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home Catering and hospitality
Commis chef

Commis chef

Catering and hospitality

Level 2 - Technical Occupation

Preparing food and basic cooking tasks in a kitchen under the supervision.

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Reference: OCC0228

Status: assignment_turned_inApproved occupation

Average (median) salary: £18,193 per year

SOC 2020 code: 9263 Kitchen and catering assistants

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:

  • 9263/00 Kitchen and catering assistants
  • 5434/00 Chefs
  • 5435/00 Cooks

Technical Education Products

ST0228:

Commis chef

(Level 2)

Approved for delivery
  • Career Starter Apprenticeship

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Hilton Worldwide, Mitchells and Butler, The Spirit Pub Company, Compass Group UK&I, PGL, McDonald’s UK, Hospitality SME consortium led by the Lancaster London, Red Carnation Hotels, Frederic Robinson, Barchester Healthcare, Whitbread, SSP, KFC UK, Greene King, Institute of Hospitality, Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, British Institute of Innkeeping, British Beer & Pub Association, People 1st, Brend Hotels

Summary

This occupation is found in the Hospitality industry across a range of sectors including hospitality, aviation and care. Commis chefs may work in different types of organisations and employers such as restaurants, hotels, care homes/hospitals, military establishments and cruise ships. The broad purpose of the occupation is to support the kitchen in providing the culinary offer by preparing, cooking and finishing a range of food items whilst rotating around each section of the kitchen. Commis chefs will work as part of a kitchen brigade to ensure the quality of the food items produced meet brand, organisational and legislative requirements including the completion of food safety management documentation. They receive, check and correctly store deliveries as well as checking and reporting food items and stock levels. Commis chefs contribute to improving the culinary offer of their organisation. In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a team (brigade) of chefs, the wider team including front of house staff, suppliers and customers. Commis chefs may work unsociable hours, including early mornings, late evenings, weekends and holidays. An employee in this occupation will be responsible for maintaining high standards of personal, food and kitchen hygiene in their section. A commis chef is supervised in their work and reports to a senior chef. In a smaller establishment this may be the Head Chef or Chef Patron or may be a Chef de Partie in a larger organisation using the kitchen hierarchy system.

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Hilton Worldwide, Mitchells and Butler, The Spirit Pub Company, Compass Group UK&I, PGL, McDonald’s UK, Hospitality SME consortium led by the Lancaster London, Red Carnation Hotels, Frederic Robinson, Barchester Healthcare, Whitbread, SSP, KFC UK, Greene King, Institute of Hospitality, Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, British Institute of Innkeeping, British Beer & Pub Association, People 1st, Brend Hotels

Typical job titles include:

commis chef

Keywords:

Cater
Catering
Commis Chef
Cooking
Food
Hospitality
Kitchen

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: The factors which influence the types of food items and menus offered by the business
K2: How technology supports the development and production of dishes and menu items
K3: The importance of checking food, equipment, chemical and commodity stocks and keeping the storage areas in good order, know the procedures to carry out and how to deal with identified shortages and food close to expiry date
K4: How to undertake set up, preparation and cleaning tasks to organisational standard whilst working in a challenging, time- bound environment
K5: Correct ingredients and portion sizes for each dish in line with recipe specifications
K6: The principles of basic food preparation and cooking; taste, allergens (including intolerances), diet (including religious, cultural and medical) and nutrition
K7: Commonly used knives and kitchen equipment and their specific function
K8: Sources and quality points of common food groups including meat, poultry, game, offal, fish, shellfish, vegetables, sauces, soups, stocks, rice, pasta/noodles, eggs, vegetable protein, dough, pastry, cakes, sponges, biscuits and scones, hot and cold desserts
K9: Traditional cuts of meat and poultry
K10: Preparation methods for meat, poultry, game and offal including cutting, slicing, dicing, mincing, trimming, boning, tying, checking and preparing cavities, skinning, tenderising, marinating, seasoning, applying dry rubs, stuffing, filling, trussing, coating and portioning
K11: Categories of fish including white fish round and flat, oily fish
K12: Traditional cuts of fish including darne, tronçon, goujon, suprème, délice, paupiette
K13: Preparation methods for fish and shellfish including cleaning, descaling, skinning, trimming, filleting, removing bones, shelling, cutting, marinating, coating
K14: Categories of vegetables including roots, bulbs, flower heads, fungi, seeds and pods, tubers, leaves, stems, vegetable fruits
K15: Traditional cuts of vegetables including Julienne, Brunoise, Macédoine, Jardinière, Paysanne
K16: Preparation methods for vegetables including washing, peeling, chopping, slicing, trimming, grating, turning
K17: Preparation methods for sauces, stocks and soups including weighing, measuring, chopping, roux, skimming, passing, straining, blending, whisking
K18: Preparation methods for rice, pasta/noodles and vegetable proteins including washing, soaking, straining
K19: Preparation methods for eggs (duck, chicken, quail) including beating whisking
K20: Categories of dough for example, bread, enriched, soda, naan, pitta, pizza
K21: Preparation methods for dough including weighing, measuring, sieving, mixing, kneading, proving, knocking back, shaping, resting, chilling, piping, rolling, cutting, trimming, glazing, portioning
K22: Preparation methods for pastry (including short, sweet, suet, choux, convenience) including weighing, measuring, sieving, mixing, shaping, resting, chilling, piping, rolling, cutting, trimming, glazing, portioning
K23: Preparation methods for cakes, sponges, biscuits, scones, hot and cold desserts (including ice-cream, mousse, egg-based, batter-based, sponge-based, fruit-based, pastry-based) including weighing, measuring, sieving, mixing, shaping, rubbing in, creaming, resting, piping, rolling, cutting, trimming, lining, beating, folding, greasing, glazing, portioning, aeration, adding flavours/colours, puréeing, combining, chilling
K24: Cooking methods for meat, poultry, game and offal including searing, grilling, griddling, frying (deep, shallow, sauté and stir), braising, stewing, baking, roasting, steaming, boiling, poaching, bain-marie, combination
K25: Cooking methods for fish and shellfish including frying (deep and shallow), grilling, poaching, baking, steaming, stewing, boiling
K26: Cooking methods for vegetables including blanching, boiling, roasting, baking, grilling, braising, frying (deep, shallow and stir), steaming, stewing, combination
K27: Cooking methods for sauces, stocks and soups including boiling, simmering, reducing, thickening, flavouring
K28: Cooking methods for rice, pasta/noodles, eggs and vegetable proteins including blanching, boiling, frying (deep, sauté), scrambling, poaching, braising, steaming, stewing, baking, combination
K29: Cooking methods for dough, pastry, cakes, sponges, biscuits, scones, hot and cold desserts including baking, boiling, poaching, stewing, steaming, frying, combination
K30: Finishing methods for all food groups including resting, garnishing, adding sauce, glazing, gratinating, piping, filling, decorating, dusting, dredging, decorating
K31: The impact of seasonality on the availability, quality and price of ingredients
K32: The relevant legislation, regulations and responsibilities pertinent to this occupation
K33: The importance of following legislation and regulations and consequences of failing to meet them
K34: How personal and team performance impact on the successful production of dishes and menu items
K35: How to communicate with colleagues and support team members
K36: The importance of training and development to maximise own performance
K37: Professional behaviours and organisational culture
K38: How all teams are dependent on each other and the importance of teamwork both back and front of house
K39: Basic costing and yield of dishes and the meaning of gross profit
K40: The principles of supply chain and waste management
K41: Potential risks in the working environment, how to address them and the potential consequences of those risks

