Apprentice Kitchen Associate Review

Preparing ingredients for service, managing stock in dry-store/fridges/freezers, maintaining a clean and tidy work area, preparing orders following company specification, following food hygeine rules, cleaning/maintaining kitchen equipment like ovens/fryers, disposing of waste correctly, completing training set and delivered by the company, temperature checks for fridges and freezers to ensure food is safe.

I have learnt how to cook a variety of things in fryers, how to operate a clam shell grill, developed my existing knife skills, how to prepare a pizza correctly and use a pizza oven, how to prioritise orders with multiple dishes dependant on the cooking time of each dish.

I really enjoy the work, it is not repetitive and day to day you are doing different things, it is very fast paced so there is always something to do, there are opportunities to do extra hours, the team in my particular workplace are fantastic and I enjoy working with them and the place is very well managed.

I have not properly started the coursework for my apprenticeship programme but from what I have seen on the online platform that delivers training, everything is well set out in a learning timeline, I have regular appointments with my training provider scheduled and I have management overseeing my apprenticeship in my workplace so overall I would say it is well organised.

The management in my workplace are brilliant and provide any support required with my apprenticeship, they schedule hours during work for me to complete any tasks or training I have and regularly check up with my progress, they provide extra training upon request and have told me to reach out if I run into any difficulties.

My workplace supports me a lot in working towards the apprenticeship qualification through meeting with me and my training provider, scheduling time dedicated to completing tasks or training during work hours, providing equipment like a laptop to complete this training in the workplace and general support if I have any difficulties.

I have not completed a lot of the coursework yet and what I have completed has not been specific to my particular job role, but what I have completed has helped me generally in my role, the training that I can see scheduled for the future definitely seems relevant to my role.

I have not participated in any extra curricular activities personally but I know others in my job do take part in activities. My company also raises a lot of money for a young people s cancer charity and there are lots of opportunities to get involved in fundraising activities like sponsored events.

Yes

I really enjoy working here. The work itself is enjoyable and the fast pace and high volume of orders suits me as I work better under pressure, the management are also fantastic. The team I work with are all great at their job and very easy to get along with, making shifts enjoyable.

Be prepared for a fast paced environment, there is a definite learning curve to starting in the kitchen but you will be supported well in learning your job role so try not to panic or be nervous when starting and do not be afraid to make mistakes, you pick it up quicker than you expect.