Commis Chef Apprentice

COUNTRY VILLAGE INNS LTD

Penrith (CA10 2NN)

Closes in 25 days (Tuesday 1 December 2026)

Posted on 6 November 2026

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Summary

Join the team at Pooley Bridge Inn as a Commis Chef Apprentice! You will assist senior chefs with food prep, cooking high-quality dishes using local produce, and maintaining kitchen operations. With 50% food discount, loyalty bonuses, and clear pathways to CDP and Sous Chef, it's the perfect role to launch your culinary career in Cumbria.

Wage

£12,480 to £19,827.60, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Hourly rate varies by age: £8.50/hr for ages 16–17, £12.71/hr max for ages 18–20, and £13.00/hr max for ages 21 and over.

Training course
Commis chef (level 2)
Hours
Shifts across 7 days, including evenings, weekends, and bank holidays. Specific working patterns to be confirmed upon appointment.

30 hours a week

Start date

Monday 7 December 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

  • Assist in food preparation and cooking under the guidance of the senior kitchen team
  • Maintain cleanliness and organisation of the kitchen, work areas, and equipment
  • Support the kitchen team in producing high-quality dishes using local produce
  • Help with inventory management and stock rotation of ingredients
    Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations in the kitchen

Where you'll work

Pooley Bridge
Penrith
CA10 2NN

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

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

You will complete the Level 2 Commis Chef standard delivered in partnership with HIT Training, alongside hands-on mentoring from our team of 10 chefs. During the winter season, we place special focus on dedicated training and developing our culinary teams to help you master fundamental techniques.

Requirements

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
  • Customer care skills
  • Team working
  • Patience
  • Physical fitness

Other requirements

The Pooley Bridge Inn is a fast-paced environment where you will be active on your feet and working as part of a busy kitchen team of 10 chefs. Shift patterns cover evenings, weekends, and peak holiday periods, particularly during the busy summer tourist season on Ullswater.

About this employer

We are a small 6 site, developing family of individual country inns. Combining exceptional food, refreshing drinks and a comfy night's stay. At Country Village Inns we want to give our country pubs back to their communities. We aim to make our pubs the social hub, employ local people, source local produce and raise the profile of the village.

No two days are the same, with our team members enjoying a number of different roles. Our Head Office works closely to support our teams in each site which in turn helps us remain involved in the day-to-day running of the pubs and hotels, whilst ensuring colleagues are happy.

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

Company benefits

Loyalty bonus paid annually after 12 months of service, 50% discount on food, 30% discount on off-peak CVI hotel stays, company pension scheme through NEST, and clear career progression opportunities.

After this apprenticeship

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

This is a great starting position to gain valuable experience working in a kitchen team. From here, you can develop your skills and work through the ranks within CVI—progressing onto Chef de Partie (CDP), Sous Chef, and even a future Head Chef role within the company.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

THE OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER LTD

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000062705.

Apply now

Closes in 25 days (Tuesday 1 December 2026)

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