Apprentice Chef

CHURCHILL COLLEGE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

CAMBRIDGE (CB3 0DS)

Closes in 17 days (Friday 24 April 2026)

Posted on 7 April 2026


Summary

We are looking for motivated, enthusiastic people to join our team as an Apprentice Chef.

Training course
Commis chef (level 2)
Hours
Working to a rota, working 3.5 days per week over Monday to Sunday.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Sunday 28 June 2026

Duration

1 year

Positions available

2

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

Main duties and responsibilities:

1.Kitchen Duties

  • Prepare and present all types of food within the college.
  • Ensure the College Food Safety Policy is maintained and the Food Hygiene regulations are being met at all times
  • Minimise wastage in the department
  • Ensure correct storage of all foodstuffs in line with hygiene regulations
  • Ensure all items/produce have allergen information displayed
  • Effective verbal communication with the chef’s team regarding technical and operational matters
  • Planning  and managing different workloads


2. Health & Safety

  • Follow all Health & Safety regulations when carrying out own work
  • Follow COSHH rules when carrying out own work
  • Follow Risk assessments  when carrying out own work
  • Report all concerns to the Head of Department

3. Learning

  • Participate in off-the-job learning activities within the workplace and attend courses at a third-party provider as required
  • Achieve results and standards expected by the Head Chef and third-party training provider
  • Achieve qualification
  • Demonstrate commitment to achieve chosen career path
  • Attend monthly one-to-one progress review meeting with the Head Chef  

