Are you interested in becoming a Chef? Do you think that you can cook delicious foods that everyone would love? If yes then start reading this excellent guide and learn more about becoming a chef in the UK.
Job Description of a Chef
Chefs are persons who are responsible for the preparation and cooking of food. Chefs are generally expected to be confident, Level -headed and willing to work at short notice and long hours, and capable of remaining calm in stressful situations. The hours depend on the kind of cooking you are undertaking. Being a Chef is a good job for many people, but the key traits to have are a sociable personality, good hygiene and ability to work as a team, a good sense of humour and calm under pressure.
Entry Requirements
Many Chefs start their career by completing a course in food safety and hygiene. This will give you the basic ability to prepare food in a safe and hygienic manner. Then many budding chefs become apprentices, or kitchen hands, and learn skills from the established chefs. A chef’s apprentice or kitchen hand position usually entails working under direction of a head chef. Alternatively, many colleges and universities offer food technology courses at which you can learn how to carry out technical cooking, as well as learning about food groups and what items go well together.
Responsibilities and Duties
Standard duties vary dependent on the type of kitchen you work in and what kind of chef you are. Apprentice chefs are usually expected to prepare the ingredients for the other chefs, so a lot of peeling and chopping may be expected of you. Chefs are responsible for creating dishes from ingredients and cooking them to the customers liking. You are also expected to create sauces and condiments to compliment meals. You may be expected to offer suggestions for recipes or even design the whole menu. Often head chefs have complete budget control and are expected to be able to budget appropriately and ensure that all required ingredients are ordered. You will be expected to keep your workstation clean and free of clutter to ensure that no accidents occur.
Working Hours
These may vary depending on the duties and job you are doing. Chefs usually work on an 8 hour shift. Chefs may find themselves expected to work longer hours and often unsociable hours, as dinner dining is very popular. There are also many opportunities to gain additional hours by catering for parties and other events.
Skills and Training Development
Chefs can expect to progress through their careers with improving skills and knowledge as well as time served. You may find yourself tasked with training up new chefs that come to work in your kitchen. You could also consider becoming a chef trainer to pass your skills onto other chefs. Many chefs open their own restaurants in order to work the hours they wish and have complete control of the menu. You can also expand your career into private dining and private culinary training, or writing of cookery books or instructional DVDs.
Average Chef Salary
The average salary for a Trainee Chef is £16,000 PA.
The average salary for a qualified Chef is £21,000 PA.
photo by: manoel petry
