The Level 2 Food and beverage team member, and the 26 providers delivering it.
Carrying out a range of general and specialist roles within hospitality businesses, including bars, cafes, conference centres, restaurants and hotels.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices learn how to deliver food and beverage service across a range of front-of-house settings, from taking bookings and greeting guests to waiting tables, preparing drinks and processing payments. Training covers upselling and promoting menu items, handling complaints, managing customer flow, and monitoring stock. Food safety legislation, health and safety, and hygiene practice are all part of the programme, giving apprentices a solid grounding in the legal and operational requirements that run alongside every shift.
Day-to-day responsibilities
A typical week involves greeting and seating customers, taking and relaying orders accurately, and serving food and drinks in line with service standards. Apprentices will clear and reset tables, clean and sanitise work areas and equipment, and replenish front-of-house stock. They will handle card and cash payments, deal with customer queries, and support the team during busy service periods. Communication with kitchen and bar colleagues is a regular part of the role, as is flagging any issues to a supervisor.
Career outlook
Completing this apprenticeship opens roles such as bartender, waiter or waitress, food and beverage assistant, and bar person across restaurants, pubs, hotels, cafes, and coffee shops. From there, progression typically leads to supervisory positions, including team leader or floor supervisor, and further into management roles such as restaurant manager or food and beverage manager. The hospitality sector employs across independent venues, pub and restaurant chains, hotels, and contract catering operations, giving qualified team members a wide range of employers to choose from.
26 approved providers
Sorted by achievement rate.
Middlesbrough College Group provides a broad range of education and training routes for school leave...
The University of Derby is a UK higher and further education institution that works closely with emp...
Chef Benson-Smith Training Academy, based at Dean Clough Mills in Halifax, is a government-approved ...
Linden is a specialist apprenticeship training provider delivering tailored, industry-focused progra...
Craven College is a further and higher education college based in Skipton, North Yorkshire, which of...
Weston College is an award‑winning further and higher education college in Weston‑super‑Mare that de...
Apprenticeships at Salford City College form part of the Salford City College Group and provide appr...
Kendal College is a further education college based in Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District Nati...
City College Plymouth is a further education college offering a wide range of apprenticeship and voc...
Smart Training & Recruitment is a UK apprenticeship and training provider offering sector-focused pr...
Kirklees College is a further education college in West Yorkshire that delivers a wide range of appr...
Wiltshire College & University Centre is a further and higher education college offering a broad por...
North Lancs Training Group (NLTG) is an independent training provider offering apprenticeships and w...
Remit Training is an independent training provider delivering apprenticeship programmes and training...
Lincoln College is part of the Lincoln College Group, encompassing Lincoln and Newark colleges, and ...
Skern Training & Skills is an apprenticeship and corporate training provider offering tailored progr...
Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) offers a wide range of technical and professional education o...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completing this apprenticeship typically leads to permanent employment as a waiter, waitress, bartender, bar person, or food and beverage assistant. These roles sit at the front of house in restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes, coffee shops, and counter service outlets. In practice, completers often stay with the employer they trained with, moving from apprentice status to a confirmed team member with full responsibility for their own section, service station, or bar area.
Progression paths
Within three to five years, strong performers tend to move into supervisory positions such as Floor Supervisor, Senior Bartender, or Team Leader, taking on shift management, staff training, and front-of-house coordination. Beyond that, two distinct tracks open up: an operational leadership path towards Restaurant Manager, Bar Manager, or Food and Beverage Manager; or a specialist route into areas such as cocktail development, barista training, or sommelier qualifications. Both tracks are accessible without a degree, and many hospitality employers promote from within.