Where you'll work

CHURCHILL COLLEGE
CAMBRIDGE
CB3 0DS

Training

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

Training provider

CAMBRIDGE REGIONAL COLLEGE

Training course

Commis chef (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Selects correct knife for task.
  • Uses knives effectively and efficiently.
  • Selects ingredients of the right quality that support sustainability and seasonality.
  • Weighs, measures, and scales ingredients.
  • Cooks from fresh producing complete dishes.
  • Prepares, cooks, and finishes meat, offal, game, poultry, fish, and shellfish from whole; trim, de-vein, portion, break down, bone, skin, fillet, shell.
  • Prepares, cooks, and finishes fruit vegetables.
  • Prepares, cooks, and finishes sauces.
  • Prepares, cooks and finishes pureed and cream soup and stock based dishes.
  • Prepares and cooks noodles, and fresh or convenience pasta.
  • Prepares and cooks pulses and grains, including long and short grain rice.
  • Prepares, cooks and finishes eggs or egg based dishes.
  • Prepares, cooks and finishes leavened and unleavened dough products.
  • Prepares, cooks and finishes sweet and savoury pastry products using short, sweet, and choux.
  • Prepares, cooks, and finishes scones, biscuits, sponge cakes, and non-sponge cakes.
  • Prepares, produces, and finishes hot and cold desserts.
  • Stuffs, fills and panés across food types.
  • Prepares and cooks dishes using alternative ingredients eg plant based, gluten free.
  • Prepares fresh ingredients, including from whole, using them across a menu to reduce waste and improve sustainability
  • Uses seasoning, spices, rubs, and marinades to flavour ingredients.
  • Sears, grills, deep fries, shallow fries, stir fries, sautés, braises, stews, bakes, roasts, boils, poaches across food types.
  • Portions, plates, finishes, garnishes, and presents individual dishes.
  • Exercises portion control and acts to maximise yield.
  • Achieves intended quality in terms of texture, flavour, and appearance
  • Identifies and resolves errors during the production process.
  • Assists in the resolution of feedback, complaints, and issues.
  • Prepares, cleans and uses manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking equipment and machinery safely, correctly and efficiently.
  • Applies food safety and allergen procedures, including monitoring temperatures, during preparation, cooking, and holding.
  • Selects and applies hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, including personal hygiene, PPE, and uniform.
  • Complies with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures.
  • Undertakes stock control, storage, and rotation.
  • Applies food safety and allergen procedures, and monitors and records food temperatures, on delivery and in storage.
  • Follows equity, diversity and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
  • Uses techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
  • Communicates with colleagues, manager and other stakeholders in a professional manner.
  • Works as part of a team to support service delivery.
  • Uses feedback to improve own performance.
  • Manages own time to ensure tasks are completed.
  • Selects correct knife for task.
  • Uses knives effectively and efficiently.
  • Selects ingredients of the right quality that support sustainability and seasonality.
  • Weighs, measures, and scales ingredients.
  • Cooks from fresh producing complete dishes.
  • Prepares, cooks, and finishes meat, offal, game, poultry, fish, and shellfish from whole; trim, de-vein, portion, break down, bone, skin, fillet, shell.
  • Prepares, cooks, and finishes fruit vegetables.
  • Prepares, cooks, and finishes sauces.
  • Prepares, cooks and finishes pureed and cream soup and stock based dishes.
  • Prepares and cooks noodles, and fresh or convenience pasta.
  • Prepares and cooks pulses and grains, including long and short grain rice.
  • Prepares, cooks and finishes eggs or egg based dishes.
  • Prepares, cooks and finishes leavened and unleavened dough products.
  • Prepares, cooks and finishes sweet and savoury pastry products using short, sweet, and choux.
  • Prepares, cooks, and finishes scones, biscuits, sponge cakes, and non-sponge cakes.
  • Prepares, produces, and finishes hot and cold desserts.
  • Stuffs, fills and panés across food types.
  • Prepares and cooks dishes using alternative ingredients eg plant based, gluten free.
  • Prepares fresh ingredients, including from whole, using them across a menu to reduce waste and improve sustainability
  • Uses seasoning, spices, rubs, and marinades to flavour ingredients.
  • Sears, grills, deep fries, shallow fries, stir fries, sautés, braises, stews, bakes, roasts, boils, poaches across food types.
  • Portions, plates, finishes, garnishes, and presents individual dishes.
  • Exercises portion control and acts to maximise yield.
  • Achieves intended quality in terms of texture, flavour, and appearance
  • Identifies and resolves errors during the production process.
  • Assists in the resolution of feedback, complaints, and issues.
  • Prepares, cleans and uses manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking equipment and machinery safely, correctly and efficiently.
  • Applies food safety and allergen procedures, including monitoring temperatures, during preparation, cooking, and holding.
  • Selects and applies hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, including personal hygiene, PPE, and uniform.
  • Complies with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures.
  • Undertakes stock control, storage, and rotation.
  • Applies food safety and allergen procedures, and monitors and records food temperatures, on delivery and in storage.
  • Follows equity, diversity and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
  • Uses techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
  • Communicates with colleagues, manager and other stakeholders in a professional manner.
  • Works as part of a team to support service delivery.
  • Uses feedback to improve own performance.
  • Manages own time to ensure tasks are completed.

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.

More training information

On-the-job training, Churchill College-specific training.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade Grade 3/D and above)
  • Maths (grade Grade 3/D and above)

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
  • Problem solving skills
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Patience

About this employer

Information about your company- Give a summary to give applicants an insight into the company
Churchill College is one of the thirty-one Colleges of the University of Cambridge and was founded in 1960 as a national memorial to Sir Winston Churchill. The Colleges provide a key proportion of student teaching: small group tutorials, known as supervisions, and residential, social and welfare facilities. Every student at Cambridge University must be a member of a College. The College has about 250 Fellows and By-Fellows, around 400 postgraduates working for a higher degree or diploma, around 500 undergraduates working for a first degree and around 250 non-academic employees. Out of term the College provides accommodation and other facilities for residential and non-residential conferences.
Churchill College is the largest of all the Cambridge Colleges, with a 50-acre campus with extensive on-site accommodation for students and Fellows, and facilities including a gym, lecture theatre, music centre, sports fields, and the largest dining hall in Cambridge. Also located on the campus are
• the Churchill Archives Centre which conserves and houses a nationally important collection of 20th century political and scientific papers, including the hose of major Sir Winston Churchill collection, and Margaret Thatcher. papers and over 500 other important 20th century collections of papers.
• the Møller Centre, a purpose-built building which offers first class accommodation and conference facilities. The Centre is the home of the Møller Institute Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the College, which provides for the development of current and future leaders in government.

After this apprenticeship

Progression to Chef de Partie.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CAMBRIDGE REGIONAL COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000024673.

Apply now

Closes in 17 days (Friday 24 April 2026)

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