Production Chef Apprenticeship

RUSTY TRACTOR LTD

Ivybridge (PL21 9JL)

Closes in 25 days (Tuesday 15 September 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 21 August 2026

---

Summary

As a Production Chef Apprentice, you will gain valuable experience in a professional kitchen, assisting with food preparation, cooking, and kitchen maintenance. You’ll work alongside skilled chefs, learn essential cooking techniques, and develop your culinary expertise through hands-on training.

• Wage:

  £12,480 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

  National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Employment position after completing Apprenticeship.

• Training course: Production chef (level 2)
• Hours: 9.00am - 4:30pm (4 days per week), working days TBC.

  30 hours a week

• Start date:

  Tuesday 6 October 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

• Preparing and chopping vegetables, meats, and other ingredients
• Assisting senior chefs with basic cooking tasks
• Measuring and weighing ingredients accurately
• Preparing stocks, sauces, and simple dishes
• Keeping workstations clean and organised
• Following food safety and hygiene standards
• Receiving and storing deliveries correctly
• Learning different kitchen sections and supporting the team

Where you'll work

Rusty Tractor Farm Cafe
Cadleigh Park
Ivybridge
PL21 9JL

Training

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

Training provider

CITY COLLEGE PLYMOUTH

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

• Production Chef Level 2
• 9.00am - 4:30pm (4-days with the employer per week) - 30 - hours 

Requirements

Essential 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
• Organisation skills
• Presentation skills
• Creative
• Initiative
• Patience
• Able to work well in a team

Other requirements

• Shows enthusiasm for developing new skills and taking on feedback
• Brings energy and professionalism to the kitchen every day
• Punctual, dependable, and committed to completing tasks to a high standard
• Weekend working
• Works collaboratively and supports colleagues during busy shifts

About this employer

Rusty Tractor Farm Cafe is a farmshop style café offering freshly cooked locally sourced meals.  
Homemade cakes, and a relaxed countryside setting,outdoor and indoor seating. 

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

Company benefits

• 10% discount on purchases
• Staff lunch provided
• Free parking
• Uniform provided

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

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

A full-time position with The Rusty Tractor.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CITY COLLEGE PLYMOUTH

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000049386.

Apply now

Closes in 25 days (Tuesday 15 September 2026 at 11:59pm)