Training and qualifications

 

There is no fast track to becoming a fully-fledged chef. It requires a lot of perseverance, ability, as well as a lot of experience. 

 

Catering job apprenticeship: If you’re still in school, and know for sure you want to get a catering job, it’s wise to apply for an apprenticeship at the age of sixteen, or when you’ve finished your GCSEs. This is how many chefs have started off - as food preparation workers. Duties involved will naturally require less skill and limited responsibility, but as you progress you'll be given more responsibilities and higher-skilled duties to execute. A catering job apprenticeship can be quite difficult to find, nevertheless there are several school programs available for young people, offering internships as well as workshops so that you can end up with the catering job you’re after.

 

National Vocational Qualification: 3 years after you have began an apprenticeship, you will be eligible for a National Vocational Qualification. A diploma in Business Mathematics or Business Administration can also help to secure a higher placed catering job. 

 

Culinary Arts School: An additional (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 several months to as long as four years or more, based on the course you take up. This sort of formal training gives you higher chances of getting the catering job you would like as opposed to no prior 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 obtain a food hygiene certificate. This shows your employer that you've learned about and also grasped the basics of food hygiene in the kitchen area.

 

Other courses: If you wish to be a manager of a food establishment or pursue a more corporate-related catering job, then there are other courses you can take to achieve your goal. These are usually courses in establishment supervision and management, available from private universities and vocational schools.

 

Various kinds of catering jobs

 

There are various different catering jobs available for any skill level. Each 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, usually for those who have entered into an apprenticeship. In this catering job you will perform repetitious duties which include 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'll also give assistance 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'll learn the basic necessities of preparing food. 

 

Chef De Partie: This catering job lets you pull together the operations of the kitchen. Your task is to ensure that the prepared food goes out to the customers in the restaurant area right away. 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, basically, this catering job means that you'll be a second-in-command. You will undertake all the duties of the head chef in his/her absence.

 

Head Chef: All of the kitchen personnel will operate under command of the head chef. In this catering job, you will select specific menu courses as well as handle the economic side of the business. This catering job demands far more responsibility compared to 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 normally employ the services of an executive chef. This catering job allows you even greater responsibility than a head chef. An executive chef controls everything from the menus to the cuisine speciality of a restaurant.