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Catering jobs in the UK: your guide regarding how to advance and succeed
The catering industry in great britan is a thriving one, with total annual turnover of about £4 million. In addition, with its ever-growing success rates, it’s a popular job option for both young and old. Any person from any background can succeed in getting a catering job - all that is required is an enthusiastic approach along with an strong passion for food.

Training and qualifications

There isn't a fast track to becoming a fully-fledged chef. It takes a great deal of perseverance, talent, along with a lot of experience.

Catering jobs apprenticeship: If you’re still at school, and know for sure that you want to get a catering job, it’s wise to make an application for an apprenticeship at the age of 16, or when you’ve finished your GCSEs. This is how the majority of chefs have started off - as food preparation workers. Jobs involved will obviously demand less skill and minimal responsibility, yet as you progress you'll be given more responsibilities and higher-skilled duties to execute. A catering job apprenticeship can be quite tough to come by, nevertheless there are numerous school programmes available for young people, offering internships and also workshops so that you can eventually get the catering job you’re after.

National Vocational Qualification: 3 years after you've commenced an apprenticeship, you will be eligible for a National Vocational Qualification. A diploma in Business Mathematics or Business Administration will also help to secure a higher positioned 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 length of courses at these schools range from several months to as long as 4 years or more, depending on the course you take up. This kind of formal training gives you greater 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 need to acquire a food hygiene certificate. This shows your employer that you have learned about and grasped the basics of food hygiene in the kitchen area.

Other courses: If you would like become 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 as well as vocational schools.

Various kinds of catering jobs

There are various different catering jobs to choose from for any level of skill. Every position has its own responsibilities or specialisations - so with hard work and determination it’s easy to work your way towards the specific catering job you'd like to have.

Kitchen Aide: This is an entry level catering job, usually for those who have entered into an apprenticeship. In this catering job you will carry out repetitious tasks such as preparing ingredients, cutting meats and vegetables, blending soups or mixing sauces. Additionally, you will assist the chefs in handling pots, pans and cutlery. In this catering job you'll also assist 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 will undergo direct apprenticeship of the kitchen’s Chef De Partie. Under his/her direct supervision you will learn the basic necessities of food preparation.

Chef De Partie: This catering job allows you to pull together the operations of the kitchen. Your task is to make sure the prepared food goes out to the customers in the restaurant area right away. This catering job additionally enables you to monitor the operations of the commis chef under his/her guidance.

Sous Chef: The head chef of an establishment will usually turn over his/her tasks to a sous chef. Therefore, essentially, this catering job means that you're going to 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 staff will operate under command of the head chef. In this catering job, you will select specific menu courses as well as control the economic side of the business. This catering job demands much more responsibility than other positions. It can take up to 15 years of experience to become a head chef.

Executive Chef: If an establishment, such as a hotel, has more than one restaurant it'll usually employ the services of an executive chef. This catering job gives you even greater responsibility than a head chef. An executive chef will control everything from the menus to the cuisine speciality of a restaurant.