valuable experience for this role entails the following:

• Previous experience (domestic or commercial) in cooking meals from scratch
• Basic experience in Health & Safety
• A basic understanding of safeguarding and data protection
• Good time and workload management skills

What skills do you need to be a Commis chef apprentice?

Looking into acquiring the following skills if you do not already possess them would put you in good stead when applying for a role:

• Able to demonstrate strong prioritisation and organisation skills, an ability to manage changing priorities and workload management with proven experience of meeting deadlines
• Very good interpersonal, customer care and communication skills
• Empathy with the needs of young people
• Good ICT skills
• Able to work within well-defined parameters to support the delivery of catering services to our stakeholders
• Friendly approachable person with good organisational skills, enthusiasm, and energy, willing to undertake any task required of them.
• Self-motivated and capable of working on their own and working with others when required.
• Flexible approach to work and be hands on to get the task done
• Good levels of discretion and judgement and experience in dealing with sensitive information
• Recognise and value all aspects of equality, diversity, and inclusion
• Be an excellent role model for staff, children, and young people
• Awareness of Safeguarding requirements and good practice within an educational setting
• Craft skills background
• Successful progressive background in the catering industry
• Experience with Food Allergies, Special Diets and Labelling
• Delivery of outstanding customer service