Apprentice Commis Chef

Summary

Learn from our experienced team and develop your kitchen skills in our award winning restaurant. Learn to prepare fresh foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products and use them within the creative dishes on the menu. Develop your essential kitchen skills sets including knife skills, organisation, tidiness, food safety and creativity.

Wage

£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Pay to be reviewed every 3 months based on performance.

Training course

Commis chef (level 2)

Hours

A variety of shift patterns spread across Monday - Sunday, including straight and split shifts. 2 consecutive days off per week. 1 day per week attendance at Yeovil College.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

1 year 2 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

Preperation of fresh foods from scratch.
Creating dishes from the menu.
Helping with menu development.
Organising your workstation.
Watching and learning from other chefs.
Cleaning your section and helping keep the kitchen clean.
Maintaining health and safety standards.

Where you'll work

9 Fore Street
Evershot
Dorchester
DT2 0JR

Training

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

College or training organisation

YEOVIL COLLEGE

Your training course

Commis chef (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Contribute to reviewing and refreshing menus in line with business and customer requirements
Use technology for the development and production of dishes and menu items in line with business procedures and guidelines to achieve the best result
Check food stocks, report on shortages, prioritise food that is close to expiry and keep the storage areas in good order
Prioritise tasks, ensuring food items meet the required quality standard and in the required time frame
Measure dish ingredients and portion sizes accurately
Use a range of craft preparation and basic cooking skills and techniques to prepare, cook and finish dishes and menu items in line with business requirements
Use correct knives and knife skills when preparing food and use the correct equipment when preparing, cooking and finishing food
Correctly store and use food items and commodities when preparing, cooking and finishing dishes to deliver a quality product that is safe for the consumer
Apply correct preparation and selection methods when using fresh produce in dishes
Complete preparation and cooking tasks to a high standard, delivered on time and presented as described within the recipe specification
Maintain a clean and hygienic kitchen environment at all times, complete kitchen documentation as required
Work with others to ensure dishes produced are of high quality, delivered on time and to the standard required
Choose methods of communication that achieve effective team working
Develop own skills and knowledge through training and experiences
Deal with team challenges and problems constructively to drive a positive outcome
Effectively manage resources to meet specifications and control waste
Follow safe systems of work reporting risks in the appropriate manner
Contribute to reviewing and refreshing menus in line with business and customer requirements
Use technology for the development and production of dishes and menu items in line with business procedures and guidelines to achieve the best result
Check food stocks, report on shortages, prioritise food that is close to expiry and keep the storage areas in good order
Prioritise tasks, ensuring food items meet the required quality standard and in the required time frame
Measure dish ingredients and portion sizes accurately
Use a range of craft preparation and basic cooking skills and techniques to prepare, cook and finish dishes and menu items in line with business requirements
Use correct knives and knife skills when preparing food and use the correct equipment when preparing, cooking and finishing food
Correctly store and use food items and commodities when preparing, cooking and finishing dishes to deliver a quality product that is safe for the consumer
Apply correct preparation and selection methods when using fresh produce in dishes
Complete preparation and cooking tasks to a high standard, delivered on time and presented as described within the recipe specification
Maintain a clean and hygienic kitchen environment at all times, complete kitchen documentation as required
Work with others to ensure dishes produced are of high quality, delivered on time and to the standard required
Choose methods of communication that achieve effective team working
Develop own skills and knowledge through training and experiences
Deal with team challenges and problems constructively to drive a positive outcome
Effectively manage resources to meet specifications and control waste
Follow safe systems of work reporting risks in the appropriate manner

Your training plan

Commis Chef training to achieve a Commis Chef level 2 qualification.
4 days per week is kitchen based at the hotel and 1 day per week at Yeovil College.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade Grade 9 – 4 / A* - C)
Maths (grade Grade 9 – 4 / A* - C)

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
Problem solving skills
Logical
Team working
Creative
Initiative
Patience

Other requirements

You MUST be prepared to commit to your work and training for the duration of the apprenticeship. In some cases, you may be required to have a telephone conversation with Yeovil College prior to your application being passed on. If a suitable candidate is found prior to the advertised closing date, it may close earlier so please apply early to avoid disappointment.

About this company

Summer Lodge is a five star, boutique country house hotel with a 3AA Rosette award winning restaurant on site. The restaurant is ranked in the top 15% of restaurants in the UK, making it an ideal place to start your culinary learning journey.

https://summerlodgehotel.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Once qualified as a Commis Chef, the next step is to start working towards a position of Chef De Partie and then on up the ladder to ultimately end up as head or executive chef. The Chef De Partie position should be attainable within another 2-3 years. Beyond that, there are no limits to potential progression.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

YEOVIL COLLEGE

Gabrielle Cobner

studentrecruitment@yeovil.ac.uk

01935845380

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000321311.

Apply now

Closes on Sunday 31 August 2025

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