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L2Apprenticeship936 approved providers
The Level 2 Commis Chef, and the 6 providers delivering it.
Preparing food and basic cooking tasks in a kitchen under supervision.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices learn the skills needed to work in a professional kitchen brigade, rotating through sections to build experience across preparation, cooking and finishing. The programme covers knife skills, stock management, food storage, allergen awareness, portion control and recipe adherence. Apprentices gain knowledge of a wide range of food groups, including meat butchery cuts, fish classifications, pastry and sauces, alongside the food safety documentation that underpins legal compliance in any commercial kitchen.
Day-to-day responsibilities
Working under the supervision of a senior chef, apprentices prepare ingredients to recipe specification, assist with cooking across multiple sections and ensure their area meets hygiene standards throughout service. Tasks include receiving and checking deliveries, rotating stock, completing temperature logs and food safety records, and working to time during service. Apprentices interact regularly with the wider kitchen team and, depending on the establishment, may also liaise with front-of-house staff and suppliers.
Career outlook
Completing this apprenticeship gives a solid foundation for progressing to Chef de Partie level, with further development possible through a Level 3 Senior Production Chef or Hospitality Supervisor qualification. Employers hiring at this level include hotels, restaurants, contract caterers, care homes, hospitals, schools and military catering operations. With experience, chefs can move into senior kitchen roles, specialise in pastry or another discipline, or progress towards head chef positions in smaller establishments.
6 approved providers
Sorted by achievement rate.
Activate Learning
Employer: 4.0
Activate Learning is a UK education group that delivers apprenticeships and vocational training thro...
City College Plymouth
City College Plymouth is a further education college offering a wide range of apprenticeship and voc...
Cheshire College – South & West
Employer: 2.0
Cheshire College – South & West offers apprenticeship and further education opportunities across its...
AKG Learning
Employer: 3.0
AKG (UK) Learning Limited, trading as AKG Learning, is part of the wider AKG UK group, which focuses...
Bath College
Bath College is a further education provider offering a wide range of vocational and technical train...
Chef Benson-Smith Training Academy
Employer: 4.0
Chef Benson-Smith Training Academy, based at Dean Clough Mills in Halifax, is a government-approved ...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completing this apprenticeship typically leads into a Commis Chef role with greater independence, or a step up to Chef de Partie in smaller kitchens where progression moves quickly. Some completers move directly into a Demi Chef de Partie position in larger brigade kitchens. In contract catering or healthcare settings, the equivalent entry point is often a Catering Assistant or Junior Cook with a defined path upward.
Progression paths
Within three to five years, a Chef de Partie is the natural next step, taking ownership of a specific section such as pastry, sauce or larder. From there, the two tracks diverge: those who move into leadership tend to progress to Sous Chef and eventually Head Chef or Kitchen Manager. Those who prefer specialism often focus on a single discipline, moving into pastry, butchery or private dining. Level 3 apprenticeships in professional cookery support both routes.
Where these roles sit
Employers hiring at this level span a wide range of settings: independent restaurants, hotel chains, pub groups, contract catering companies, NHS trusts, care homes, schools and military establishments. Cruise lines and airline catering operations also recruit at this level. Both the private and public sectors have a steady demand for trained commis chefs, and smaller independent kitchens are often particularly willing to develop apprentices into permanent junior brigade roles.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Throughout the apprenticeship, learning takes place on the job, with the apprentice building practical competence in a working kitchen alongside any off-the-job training. Before final assessment can begin, the apprentice must pass through a readiness check, often called the gateway, where the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has developed the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for the role. Final assessment then establishes whether the apprentice can perform competently as a commis chef. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's page on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (gov.uk) for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
Building a record of workplace evidence from early in the apprenticeship is one of the most practical things a learner can do. Keeping notes, photographs, supervisor feedback and records of the range of kitchen tasks completed, such as prep work across different sections, stock checks and food safety documentation, means there is a clear body of evidence when the gateway approaches. Staying in regular contact with the training provider and employer about progress, rather than leaving a review until late in the programme, helps identify any gaps in time to address them.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Look for providers with an achievement rate above 65% on their FATP profile; above 75% is a strong signal for a 12-month standard where timely completion matters. Check that the provider has a track record across the kitchen environments relevant to your setting, whether that is hotels, care catering, or independent restaurants, since the practical demands vary considerably. Providers worth shortlisting will have clear evidence of on-site or well-equipped training kitchens, teaching staff with professional kitchen backgrounds, and delivery mapped to the full rotation of sections covered in the standard.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious if a provider has a high learner volume but a declining achievement rate over two or three years; on a 12-month programme that pattern compounds quickly. Providers who cannot explain how they cover allergen knowledge, food safety documentation, and stock management in practical settings are a concern. Vague answers about how off-the-job training is structured, or who delivers the kitchen skills sessions, should prompt follow-up. A provider with no visible learner reviews, or reviews mentioning inconsistent contact from their assessor, is also worth querying before signing.
