Apprentice Production Chef - Derbyshire

COMPASS GROUP, UK AND IRELAND LIMITED

Derbyshire (DE6 1HA)

Closes in 21 days (Thursday 30 April 2026)

Posted on 9 April 2026


Summary

We're currently recruiting for an ambitious Apprentice to join our team and help deliver exceptional experiences on a part time, contracted to 30 hours per week.

Dine Contract Catering is looking for a dependable and motivated Evening Cook to support evening food service operations. 

Wage

Competitive

Competitive wage offered

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Production chef (level 2)
Hours
Monday - Friday, 3.00pm - 9.00pm.

30 hours a week

Start date

Saturday 30 May 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:

  • Prepare and reheat meals in line with company recipes, quality standards, and food safety guidelines
  • Carry out basic cooking tasks, such as frying chips and preparing simple menu items
  • Serve customers confidently and courteously, providing a friendly and helpful experience
  • Operate the till, handling cash and card payments accurately
  • Refill and look after vending machines, ensuring they are well‑stocked and clean
  • Maintain high standards of cleanliness, keeping kitchen, service, and dining areas tidy and hygienic at all times
  • Follow all health, safety, and food hygiene procedures to ensure a safe environment for customers and colleagues

Where you'll work

Ashbourne
Derbyshire
DE6 1HA

Training

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

Training provider

THE OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER 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
  • Organisation 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 Level 2 apprenticeship, the apprentice will have the opportunity to embark onto a Level 3 apprenticeship to further their skills' development through internal training programmes.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

THE OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER LTD

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000025611.

Apply now

Closes in 21 days (Thursday 30 April 2026)

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