Chef
Cooking to a standard, at speed, every service. A trade where you can start with nothing and progress on ability alone.
Also called: Commis chef, chef de partie, sous chef, head chef
What it pays
Commis £22,000 to £26,000, chef de partie £27,000 to £33,000, sous £32,000 to £42,000, head chef £38,000 to £60,000 depending on the site.
The hours
45 to 50 hours, split shifts, evenings and weekends. Contract catering and schools offer daytime hours.
How you get in
- No formal qualification needed to start as a commis or kitchen porter
- Level 2 food safety within the first weeks
- College or apprenticeship routes exist and help, but the kitchen teaches you
The tickets and qualifications employers ask for
Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene Allergen awareness Level 3 for supervisory roles
What you should not be paying for
Employers almost always pay for food safety and allergen training. Apprenticeships are paid.
What people like about it
- Progress on skill, not on paper
- Work in every town, and abroad if you want
- Contract catering and schools offer normal hours later
What is genuinely hard
- Evenings, weekends and Christmas
- Heat, pressure and long standing
- Some kitchens still have a culture worth walking away from
Where it leads
- Chef de partie
- Sous chef
- Head chef
- Contract catering or your own place
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