Questions to ask before you commit
- What kitchen facilities do apprentices train in, and are they equipped to teach the full range of sections covered in the standard, including pastry, fish, and meat preparation?
- How do you assess practical knife skills and craft preparation techniques, and at what point in the programme?
- Which sectors do most of your current commis chef cohorts come from, and have you delivered to employers similar to ours?
- How is allergen and dietary requirement knowledge taught and tested, given its legal implications in a kitchen environment?
- What is your current achievement rate for this standard, and how has it changed over the past two years?
- How do you structure off-the-job training hours to minimise disruption to kitchen rotas and unsociable-hours shifts?
- Can you put us in contact with an employer currently using you for this standard?
Common questions
Who is eligible to start a Commis Chef apprenticeship?
Any employee aged 16 or over who is new to a commis chef role, or an existing employee moving into it without prior formal training, can be considered. There are no fixed entry qualifications set by the standard, though employers may set their own criteria. The apprentice must be in genuine employment throughout and spend at least some of their working week in a kitchen environment where the full range of duties can be practised.
How long does the apprenticeship take and how does learning fit around the job?
The typical duration is around 12 months, though the actual length depends on the individual's starting point and progress. Learning happens on the job in a working kitchen, with additional off-the-job training built into the working week. The exact minimum off-the-job requirement is subject to current government reforms, so check the latest specification on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education pages on gov.uk before confirming arrangements with a training provider.
How is the Commis Chef apprenticeship assessed?
Before taking the end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass a gateway review, where the employer and training provider confirm that the apprentice has developed the required knowledge, skills and behaviours. Assessment models for many standards are being updated under current reforms, so check gov.uk for the current end-point assessment approach for this standard. In broad terms, the apprentice must demonstrate practical competence across kitchen duties, food safety, preparation techniques and working as part of a brigade.
How does an employer pay for the training?
The funding band for this standard is £9,000, which is the maximum government contribution towards training costs. Larger employers with the apprenticeship levy use their levy account to pay the training provider. Smaller employers co-invest with the government, typically contributing a small percentage of the training cost while the government funds the rest. Employers with fewer than 50 employees who take on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing; the government covers the full amount.
What does a Commis Chef apprentice actually do day to day?
They rotate around kitchen sections, preparing and cooking dishes to recipe specification under the supervision of a senior chef. Typical tasks include portioning ingredients accurately, applying knife skills and cooking techniques across meat, fish, vegetables and pastry, checking and storing deliveries, maintaining food safety records, and cleaning their section to standard. They also contribute to stock checks, flag shortages, and work alongside front-of-house staff during service periods, including early mornings, evenings and weekends.
Where can a qualified Commis Chef progress after completing this apprenticeship?
The natural step is into a Chef de Partie role, taking responsibility for a specific section of the kitchen. From there, the progression route runs through Senior Chef de Partie, Sous Chef and Head Chef positions. Formally, the Chef de Partie apprenticeship at Level 3 provides a structured next step. Some chefs also move into specialist areas such as pastry, or into management qualifications. The sectors open to a qualified chef are wide, covering restaurants, hotels, healthcare catering, contract catering and hospitality at sea.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 93.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.