Chef Apprenticeship

Summary

Start your culinary career as a Production Chef Apprentice. Learn alongside experienced chefs while preparing delicious, nutritious meals that support residents' health and well-being. Gain valuable hands-on experience, develop industry-recognised skills, and earn while you learn in a rewarding kitchen environment.

Wage

£8,320 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Training course

Production chef (level 2)

Hours

Shifts between 08.00 - 18.20, on a rota basis.

20 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 1 September 2026

Duration

1 year

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

• Prepare and cook nutritious, appetising meals in line with planned menus and residents' dietary requirements.
• Assist with food ordering, stock control, storage, and stock rotation to minimise waste.
• Maintain high standards of food hygiene, cleanliness, and kitchen safety.
• Complete and maintain records, including cleaning schedules, temperature checks, fridge temperatures, and stock sheets.
• Work closely with colleagues to ensure meals are served on time and meet residents' individual dietary needs.
• Follow food safety, health and safety, and infection control procedures at all times.
• Support the smooth day-to-day running of the kitchen as part of a collaborative team.
• Carry out other reasonable duties within the scope of the role as required.

Where you'll work

12 Burton Road
Branston
Burton-On-Trent
DE14 3DN

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

THE OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER LTD

Training course

Production chef (level 2)

What you'll learn

• Prepare and cook pre-portioned fresh and frozen meat, fish, and poultry to business standards.
• Prepare and cook fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to business standards.
• Prepare salad vegetables to business standards.
• Cook poached, simmered, steamed, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, grilled, and fried dishes.
• Regenerate dried and frozen ingredients and dishes.
• Undertake stock control, storage, and rotation.
• Communicate professionally with colleagues, line managers, stakeholders, and customers.
• Work as part of a team to support service delivery.
• Follow specifications to produce, portion, and present food.
• Manage own time to ensure allocated tasks are completed.
• Use techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
• Use feedback to improve own performance.
• Prepare and close down an area for service.
• Use problem solving techniques to resolve routine and non-routine issues within scope of own role.
• Maintain prep and par levels according to business need.
• Clean and maintain manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, and technology.
• Follow standard operating procedures to select and safely use appropriate knives and boards for the task, for example red handled knife and red board for raw meat.
• Monitor and record food temperatures and manage allergens during preparation, cooking, holding, and serving.
• Apply hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, for example COSHH, personal hygiene, and uniform.
• Reduce the waste of resources, acting to measure and reduce plate waste, exercise portion control, and maximise yield.
• Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures, including stress management.
• Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
• Deliver to key performance indicators to support the production, performance, and budget within own area of responsibility.
• Use manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, machinery, and technology.
• Prepare and cook pre-portioned fresh and frozen meat, fish, and poultry to business standards.
• Prepare and cook fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to business standards.
• Prepare salad vegetables to business standards.
• Cook poached, simmered, steamed, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, grilled, and fried dishes.
• Regenerate dried and frozen ingredients and dishes.
• Undertake stock control, storage, and rotation.
• Communicate professionally with colleagues, line managers, stakeholders, and customers.
• Work as part of a team to support service delivery.
• Follow specifications to produce, portion, and present food.
• Manage own time to ensure allocated tasks are completed.
• Use techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
• Use feedback to improve own performance.
• Prepare and close down an area for service.
• Use problem solving techniques to resolve routine and non-routine issues within scope of own role.
• Maintain prep and par levels according to business need.
• Clean and maintain manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, and technology.
• Follow standard operating procedures to select and safely use appropriate knives and boards for the task, for example red handled knife and red board for raw meat.
• Monitor and record food temperatures and manage allergens during preparation, cooking, holding, and serving.
• Apply hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, for example COSHH, personal hygiene, and uniform.
• Reduce the waste of resources, acting to measure and reduce plate waste, exercise portion control, and maximise yield.
• Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures, including stress management.
• Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
• Deliver to key performance indicators to support the production, performance, and budget within own area of responsibility.
• Use manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, machinery, and technology.

Training schedule

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade A*-C/9-4 or Level 2 equivalent)
• Maths (grade A*-C/9-4 or Level 2 equivalent)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Presentation skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Dietary Awareness

Other requirements

Pre-employment checks: Please be aware that successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check with adult barred list, right-to-work checks, and other recruitment checks in line with company policies.