Apprentice Chef

La Piazza

Hove (BN3 2JQ)

Closes in 15 days (Wednesday 9 September 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 24 August 2026


Summary

La Piazza is looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Apprentice Chef to join their busy kitchen team. This exciting opportunity will be perfect for someone with a passion for food, eager to start a career in the hospitality industry, working alongside an experienced brigade, while studying for a Level 2 Production Chef Apprenticeship.

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)

Training course
Production chef (level 2)
Hours
30 hours minimum per week Monday to Sunday on a rota. To be confirmed and to include 6 hours study and attendance at Brighton Met College.

30 hours a week

Start date

Monday 5 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

What you will gain:

  • Essential culinary skills, how a professional kitchen operates, food safety standards and professional cooking techniques.
  • Working within a growing business who are committed to developing future culinary talent and providing apprentices with hands-on experience in a supportive and professional kitchen environment.
  • A nationally recognised qualification with a Level 2 Production Chef.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Preparing ingredients, including meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables
  • Learning and practising professional knife skills
  • Cooking and plating dishes to fine-dining standards
  • Maintaining a clean, hygienic, and organised kitchen environment at all times
  • Measuring ingredients and ensuring accurate portion control
  • Presenting dishes attractively and consistently
  • Refreshing menus and contributing ideas based on seasonal produce
  • Checking stock levels, reporting shortages, rotating stock, and ensuring proper storage
  • Supporting the team during service and contributing to a smooth kitchen operation

Who you will be:

  • Someone with a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn
  • Someone with a passion for food, flavour and culinary excellence
  • Someone committed to maintaining high standards of cleanliness and organisation
  • Someone who is a team player and will be comfortable fitting into a small tight knit and supportive team
  • Someone who will be dedicated to the apprenticeship and excited about possible progression in the future
  • Someone looking for a long-term career as a Chef and will fully commit to the apprenticeship

Where you'll work

80 Western Road
Hove
BN3 2JQ

Training

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

Training provider

CHICHESTER COLLEGE GROUP

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 2)
  • Math (grade 2)

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
  • Team working
  • Hardworking
  • Willingness to learn
  • Reliable
  • Punctual
  • Takes Direction
  • Cleanliness
  • Flexible
  • Friendly
  • Works well under pressure

Other requirements

What you need to know:

  • Attendance at Brighton Met College will be required so ability to travel will be essential.
  • This Level 2 qualification is a 15-month apprenticeship including the 3 months end point assessment.
  • You will need to commit to the learning and stay at the employers until the apprenticeship is successfully completed.
  • To apply you must have lived in the UK for a minimum of 3 years before the start date of the apprenticeship learning and have authorisation to work in the UK.
  • You cannot apply if you already have a qualification equal to or higher than the apprenticeship standard being studied.
  • You can apply if you have a higher qualification than the apprenticeship standard in an unrelated subject.
  • You should live in the area local to the employer and the college campus offering the apprenticeship.
  • Shifts could be early start or late finish so please ensure you have transport arrangements in place.

About this employer

La Piazza is a welcoming and vibrant restaurant in the heart of Hove, passionate about serving high-quality, freshly prepared Italian cuisine who pride themselves on using quality ingredients, traditional cooking techniques and delivering an excellent dining experience for every guest. From rustic pastas and wood-fired pizzas to our sumptuous seafood and delicate desserts, every dish is crafted with love and a commitment to authenticity.

https://lapiazza.co/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

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

There is potential for progression onto more advanced chef positions on successful completion of the apprenticeship.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CHICHESTER COLLEGE GROUP

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000049869.

Apply now

Closes in 15 days (Wednesday 9 September 2026 at 11:59pm)