Where these roles sit
Hiring happens across the full breadth of UK hospitality. Independent restaurants, pub groups, hotel chains, casual dining chains, coffee shop brands, members clubs, and event catering companies all recruit at this level. The sector includes a significant number of small and medium-sized independent operators, alongside large national employers. Roles exist in both the private sector and public-facing venues such as museum cafes, leisure centres, and NHS trust catering outlets.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Learning takes place on the job, with the apprentice building competence in food and beverage service while working in their normal role. 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 by the standard. Final assessment then confirms whether the apprentice can perform the role to the required level. Assessment models for many Level 2 standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
Gathering evidence of real work from the start makes a significant difference. This means keeping records of customer interactions, service situations, stock handling, and how hygiene and safety responsibilities were met day to day. Leaving this until late in the programme creates unnecessary pressure. Working closely with both the employer and the training provider throughout, rather than only near the gateway, gives the apprentice the best chance of demonstrating genuine competence when it matters.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Providers with direct, active relationships with hospitality employers tend to deliver this apprenticeship well. On an FATP profile, look for an achievement rate above 65%, with anything above 75% being a meaningful indicator of sustained quality. Apprentice satisfaction scores matter here because front-of-house work is service-focused: low scores can signal poor pastoral support or off-the-job training that bears little relation to the shop floor. Check that the provider covers your region and that their employer satisfaction score reflects regular, structured contact with the business throughout the programme, not just at gateway.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers with a high volume of starts but a declining or below-average achievement rate, particularly on a 12-month programme where dropout tends to cluster in the early months. Vague descriptions of how off-the-job training works, or training plans that look identical regardless of whether the placement is a restaurant, a bar, or a coffee shop, suggest limited operational depth. Providers who cannot point to recent completers working in similar front-of-house roles, or who struggle to explain how they handle allergen legislation and food safety compliance within the curriculum, are worth questioning.
Questions to ask before you commit
- What does a typical month of off-the-job training look like for a team member working in a [restaurant / bar / cafe], and how is it scheduled around shift patterns?
- How do you cover allergen legislation, food hygiene regulations, and licensing law, and are those topics assessed practically or only in written tasks?
- What is your current achievement rate for this standard, and how has it changed over the last two years?
- How often does an assessor or skills coach visit the workplace, and what happens if a learner is struggling at month three or four?
- Can you share examples of where completers have progressed, whether into supervisory roles or other hospitality positions?
- How do you adapt the programme for smaller independent venues compared with larger group operations?
- What is your typical cohort size for this standard, and will the learner have regular contact with peers on the same programme?
Common questions
Who is eligible to apply for this apprenticeship?
Applicants must be employed in a relevant food and beverage role for the duration of the apprenticeship. There are no fixed academic entry requirements set at a national level, though individual employers and training providers may ask for basic literacy and numeracy. Candidates can be new to the industry or already working front of house. The apprenticeship is open to any age, though specific funding rules apply for younger learners.
How long does the apprenticeship take and what does the time commitment look like?
The typical duration is around 12 months, though the actual length depends on the apprentice's prior experience and progress. Apprentices remain employed throughout, learning on the job while also completing off-the-job training as part of the programme. The exact off-the-job training requirement is subject to change under current reforms, so check the latest specification on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education page at gov.uk before planning delivery.
How is the apprenticeship assessed?
Before taking the end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, where the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has developed the required knowledge, skills and behaviours. Assessment models for many standards are currently being reviewed, so the specific methods, such as practical observation, professional discussion or knowledge tests, may have been updated. Always check the current assessment plan on gov.uk for the most accurate information before choosing a provider.
How does an employer pay for this apprenticeship?
The funding band for this standard is £6,000, which is the maximum amount that can be drawn from the apprenticeship levy or claimed through co-investment. Larger employers with a levy account use that to pay training costs directly. SMEs without a levy account typically contribute 5% of training costs, with the government covering the rest. Employers taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing for training, regardless of business size, as the government funds the full amount.
What does a food and beverage team member actually do day to day?
Day-to-day work includes greeting customers, taking orders, serving food and drinks, and handling payments. Apprentices prepare and serve beverages including coffees and cocktails, manage table service, and assist with bookings. They are responsible for upselling menu items, resolving customer complaints, and maintaining a clean and safe front-of-house environment. They also monitor and replenish stock, liaise with kitchen and bar teams, and follow food safety and health and safety requirements throughout each shift.
What can someone do after completing this apprenticeship?
Completing this apprenticeship opens doors to supervisory and team leader roles within hospitality, such as floor supervisor, bar supervisor or shift leader. From there, progression routes include the hospitality supervisor apprenticeship at Level 3 or the hospitality manager standard at Level 4. Some completers move into specialist areas such as barista work, mixology or events service. The skills gained are transferable across restaurant, bar, hotel and catering settings, giving a solid foundation for a long-term career in hospitality.
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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: 801.
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.