The catering industry in the united kingdom is a thriving one, with annual turnover of around £4 million. In addition, 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 necessary is an enthusiastic approach as well as an strong passion for food.
Training and qualifications
There's no fast track to becoming a fully-fledged chef. It takes a great deal of dedication, talent, and a lot of experience.
Catering job 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 sixteen, or when you’ve done your GCSEs. This is how the majority of chefs have started out - as food preparation workers. Duties involved will of course require less skill and minimal responsibility, however as you progress you will be given more responsibilities as well as higher-skilled duties to execute. A catering job apprenticeship is often rather tough to come across, however there are several school programs available for young people, offering internships as well as workshops to enable you to eventually get the catering job you’re after.
National Vocational Qualification: Three years after you have started an apprenticeship, you'll 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: A different (and better) way in which you'll be able to secure a good catering job is by registering at a Culinary Arts school. The length 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 type of formal training gives you better 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 need to obtain a food hygiene certificate. This shows your employer that you have learned about as well as understood 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, there are also 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.
Different kinds of catering jobs
There are various different catering jobs out there for any level of skill. Each position has its own duties 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, normally for those who have entered into an apprenticeship. In this catering job you'll carry out repetitious jobs such as preparing ingredients, chopping 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 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 will 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 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 allows 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 tasks to a sous chef. So, basically, this catering job means that you will 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'll select specific menu courses as well as manage the economic side of the business. This catering job demands far more responsibility than other positions. It can take up to 15 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 greater responsibility than a head chef. An executive chef controls everything from the menus to the cuisine speciality of a restaurant.
