Apprentice Commis Chef

Summary

Learn from our experienced team and develop your kitchen skills in our award winning restaurant. Learn to prepare fresh foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products and use them within the creative dishes on the menu. Develop your essential kitchen skills sets including knife skills, organisation, tidiness, food safety and creativity.

Wage

£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Pay to be reviewed every 3 months based on performance.

Training course

Commis chef (level 2)

Hours

A variety of shift patterns spread across Monday - Sunday, including straight and split shifts. 2 consecutive days off per week. 1 day per week attendance at Yeovil College.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

1 year 2 months

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

Preperation of fresh foods from scratch.
Creating dishes from the menu.
Helping with menu development.
Organising your workstation.
Watching and learning from other chefs.
Cleaning your section and helping keep the kitchen clean.
Maintaining health and safety standards.

Where you'll work

9 Fore Street
Evershot
Dorchester
DT2 0JR

Training

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

College or training organisation

YEOVIL COLLEGE

Your 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.

Your training plan

Commis Chef training to achieve a Commis Chef level 2 qualification.
4 days per week is kitchen based at the hotel and 1 day per week at Yeovil College.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade Grade 9 – 4 / A* - C)
Maths (grade Grade 9 – 4 / A* - C)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Problem solving skills
Logical
Team working
Creative
Initiative
Patience

Other requirements

You MUST be prepared to commit to your work and training for the duration of the apprenticeship. In some cases, you may be required to have a telephone conversation with Yeovil College prior to your application being passed on. If a suitable candidate is found prior to the advertised closing date, it may close earlier so please apply early to avoid disappointment.

About this company

Summer Lodge is a five star, boutique country house hotel with a 3AA Rosette award winning restaurant on site. The restaurant is ranked in the top 15% of restaurants in the UK, making it an ideal place to start your culinary learning journey.

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

After this apprenticeship

Once qualified as a Commis Chef, the next step is to start working towards a position of Chef De Partie and then on up the ladder to ultimately end up as head or executive chef. The Chef De Partie position should be attainable within another 2-3 years. Beyond that, there are no limits to potential progression.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

YEOVIL COLLEGE

Gabrielle Cobner

studentrecruitment@yeovil.ac.uk

01935845380

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000321311.

Apply now

Closes on Sunday 31 August 2025

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

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