Commis Chef / Assistant Chef Apprentice
Guesting Hall Hotel
Hastings (TN35 4LP)
Closes in 26 days (Monday 7 September 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 11 August 2026
Contents
Summary
As a Commis Chef, the apprentice will support breakfast and restaurant operations. Duties include food preparation, cooking, plating, stock control, cleaning, and food hygiene and safety standards. Working alongside experienced chefs, they will develop practical culinary skills, confidence, and knowledge across a professional hotel kitchen.
- Wage
-
£8,320 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
The successful applicant will be paid £8.00 per hour during the first
year of their apprenticeship. After the first year, apprentices aged 19 or
over will receive at least the National Minimum Wage for their age group,in line with current legislation. - Training course
- Commis chef (level 2)
- Hours
-
Minimum 20 hours a week. Shifts are provided on a weekly rota and may occasionally be offered at short notice to meet business requirements. The role includes weekends, Bank holidays and early morning breakfast shifts.
20 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 14 September 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 6 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
Duties will include:
- Assisting with food preparation and cooking
- Supporting breakfast service for resident guests
- Assisting in the coffee shop kitchen, and supporting the restaurant kitchen during dinner service
Responsibilities will also include:
- Stock rotation and replenishment
- Inventory control, maintaining clean and organised kitchen
areas, and following food safety, hygiene, and health and safety standards
For this role, we are looking for applicants with a positive attitude who are willing to learn, work as part of a team, and take pride in providing a high standard of service. Full training, supervision, and ongoing support will be provided throughout the apprenticeship.
Where you'll work
Guestling Hall
Guestling
Hastings
TN35 4LP
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
EAST SUSSEX COLLEGE GROUP
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
As part of your apprenticeship with East Sussex College, you will develop the required knowledge, skills and behaviours for your role, together with Functional Skills where applicable.
You will be supported by a dedicated assessor who will set assignments, conduct workplace observations, and complete progress reviews approximately every 10-12 weeks. You will also attend college workshops every 4-6 weeks to support your learning and development.
Your training will also cover key areas including health and safety, equality and diversity, professional development, and other essential workplace and industry knowledge.
More training information
Guestling Hall Hotel will provide comprehensive on-the-job training across food and beverage, and kitchen operations. This role, training will include restaurant operations, food preparation and cooking, coffee shop and kitchen duties, stock replenishment and inventory control, customer service, food safety, health and safety, hygiene standards, manual handling, and the hotel’s policies and
procedures.
Ongoing supervision, guidance, and coaching from experienced team members will support each apprentice in developing the practical skills, knowledge, confidence, and professional standards required to perform their role effectively and progress within the hospitality industry.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
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
- Customer care skills
- Presentation skills
- Team working
- Friendly, polite, approachable
- Reliable and punctual
- Willing to learn
- Able to follow instructions
- Flexible working
- Able to work fast pace
- Positive attitude
- Good work ethic
Other requirements
This role involves working in a busy hospitality environment, with periods of standing, walking, bending, lifting, and working at pace. Duties include kitchen operations, food preparation, and stock handling.
Flexible working is required, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, bank holidays, and occasional events. Applicants should maintain a professional appearance, good hygiene, and high standards of cleanliness, food safety, and customer service. Due to the hotel’s location, applicants should consider transport arrangements.
About this employer
Guesting Hall Hotel is a historic Tudor property with 11 guest rooms,
offering daily breakfast, dinner, and an in-house licensed bar. The business is expanding with a dedicated restaurant providing lunch and dinner to both the public and hotel guests.
Further plans include developing the licensed bar into a garden bar and coffee shop by Winter 2026, followed by glamping pods around the pond area by Summer 2027. These developments will expand the hotel’s accommodation and hospitality offering, create local employment opportunities, and support its ambition to become a community hub while preserving the property’s heritage.
SME Global Limited operates under a structured HR and Employment
Policy governed by Citation, covering employment compliance, health and safety, risk management, internal audits, and periodic assessments across all levels of the business.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Successful completion of the apprenticeship may lead to an offer of
ongoing employment, subject to business requirements and available
vacancies.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
EAST SUSSEX COLLEGE GROUP
Rose Mott
rose.mott@escg.ac.uk
03030039181
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000047554.
Apply now
Closes in 26 days (Monday 7 September 2026 at 11:59pm)