Kitchen Assistant

Typical Salary

£11,500 To £16,500

Typical Hours

40 to 42 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

How To Become a Kitchen Assistant

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
applying directly

College / University

You may find it helps you to get work if you do a course like:

Level 1 Award in Introduction to Employment in the Hospitality Industry
Level 1 Certificate in General Cookery
Level 2 Award in Food Safety

2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

Apprenticeship

You could get into this job by doing an intermediate apprenticeship to become a:

comis chef
hospitality team member

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

You can apply directly to employers for a job as a dish washer or general kitchen hand, then train while you're working.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

customer service skills
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
the ability to work well with others
to enjoy working with other people
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to use your initiative
business management skills
the ability to work well with your hands
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

In your day-to-day duties you could:

support chefs in a specific work section
wash, peel and prepare food items
use a variety of kitchen equipment such as mixers, special knives and cutters
unload deliveries
organise the storeroom
wash kitchen appliances, work surfaces, floors and walls

Working Environment

You could work in a factory, at a restaurant or in an NHS or private hospital.

Your working environment may be noisy and hot.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career Path & Progression

With experience and further training, you could become a trainee or junior chef.

You could also progress into management or move into bar work or food service.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can get more details about catering careers from the Hospitality Guild and CareerScope.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.