British Army - Production Chef - Full Time Career with Apprenticeship

British Army

Recruiting nationally

Closes on Saturday 30 August 2025

Posted on 9 May 2025

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Contents

Summary

An opportunity to embark on a full-time career in the British Army, Food Services Wing, Royal Logistic Corps. Gain hands-on experience, professional training and industry recognised qualifications while earning a competitive salary. Develop your skills in world-wide high pressure environments and build a future in culinary excellence.

Wage

£25,200 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Production chef (level 2)
Hours
Shifts and working patterns may vary. Working locations will vary nationally depending on the apprenticeship and working requirements. Days and times to be confirmed.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

1 year

Positions available

120

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

Cook for everyone from hungry soldiers in the field, to VIPs at state ceremonies. Get skilled, qualified and enjoy an incredible Army life.

Even the best locations and adventures would be meaningless without outstanding food services supporting our soldiers. You could be a part of the team whose role is a lot more than just food. As Army chefs, our skills and motivation to deliver the necessary supplies, even in the most challenging environments, are what make us unique.

We deliver the best experience to our units every day; from state banquets and fine dining to supporting humanitarian and disaster intervention across the world. In return, the Army offers fantastic experiences, including travel, adventurous training and opportunities to develop skills outside the trade.

The Royal Logistic Corps are the Army’s professional logisticians, keeping the Field Army marching, its helicopters flying, its vehicles moving and its tanks and guns firing. We enable its deployment and supply it with everything it needs, wherever it operates, throughout the world.

Where you'll work

Depending on your chosen regiment/corps and age at the time of enlistment, you will undertake Phase 1 training at AFC Harrogate (16-17 year olds), ATR Pirbright, ATR Winchester or ITC Catterick (for adult recruits). ITC Catterick is also where Infantry soldiers complete both Phase 1 and 2. On completion of training, you will be assigned where the Army requires you to be, but wherever that is you will receive 'on the job' training towards the completion of your chosen Apprenticeship.

Training

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

College or training organisation

BRITISH ARMY

Your training course

Production chef (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

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:

Step 1:

You'll start with your initial military training which will teach you how to be a soldier - this will cover everything from fieldcraft to handling a rifle. If you join as a Junior Soldier (under 17 years and 6 months), you’ll do a 23-week basic military training course at Harrogate. If you join as a Regular Soldier (over 17 years and 6 months), you’ll do the regular 14-week adult basic training

Step 2:

Next, you will undertake your 15-week Combat Logistician course at the Defence School of Transport in Leconfield. During this, you will earn your Category C+E Driving Licence and study general service driver modules. This training also gives you the opportunity to gain a broader knowledge on the Royal Logistic Corps functions and roles

Step 3:

You'll then spend 18 weeks at the Defence Food Service Wing at Worthy Down. First, you'll learn about food and personal hygiene

Then you start working in the kitchen where you have the chance to earn a Level 2 qualification in Health and Safety.

Training ends with four weeks of field catering, including five days learning Basic Close Combat Skills.

Requirements

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
  • Presentation skills
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative

Other requirements

The British Army recruits throughout the year and you should ignore the application closing dates shown against this advert.

About this company

Protecting the nation and its dependent territories will always be the British Army's first role. Highly trained soldiers are ready to deploy anywhere at any time to meet a variety of challenges, ranging from support to the Police following a terrorist attack, to specialist capabilities such as bomb disposal and intelligence experts, 24 hours a day 365 days a year, we are always ready to serve. You belong here.

https://www.army.mod.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

The Army offers job security, career growth, adventure and world-class training. Benefits include competitive pay, travel, fitness, leadership skills, a pension, free healthcare, cheaper housing and 30 days of paid leave a year, plus public holidays.

After this apprenticeship

  • The apprenticeship is a gateway to a full-time career in the British Army
  • Promotion, along with increased salary and responsibility, is dependent on successful completion of the apprenticeship and then on merit by competitive selection
  • As you advance through the ranks, you will have the increased opportunity to lead and direct people, managing resources and workforce within your area of work to deliver the required output whilst maintaining and instilling the highest values and standards expected of the British Army.

You belong here.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BRITISH ARMY

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000319647.

Apply now

Closes on Saturday 30 August 2025

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.

Company’s application instructions

At this link you can find more information about the roles offered by the British Army. We have positions available for all roles throughout the year and you can ignore the application open/closing dates shown against this apprenticeship advertisement. Once you have completed an application you will be invited to complete an aptitude assessment, selection interview, health assessment and a fitness test. More details of the requirement can be found at the application link.