Catering jobs in the UK: a guide on how to advance and succeed
The catering industry in the united kingdom is a thriving one, with total annual turnover of about £4 million. Moreover, with its ever-growing success rates, it’s a popular job option for both young and old. Anybody from any background can succeed in finding a catering job - all that is required is an eager approach as well as an intense passion for food.
Training and qualifications
There isn't a fast track to becoming a fully-fledged chef. It will take lots of perseverance, skill, and many years of experience.
Catering job apprenticeship: If you’re still at school, and know for sure that you would like to get a catering job, it’s best to apply for an apprenticeship at the age of 16, or when you’ve completed your GCSEs. This is how most chefs have started - as food preparation workers. Jobs involved will naturally require less skill and limited responsibility, however as you progress you'll be given more responsibilities along with higher-skilled duties to execute. A catering job apprenticeship can be very difficult to find, however there are numerous school programmes available for young people, offering internships and workshops to help you end up with the catering job you’re after.
National Vocational Qualification: 3 years after you have commenced an apprenticeship, you'll be eligible for a National Vocational Qualification. A diploma in Business Mathematics or Business Administration also helps to secure a higher positioned catering job.
Culinary Arts School: Another (and better) way in which you'll be able to secure a good catering job is by enrolling at a Culinary Arts school. The duration of courses at these schools range anywhere from a few months to as long as four years or more, based on the course you take up. This type of formal training will give you better chances of getting the catering job you'd like as opposed to no past formal training.
Food Hygiene Certificate: If you know that you’ll be in direct contact with food in your catering job, you’ll have to acquire a food hygiene certificate. This shows your employer you have learned about and also understood the basics of food hygiene in the kitchen area.
Other courses: If you would like become a manager of a food establishment or follow a more corporate-related catering job, there are also other courses you can take to achieve your goal. These are usually courses in establishment supervision and management, provided by private universities as well as vocational schools.
Different kinds of catering jobs
There are various different catering jobs available for any skill level. Every position has its own responsibilities or specialisations - so with hard work and perseverance it’s easy to work your way towards the specific catering job that you would like.
Kitchen Aide: This is an entry level catering job, normally for those who have entered into an apprenticeship. In this catering job you will perform repetitious duties such as preparing ingredients, slicing meats and vegetables, blending soups or mixing sauces. You will also assist the chefs in handling pots, pans and cutlery. In this catering job you will also help with the washing up of the utensils, and cleaning the kitchen area after use.
Commis Chef: This catering job is a step up from Kitchen Aide. In this position, you'll undergo direct apprenticeship of the kitchen’s Chef De Partie. Under his/her direct guidance you will learn the basic necessities of food preparation.
Chef De Partie: This catering job enables you to pull together the operations of the kitchen. Your task is to make sure that the prepared food goes out to the customers in the restaurant area instantly. This catering job additionally enables you to supervise the operations of the commis chef under his/her guidance.
Sous Chef: The head chef of an establishment will usually turn over his/her duties to a sous chef. Therefore, essentially, this catering job means that you're going to be a second-in-command. You'll undertake all the duties of the head chef in his/her absence.
Head Chef: All of the kitchen staff will operate under command of the head chef. In this catering job, you will select specific menu courses and also handle the economic side of the business. This catering job demands far more responsibility than other positions. It can take up to fifteen years of experience to become a head chef.
Executive Chef: If an establishment, like a hotel, has more than one restaurant it will usually employ the services of an executive chef. This catering job allows you even more responsibility than a head chef. An executive chef controls everything from the menus to the cuisine speciality of a restaurant.
Training and qualifications
There isn't a fast track to becoming a fully-fledged chef. It will take lots of perseverance, skill, and many years of experience.
Catering job apprenticeship: If you’re still at school, and know for sure that you would like to get a catering job, it’s best to apply for an apprenticeship at the age of 16, or when you’ve completed your GCSEs. This is how most chefs have started - as food preparation workers. Jobs involved will naturally require less skill and limited responsibility, however as you progress you'll be given more responsibilities along with higher-skilled duties to execute. A catering job apprenticeship can be very difficult to find, however there are numerous school programmes available for young people, offering internships and workshops to help you end up with the catering job you’re after.
National Vocational Qualification: 3 years after you have commenced an apprenticeship, you'll be eligible for a National Vocational Qualification. A diploma in Business Mathematics or Business Administration also helps to secure a higher positioned catering job.
Culinary Arts School: Another (and better) way in which you'll be able to secure a good catering job is by enrolling at a Culinary Arts school. The duration of courses at these schools range anywhere from a few months to as long as four years or more, based on the course you take up. This type of formal training will give you better chances of getting the catering job you'd like as opposed to no past formal training.
Food Hygiene Certificate: If you know that you’ll be in direct contact with food in your catering job, you’ll have to acquire a food hygiene certificate. This shows your employer you have learned about and also understood the basics of food hygiene in the kitchen area.
Other courses: If you would like become a manager of a food establishment or follow a more corporate-related catering job, there are also other courses you can take to achieve your goal. These are usually courses in establishment supervision and management, provided by private universities as well as vocational schools.
Different kinds of catering jobs
There are various different catering jobs available for any skill level. Every position has its own responsibilities or specialisations - so with hard work and perseverance it’s easy to work your way towards the specific catering job that you would like.
Kitchen Aide: This is an entry level catering job, normally for those who have entered into an apprenticeship. In this catering job you will perform repetitious duties such as preparing ingredients, slicing meats and vegetables, blending soups or mixing sauces. You will also assist the chefs in handling pots, pans and cutlery. In this catering job you will also help with the washing up of the utensils, and cleaning the kitchen area after use.
Commis Chef: This catering job is a step up from Kitchen Aide. In this position, you'll undergo direct apprenticeship of the kitchen’s Chef De Partie. Under his/her direct guidance you will learn the basic necessities of food preparation.
Chef De Partie: This catering job enables you to pull together the operations of the kitchen. Your task is to make sure that the prepared food goes out to the customers in the restaurant area instantly. This catering job additionally enables you to supervise the operations of the commis chef under his/her guidance.
Sous Chef: The head chef of an establishment will usually turn over his/her duties to a sous chef. Therefore, essentially, this catering job means that you're going to be a second-in-command. You'll undertake all the duties of the head chef in his/her absence.
Head Chef: All of the kitchen staff will operate under command of the head chef. In this catering job, you will select specific menu courses and also handle the economic side of the business. This catering job demands far more responsibility than other positions. It can take up to fifteen years of experience to become a head chef.
Executive Chef: If an establishment, like a hotel, has more than one restaurant it will usually employ the services of an executive chef. This catering job allows you even more responsibility than a head chef. An executive chef controls everything from the menus to the cuisine speciality of a restaurant.
