Apprentice Commis Chef

Join our kitchen team as a commis chef apprentice gaining hands-on experience in fresh food preparation, cooking, sauces, and specials while developing your skills and working towards your level 2 qualification.

As a Commis Chef apprentice at the Railway Hotel, you will work alongside our experienced Head Chef and kitchen team gaining hands-on experience across all areas of a busy professional kitchen.

You will learn to:

• Prepare fresh ingredients
• Make sauces and dressings
• Prepare and cook dishes from our main menu and monthly specials menus
• Develop a range of professional cooking techniques
• Gain experience with portion control, presentation, stock rotation, and storage

You will be involved in preparing food for daily service, functions, and busy periods, working as part of a team to maintain high standards of food quality, hygiene, and presentation.

Alongside practical kitchen experience, you will develop your knowledge of:

• Food safety
• Allergen awareness
• Health and safety
• Professional kitchen procedures

You will be supported by experienced chefs while completing your Level 2 apprenticeship.

This role would suit someone who is passionate about food, keen to learn, and interested in building a long-term career in the hospitality and catering industry.

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

Course Contents

• Selects correct knife for task.
• Uses knives effectively and efficiently.
• Selects ingredients of the right quality that support sustainability and seasonality.
• Weighs, measures, and scales ingredients.
• Cooks from fresh producing complete dishes.
• Prepares, cooks, and finishes meat, offal, game, poultry, fish, and shellfish from whole; trim, de-vein, portion, break down, bone, skin, fillet, shell.
• Prepares, cooks, and finishes fruit vegetables.
• Prepares, cooks, and finishes sauces.
• Prepares, cooks, and finishes pureed and cream soup and stock-based dishes.
• Prepares and cooks noodles, and fresh or convenience pasta.
• Prepares and cooks pulses and grains, including long and short grain rice.
• Prepares, cooks, and finishes eggs or egg-based dishes.
• Prepares, cooks, and finishes leavened and unleavened dough products.
• Prepares, cooks, and finishes sweet and savoury pastry products using short, sweet, and choux.
• Prepares, cooks, and finishes scones, biscuits, sponge cakes, and non-sponge cakes.
• Prepares, produces, and finishes hot and cold desserts.
• Stuffs, fills, and panés across food types.
• Prepares and cooks dishes using alternative ingredients, e.g., plant-based, gluten-free.
• Prepares fresh ingredients, including from whole, using them across a menu to reduce waste and improve sustainability.
• Uses seasoning, spices, rubs, and marinades to flavour ingredients.
• Searing, grilling, deep frying, shallow frying, stir frying, sautéing, braising, stewing, baking, roasting, boiling, poaching across food types.
• Portions, plates, finishes, garnishes, and presents individual dishes.
• Exercises portion control and acts to maximise yield.
• Achieves intended quality in terms of texture, flavour, and appearance.
• Identifies and resolves errors during the production process.
• Assists in the resolution of feedback, complaints, and issues.
• Prepares, cleans, and uses manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking equipment and machinery safely, correctly, and efficiently.
• Applies food safety and allergen procedures, including monitoring temperatures, during preparation, cooking, and holding.
• Selects and applies hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe, clean work environment, including personal hygiene, PPE, and uniform.
• Complies with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines, and procedures.
• Undertakes stock control, storage, and rotation.
• Applies food safety and allergen procedures, and monitors and records food temperatures, on delivery and in storage.
• Follows equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
• Uses techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
• Communicates with colleagues, manager, and other stakeholders in a professional manner.
• Works as part of a team to support service delivery.
• Uses feedback to improve own performance.
• Manages own time to ensure tasks are completed.