Chef
Chefs prepare, cook and present food in hotels, bars and restaurants.
Also known as: Head chef, sous chef, commis chef, cook
- Starter salary£22,000 a year
- Experienced£40,000 a year
- Typical hours40 to 45 a week
What you'll do
As a chef, you would:
- develop recipes, plan menus and create new dishes
- research new ingredients and suppliers
- prepare and cook dishes and desserts
- control stock and inspect deliveries
- maintain food safety and hygiene standards
- supervise kitchen staff to make sure food is of high quality, presented well and served on time
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, humid and physically demanding.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of food production methods
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- leadership skills
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to use your initiative
- the ability to work well with your hands
- the ability to organise your time and workload
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a chef
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
University
You can study for a higher education qualification in:
- culinary arts
- professional cookery
- bakery and patisserie technology
- food and nutrition
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
College
You could take a college course to get into this industry. Courses include:
- hospitality and catering
- professional cookery
- culinary skills
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You could get into this career by doing an apprenticeship. There are several available for this role, including:
- Catering and Hospitality Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
- Production Chef or Commis Chef Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- Chef de Partie Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
- Pastry Chef Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
- Senior Culinary Chef Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
These take between 1 and 2 years to complete.
You can also train to be a chef by doing an apprenticeship in the armed forces:
- Army
- Royal Air Force
- Royal Navy
Work
You could start work as a kitchen assistant or trainee commis chef in a restaurant or catering company and work your way up while learning on the job.
Foundation apprenticeship
You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.
If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:
- have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- are in care or have been in care
- are in prison or have been in prison
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
Career path and progression
With experience you could progress from being a commis chef, preparing and cooking dishes, to sous chef, supervising staff and running a kitchen when the head chef is away.
As a head chef, you could train to move into restaurant or hospitality management. If you work for a chain, you may be responsible for managing several sites.
You could also set up a catering business or open your own restaurant.
Career tips
You'll need a food safety certificate as a chef. Training courses last 1 to 2 days and are widely available through local authorities, colleges and private training providers.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
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