How can I become a chef in the UK?
COOK up a tasty new career as a chef.
Pay rates are rising at an impressive three per cent above the national average - and the number of female chefs has increased by 46 per cent since 2018, as employers make the role much more flexible.
Discover open vacancies for UK jobs now on The Sun Job Board
Curious to know how much you can get paid and what the extra benefits are?
Take a look at these exciting new positions on offer this week.
Read More
Keen to get your teeth into a new role? Here’s all you need to know from Sun Jobs.
Doesn’t being a chef mean working at weekends and evenings when everyone else is out enjoying themselves?
Not necessarily. While there are plenty of evening and weekend jobs in pubs and restaurants, you can choose to cook with more regular hours too.
Chefs are in demand for daytime and weekday shifts, not just in restaurants but in schools, offices and workplace canteens.
There are jobs in hospitals, care homes and hotels too.
Most read in Money
Whatever hours you want to work, you’ll usually be able to find a role to fit around your life.
Isn’t the pay just minimum wage?
No! You may be paid the minimum wage as an apprentice or trainee but once qualified, chefs' pay is actually higher than the national average.
The average salary for a Chef is £33,076 per year with senior chefs at high-end establishments earning in excess of £60,000.
How can I study to become a chef?
The first and most important thing is to have a passion for food and a love of cooking.
Most head chefs will look for this over any academic qualification. While there are no set academic qualifications to train as a chef, most roles ask for four or five GCSEs in grades 9 to 4.
The most common route into the industry is to become an apprentice or take a college course such as the Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery, T Level in Catering or Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts.
There is lots more information available at .
Is being a chef stressful?
Working in a kitchen can be stressful so you’ll need to enjoy being busy and able to work quickly and accurately under pressure.
You will be processing orders and cooking multiple meals at once, so it helps to be organised and unflappable, even when things go wrong.
Even the best chefs sometimes face criticism from senior chefs and customers, so consider whether you can handle feedback and learn from it.
Read More on The Sun
However, if food is your passion and you enjoy helping other people make great memories, it can be a wonderfully fulfilling – and filling – job!
