Chef Apprenticeships
Have you ever fancied yourself as the next Gordon Ramsay? Do you think that you have the dedication and commitment to bring your passion for food to the masses? The road to becoming a chef isn’t an easy one but it is one that many people find very worthwhile. If you have a natural affinity for cooking and making good food then this may be the apprenticeship for you.
What are Chef Apprenticeships?
Chef apprenticeships afford the apprentice the opportunity to work with an employer to help to deliver meals as part of their team. The apprenticeship is often in a small hotel or hospitality venue like a gastropub or a restaurant. You will learn how to make all manner of food, depending on the menu of the venue at which you are working.
You will learn about the quantities of ingredients to use for the optimum flavour vs the optimum cost for your company and how meals are prepared. You will also learn and be expected to retain a lot of information about health and safety regulations and food standards.
The Benefits of a Chef Apprenticeship
Chef apprenticeships will stand you in good stead to apply for similar positions all around the country and indeed in other countries if you are looking to make travel part of your life. Skills as a chef can be utilised all over the world and they can open up numerous opportunities for you.
Preparing food is something that is unlikely to ever be something that people no longer need, so you will be relatively insulated against change in the future.
What Does a Chef Apprenticeship Involve?
Like all apprenticeships in the UK, the chef apprenticeships adhere to the apprenticeship standards which ensure that everyone who completes an apprenticeship should have the same level of knowledge and skills to succeed. There are multiple different chef apprenticeships including Commis Chef, Chef de Partie, Production Chef and Senior Culinary Chef.
As with other apprenticeships, the chef apprenticeship is split into two parts. 80% of the apprenticeship is on-the-job training and the other 20% is off-the-job training. You will get paid to earn as you learn and you will gain an academic qualification upon successful completion of your apprenticeship.
Are You Suited for a Chef Apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships in a kitchen environment can be extremely stressful, as you will probably appreciate if you have watched any of the celebrity chef programs on TV. They take a lot of concentration due to environmental hazards such as hot ovens and water as well as proximity to sharp implements and even blowtorches, which can be used to make some desserts.
If you want to be an apprentice chef, you will need to have good awareness and peripheral vision so that you are aware of everything going on around you at all times. You will also need to have a good tolerance for people talking loudly and shouting to make themselves heard over the ambient kitchen noise.
Apply for a Chef Apprenticeship in the UK
If you have decided that you want to pursue a chef apprenticeship, the next step is to take a look at our dedicated apprenticeship jobs board. This will enable you to find suitable roles in the area you live in, so you don’t have to travel too far.
