Chef de Partie

On a chef de partie apprenticeship course, you’ll help run a specific section of a professional kitchen, such as sauces, pastries or fish.

A chef de partie oversees a specific area of the kitchen. 

You’ll usually be in charge of a small group of staff, whom you’ll need to keep organised so that meals are served on time. However, as the only employee in your department in a smaller kitchen, you may work alone.

The chef de partie, also known as a station or sector chef, reports to the head chef and is an essential member of any culinary team. As an apprentice, you will learn how to develop traditional, classical, and modern skills and processes and culinary science and contemporary styles, including the influence of preparation, cooking, and finishing techniques on the outcome.

What you’ll learn

On a chef de partie apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Use technology aligned with organisational standards and regulations to get the best outcomes.
• Prepare, cook, and complete complex meals and menu items in line with corporate requirements using a range of advanced preparation and culinary techniques and talents.
• Prioritise tasks, delegate authority as needed, and perform them on schedule and to the requisite quality.
• Prepare, cook, and finish the food under agreed-upon food safety standards and criteria while keeping a clean and hygienic kitchen environment and adhering to and documenting food safety management systems.
• Brief, teach and encourage personnel to prepare high-quality meals and menu items that are served on time and to specifications.
• Collaborate across the team and with colleagues from other departments to identify and handle problems constructively to reach a successful resolution.
• Use communication methods that achieve the desired result while exhibiting a customer-centric, adaptive culture.
• Use strategies to improve your company’s competitiveness, performance, revenue, profit margins, and customer happiness.
• Monitor the use of materials and other resources, yield, waste, and portion size to keep costs under control.
• Use eco-friendly working techniques and encourage and aid others to do the same.
• Maintain legal compliance while inspiring confidence by providing safety and security.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• Depending on the employer, GCSEs or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience are likely.
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level before taking the end-point assessment

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment comprises three distinct assessment methods: 

• Observation with questions
• Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence
• Knowledge test 

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 3 Chef de Partie Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page