S1: Contribute to reviewing and refreshing menus in line with business and customer requirements
S2: Use technology for the development and production of dishes and menu items in line with business procedures and guidelines to achieve the best result
S3: Check food stocks, report on shortages, prioritise food that is close to expiry and keep the storage areas in good order
S4: Prioritise tasks, ensuring food items meet the required quality standard and in the required time frame
S5: Measure dish ingredients and portion sizes accurately
S6: Use a range of craft preparation and basic cooking skills and techniques to prepare, cook and finish dishes and menu items in line with business requirements
S7: Use correct knives and knife skills when preparing food and use the correct equipment when preparing, cooking and finishing food
S8: Correctly store and use food items and commodities when preparing, cooking and finishing dishes to deliver a quality product that is safe for the consumer
S9: Apply correct preparation and selection methods when using fresh produce in dishes
S10: Complete preparation and cooking tasks to a high standard, delivered on time and presented as described within the recipe specification
S11: Maintain a clean and hygienic kitchen environment at all times, complete kitchen documentation as required
S12: Work with others to ensure dishes produced are of high quality, delivered on time and to the standard required
S13: Choose methods of communication that achieve effective team working
S14: Develop own skills and knowledge through training and experiences
S15: Deal with team challenges and problems constructively to drive a positive outcome
S16: Effectively manage resources to meet specifications and control waste
S17: Follow safe systems of work reporting risks in the appropriate manner

B1: Is enthusiastic and committed to improving and developing skills
B2: Has a food safety approach at all times
B3: Shows accuracy and attention to detail
B4: Works according to the values and culture of the organisation
B5: Is fair, consistent, reliable and respectful
B6: Leads by example to develop individual and team skills

Duties

Duty D1

Prepare food items in line with legislation relevant to this occupation. Follow organisational brand standards and recipe specifications including portion control and waste management.

Duty D2

Cook food items in line with legislation relevant to this occupation. Follow organisational brand standards and recipe specifications including portion control and waste management.

Duty D3

Finish food items in line with legislation relevant to this occupation. Follow organisational brand standards and recipe specifications including portion control and waste management.

Duty D4

Clean and maintain a safe and hygienic kitchen environment including preparation, cooking and storage areas

Duty D5

Complete food safety management system documentation

Duty D6

Check and report food items and commodity (for example kitchen foil, film, plastic gloves, cloths etc) stock levels following stock rotation systems

Duty D7

Operate and clean specialist kitchen equipment following safe handling procedures

Duty D8

Receive and check internal and external deliveries of food items, equipment and chemicals and store correctly

Duty D9

Work with others to ensure dishes produced are of high quality, delivered on time and to the standard required

Duty D10

Contribute to reviewing and refreshing menus and improving the culinary offer

Duty D11

Develop own skills and knowledge through training and experiences

Occupational Progression

This occupational progression map shows technical occupations that have transferable knowledge and skills.

In this map, the focused occupation is highlighted in yellow. The arrows indicate where transferable knowledge and skills exist between two occupations. This map shows some of the strongest progression links between the focused occupation and other occupations.

It is anticipated that individuals would be required to undertake further learning or training to progress to and from occupations. To find out more about an occupation featured in the progression map, including the learning options available, click the occupation.

Progression decisions have been reached by comparing the knowledge and skills statements between occupational standards, combined with individualised learner movement data.

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Catering and hospitality