Production Chef apprentice

MISTELL LTD

Yarm (TS15 9BH)

Closes in 27 days (Friday 24 October 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 26 September 2025


Summary

The Keys Yarm is offering a fantastic opportunity to kickstart your culinary career as a Production Chef Apprentice. Join a passionate kitchen team in a lively gastropub setting, where you’ll learn to prepare delicious British dishes with expert mentorship and hands-on experience.

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)

£7.55 per hour with a pay review after 6 months with a view to a pay increment depending on performance

Training course
Production chef (level 2)
Hours
Working over 5 days, exact working days and hours TBC

30 hours a week

Start date

Thursday 30 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

  • Assist in preparing, cooking, and serving meals according to set menus and recipes
  • Monitor food temperature, portion size, and presentation standards
  • Support dietary and allergy requirements with appropriate food preparation
  • Maintain cleanliness and hygiene across all kitchen areas
  • Operate kitchen equipment safely and responsibly
  • Receive and store deliveries, ensuring proper stock rotation
  • Complete food safety and hygiene records accurately
  • Provide excellent customer service when interacting with staff or guests
  • Follow all health & safety, fire, and safeguarding procedures

Where you'll work

63 High Street
Yarm
TS15 9BH

Training

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

Training provider

MIDDLESBROUGH COLLEGE

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

  • Once a week college day release
  • Production Chef Level 2 Apprenticeship

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

maths and English (grade 4 or above)

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
  • Problem solving skills
  • Team working
  • Creative

About this employer

The Keys Yarm is a charming and well-loved gastropub located on the cobbled High Street of Yarm, North Yorkshire. Known for its relaxed atmosphere and scenic views of Yarm’s iconic viaduct, it offers a warm welcome whether you're popping in for a drink or sitting down to a hearty meal. Their menu celebrates classic British and locally inspired dishes, all made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Guests can enjoy dining indoors or out on the terrace, which is one of the most sought-after spots in town. With a reputation for great food, friendly service, and a vibrant social calendar—including bottomless brunches and private events—The Keys is a cornerstone of Yarm’s dining scene.

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

After this apprenticeship

Depending on the circumstances of the business upon completion of the apprenticeship programme there could be a potential position of employment available.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

MIDDLESBROUGH COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000343679.

Apply now

Closes in 27 days (Friday 24 October 2025 at 11:59pm)

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