Apprentice Commis Chef
WHITTLEBURY HALL & SPA LIMITED
Northamptonshire (NN12 8QH)
Closes in 21 days (Thursday 16 July 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 24 June 2026
Contents
Summary
Working with the team in our 4*hotel kitchen, where we can cater for over 1000 delegates, special functions and events we are seeking to grow the next generation of talent in hospitality, here at Whittlebury Park.
- Wage
-
£23,961.60 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Annual Salary
- Training course
- Commis chef (level 2)
- Hours
-
Shift pattern to be confirmed.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Sunday 4 October 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 3 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
Working with the team in our 4*hotel kitchen, where we can cater for over 1000 delegates, special functions and events we are seeking to grow the next generation of talent in hospitality, here at Whittlebury Park.
Main Objectives & Job Role:
- Assist in all aspects of food preparation for the section. Carrying out all tasks set by senior members of staff.
- Helping to ensure that food offer and resultant service facilitates a high quality of customer service.
Main Duties:
- Completing your allocated shifts as per the duty rota.
- Preparing and cooking a high quality, well presented and appropriate food offer as per the menu.
- To ensure that customer expectations are satisfied and where possible exceeded both in terms of food quality and speed of service.
- To ensure excellent and enduring standards of both food hygiene/safety and personal hygiene/presentation throughout the department.
- Assisting in regular and routine cleaning in line with detailed cleaning schedules.
- Assisting with the completion of and collation of all necessary paperwork including cleaning schedules, food safety paperwork and the collation of delivery notes/invoices as directed by senior members of staff.
- Assisting with effective stock management including stock rotation and maintaining appropriate stock levels as directed by senior members of staff.
- To undertake such other duties and reasonable requests as required by the business or commensurate with the role.
Where you'll work
Whittlebury
Towcester
Northamptonshire
NN12 8QH
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
MILTON KEYNES COLLEGE
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
Training with Milton Keynes College. Ongoing training, support and development with the employer.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- Maths (grade 9-4)
- English (grade 9-4)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Working under pressure
- Teamwork
- Presentation skills.
Other requirements
Please ensure you are able to commute to and from the employer on late nights and weekends, and to MK College.
About this employer
Whittlebury Park is nestled in hundreds of acres of ancient parkland and is 20 minutes from central Milton Keynes by car. Whittlebury offers an award-winning 254-bedroom four-star hotel, conference and training centre, a 3 AA Rosette fine dining restaurant, meetings and events facilities catering for up to 3,000 delegates and a luxurious spa. We also have first-class golf facilities, including a 36-hole Championship course, top tracer driving range and award-winning Atrium Clubhouse within our grounds.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
A role within the company may be on offer upon successful completion of the apprenticeship.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
MILTON KEYNES COLLEGE
Cat Brown
Apprenticeships@mkcollege.ac.uk
01908 637056
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000038824.
Apply now
Closes in 21 days (Thursday 16 July 2026 at 11:59pm)