Apprentice Chef

Yorkshire Garden Centres

Leeds, West Yorkshire

Closes in 18 days (Monday 29 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 11 September 2025

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Summary

Are you passionate about food and looking to start a career in a fast-paced kitchen? We’re offering TWO exciting Catering Apprenticeship opportunities across our Tong and Tingley sites. This is your chance to learn on the job, gain a nationally recognised qualification, and become part of a friendly, supportive team.

Wage

£11,778 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)

Training course
Production chef (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday with alternative weekend work

30 hours a week

Start date

Monday 6 October 2025

Duration

1 year

Positions available

2

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

You’ll be supported to learn and develop hands on skills as part of a busy kitchen team, including:

  • Preparing and serving high quality dishes as part of a wider menu
  • Assisting with food prep, service, cleaning, and hygiene routines
  • Learning about food safety, allergens, portion control, and kitchen best practices
  • Supporting the kitchen team in maintaining high standards of cleanliness and organisation
  • Working alongside experienced chefs to build confidence and competence in a commercial kitchen

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

  • Tingley Garden Centre, Leeds, WF3 1SL
  • Tong Garden Centre Tong Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 0RY

Training

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

Training provider

HEART OF YORKSHIRE EDUCATION 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

Production Chef Level 2.

Training will be delivered by the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group. Learning will take place in the workplace. You will be assigned an assessor who will support and guide you through the apprenticeship.

Requirements

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Attention to detail
  • Team working
  • Initiative

About this employer

Independently owned with seven garden centres in Yorkshire, we’re committed to our vision to create retail destinations offering great experiences for all the family.

http://www.yorkshiregardencentres.co.uk (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

A great, fun, friendly working environment • Up to 33%* staff discount in store (*Discount varies across the store, including concessions) • Monthly TEAM engagement events • Free on-site car parking • Pension contributions • Recognition scheme

After this apprenticeship

Opportunity to become a permanent member of staff. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

HEART OF YORKSHIRE EDUCATION GROUP

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000341587.

Apply now

Closes in 18 days (Monday 29 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

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