Apprentice Production Chef

ARAMARK LIMITED

Bishop Auckland (DL14 6JZ)

Closes in 28 days (Sunday 4 January 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 1 December 2025

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Summary

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an Apprentice Production Chef to join our team. You will play a key part in supporting the day-to-day running of the kitchen and creating outstanding food for our customers. We will provide the culinary know how & you will bring the enthusiasm to learn and develop.

Wage

£12,563.20 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)

The role is term time only.

Training course
Production chef (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Thursday 7:30am – 4:00pm.

32 hours a week

Start date

Monday 19 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

Daily duties will include:

  • Assisting in the preparation of food for the catering food outlets
  • Prepare food items in line with the company specifications
  • Play your part in the good order and management of the kitchens
  • A clean as you go mentality
  • Adhere to current food safety legislation
  • Receiving deliveries and stock rotation

What you will learn

  • Preparation of vegetables, meats and fish for basic food dishes
  • Pastry, bread and dessert craft skills
  • Core knife skills
  • Cooking finishing, and presentation of food
  • Quality management of food and produce
  • Food safety, allergen & hygiene

Where you'll work

Woodhouse Lane
Bishop Auckland
DL14 6JZ

Training

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

Training provider

BISHOP AUCKLAND COLLEGE

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

All training will be on the work site, Bishop Auckland College.

More training information

Development opportunities will include

  • Professional qualifications
  • On the job training
  • 1 to 1 mentorship from our Catering Manager
  • Health & safety training up to food safety level 2
  • Brand standards training of a large corporation
  • Future career progression

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 2 or equivalent)
  • Maths (grade 2 or equivalent)

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
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative

Other requirements

Employment offer will be conditional pending a DBS and reference checks.

About this employer

We’re a leading food service partner working with organisations across a range of market sectors in the UK. We know that great food is important to everybody and at Aramark our teams share a passion for hospitality, delivering great things for our people, partners and communities.

https://www.aramark.co.uk/industries (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Free car parking at Bishop Auckland College and Free Gym. Benefits platform, plus you have access to a virtual GP service, wellness programmes and 24hr 7 day a week employee assistance programme helpline should you need support.

Disability Confident

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

To be discussed at interview.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BISHOP AUCKLAND COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000003047.

Apply now

Closes in 28 days (Sunday 4 January 2026 at 11:59pm)

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