Apprentice Catering Assistant - Sunderland

COMPASS GROUP, UK AND IRELAND LIMITED

Sunderland (SR3 4EN)

Closes in 22 days (Tuesday 30 December 2025)

Posted on 26 November 2025

Print

Contents

Summary

You do not need to have any experience to apply for this vacancy as full training will be provided as part of the apprenticeship! On completion of the Apprenticeship, you will achieve the L2 Production Chef and become a qualified Catering Assistant. As a Catering Apprentice, you will be working in a passionate and hard-working team.

Wage

Competitive

Competitive wage offered

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Production chef (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday, times to be confirmed.

40 hours a week

Start date

Friday 30 January 2026

Duration

1 year

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

 Your key responsibilities will include:

  • Preparing delicious, high-quality food that delights our clients and customers
  • Follow recipes accurately and cook dishes to spec
  • Completion of food safety management documents
  • Upholding high levels of Customer Service
  • Maintaining high standards of Food Service
  • General Housekeeping 
  • Representing Compass Group UK&I and maintaining a positive brand image

Where you'll work

Sunderland
Sunderland
SR3 4EN

Training

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

Training provider

HIT TRAINING LTD

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.

Training schedule

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4)
  • Maths (grade 4)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Team working
  • Creative

About this employer

We’re the people behind the food, hospitality and support services that power your day, make you smile and put a spring in your step. That’s just one of the reasons why we’re the UK and Ireland’s top contract catering, hospitality, and business support services provider.

After this apprenticeship

On completion of the Production Chef L2 apprenticeship, the apprentice may have the opportunity to embark on a Level 3 apprenticeship to further their skills' development through internal training programmes.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

HIT TRAINING LTD

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000002531.

Apply now

Closes in 22 days (Tuesday 30 December 2025)

Sign in with your GOV.UK One Login to apply.

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