Apprentice Chef

Summary

Join Poplar Farm Bar and Restaurant as an Apprentice Chef. Gain hands-on experience in a busy kitchen, preparing fresh, locally sourced dishes. Working alongside the Head Chef you will develop cooking techniques, and learn about allergens, different diets and industry standards. This could be the perfect position to kickstart your culinary career.

Wage

£11,778 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

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£7.55 per hour starting wage - Your apprenticeship wage will be reviewed as you learn and develop your skills.

Training course

Production chef (level 2)

Hours

Hours of work can vary slightly, and will be flexible between the opening times of: Tuesday – Thursday, 17.30 - 20.00 Friday, 12.00 - 14.30 and 17.30 - 20.00, Saturday, 12.00 - 20.30 and Sunday, 12.00 - 16.00

30 hours a week

Start date

Monday 19 May 2025

Duration

1 year 3 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you’ll do at work

At Poplar Farm Bar and Restaurant, we pride ourselves on serving fresh, delicious food and creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere for every guest. As part of our kitchen team, you’ll support the Head Chef with a range of different duties, including:

Assist in the preparation of fresh ingredients, including chopping, slicing, and portioning, ensuring consistency and quality in every dish
Prepare, cook, and present a variety of dishes following recipes and quality standards, ensuring high presentation and taste
Follow all food hygiene and safety regulations, including proper food storage, cleaning routines, and allergen awareness, to maintain a safe working environment
Assist with stock checks, rotation, and storage to minimise waste and ensure the availability of fresh ingredients
Work collaboratively with kitchen staff, front-of-house teams, and suppliers to ensure smooth kitchen operations
Adhere to all health and safety procedures, including proper use of kitchen equipment, safe knife handling, and fire safety protocols
Assist with plating and serving during peak service times, ensuring quick and efficient food delivery to customers
Engage in structured training, learning new cooking techniques, kitchen management skills, and professional development opportunities
Occasionally interact with customers, answering questions about menu items and ensuring a positive dining experience
Handle busy service periods, unexpected challenges, and changes in kitchen operations with a proactive and flexible approach

If you’re able to travel within the local area, you will also have the opportunity to work at our other pub, The Old Chequers Inn, Lymn Bank, Croft, Skegness, PE24 4PF, where you’ll gain new unique skills.

Where you’ll work

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

The Old Chequers Inn, Lyme Bank Croft, Skegness, PE24 4PF
POPLAR FARM, CHAPEL LANE, ADDLETHORPE, SKEGNESS, PE24 4TG

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

TEC PARTNERSHIP

Your training course

Production chef (level 2)

Equal to GCSE

Course contents

Prepare and cook pre-portioned fresh and frozen meat, fish, and poultry to business standards.
Prepare and cook fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to business standards.
Prepare salad vegetables to business standards.
Cook poached, simmered, steamed, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, grilled, and fried dishes.
Regenerate dried and frozen ingredients and dishes.
Undertake stock control, storage, and rotation.
Communicate professionally with colleagues, line managers, stakeholders, and customers.
Work as part of a team to support service delivery.
Follow specifications to produce, portion, and present food.
Manage own time to ensure allocated tasks are completed.
Use techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
Use feedback to improve own performance.
Prepare and close down an area for service.
Use problem solving techniques to resolve routine and non-routine issues within scope of own role.
Maintain prep and par levels according to business need.
Clean and maintain manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, and technology.
Follow standard operating procedures to select and safely use appropriate knives and boards for the task, for example red handled knife and red board for raw meat.
Monitor and record food temperatures and manage allergens during preparation, cooking, holding, and serving.
Apply hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, for example COSHH, personal hygiene, and uniform.
Reduce the waste of resources, acting to measure and reduce plate waste, exercise portion control, and maximise yield.
Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures, including stress management.
Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
Deliver to key performance indicators to support the production, performance, and budget within own area of responsibility.
Use manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, machinery, and technology.
Prepare and cook pre-portioned fresh and frozen meat, fish, and poultry to business standards.
Prepare and cook fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to business standards.
Prepare salad vegetables to business standards.
Cook poached, simmered, steamed, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, grilled, and fried dishes.
Regenerate dried and frozen ingredients and dishes.
Undertake stock control, storage, and rotation.
Communicate professionally with colleagues, line managers, stakeholders, and customers.
Work as part of a team to support service delivery.
Follow specifications to produce, portion, and present food.
Manage own time to ensure allocated tasks are completed.
Use techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
Use feedback to improve own performance.
Prepare and close down an area for service.
Use problem solving techniques to resolve routine and non-routine issues within scope of own role.
Maintain prep and par levels according to business need.
Clean and maintain manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, and technology.
Follow standard operating procedures to select and safely use appropriate knives and boards for the task, for example red handled knife and red board for raw meat.
Monitor and record food temperatures and manage allergens during preparation, cooking, holding, and serving.
Apply hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, for example COSHH, personal hygiene, and uniform.
Reduce the waste of resources, acting to measure and reduce plate waste, exercise portion control, and maximise yield.
Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures, including stress management.
Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
Deliver to key performance indicators to support the production, performance, and budget within own area of responsibility.
Use manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, machinery, and technology.

Your training plan

Production Chef Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard:

All delivery for this apprenticeship will take place within your place of work
A dedicated Vocational Trainer will visit on average once every 4 weeks, to establish a personal learning and development plan, outlining a schedule of training activities and objectives
You will complete a mixture of on and off the job training, including workshops, face to face training and working towards creating a portfolio of relevant practical evidence. You’ll also be supported by your colleagues at all times, and will be mentored and trained constantly
You will have a review every 8-12 weeks with your Head Chef and Trainer to discuss your progress

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade 3/D or above)
Maths (grade 3/D or above)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Customer care skills
Problem solving skills
Presentation skills
Analytical skills
Logical
Team working
Creative
Initiative
Keen to learn
Awareness of food safety
Friendly and talkative

Other requirements

Poplar Farm Bar and Restaurant is in a rural location – Chapel Lane, Skegness, PE24 4TG. Please check the location and ensure you would be able to reliably travel to and from work on a daily basis. There is also possibility to work additional hours at the employer’s other pub site, for candidates able to travel – The Old Chequers, Lymn Bank, Croft, Skegness, PE24 4PF.

About this company

At Poplar Farm Bar and Restaurant, we pride ourselves on serving fresh, delicious food and creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere for every guest. Our lively bar, complete with a cosy fireplace, is the heart of the experience – the perfect place for great conversations and unforgettable moments. - - As part of our kitchen team, you’ll work with experienced Chefs who are passionate about using fresh, organic ingredients to craft mouth-watering dishes. We value teamwork, creativity, and a love for great food, offering a supportive environment where you can learn, grow, and thrive. - - If you’re looking to start your culinary journey in a vibrant and friendly setting, there’s no better place to begin than Poplar Farm.

https://poplar-farmbar.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

This apprenticeship programme provides a fantastic opportunity for apprentices to build a strong foundation of practical cookery skills
The apprenticeship will lead to a permanent job role for the right candidates

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

TEC PARTNERSHIP

Helena Gollings

myapprenticeship@grimsby.ac.uk

01472 311222

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000316376.

Apply now

Closes in 10 days (Sunday 11 May 2025 at 11:59pm)

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