Commis chef

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This apprenticeship has been retired

Overview of the role

Preparing food and carrying out basic cooking tasks in every section of a kitchen under the supervision of a senior chef.

Details of standard

Occupation 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.

Occupation duties

Duty	KSBs
Duty 1 Prepare food items in line with legislation relevant to this occupation. Follow organisational brand standards and recipe specifications including portion control and waste management.	K1 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K31 K32 K33 K34 K35 K37 K38 K39 K40 K41 S2 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S16 S17 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6
Duty 2 Cook food items in line with legislation relevant to this occupation. Follow organisational brand standards and recipe specifications including portion control and waste management.	K1 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K11 K14 K20 K24 K25 K26 K27 K28 K29 K31 K32 K33 K34 K35 K37 K38 K39 K40 K41 S2 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S16 S17 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6
Duty 3 Finish food items in line with legislation relevant to this occupation. Follow organisational brand standards and recipe specifications including portion control and waste management.	K1 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K11 K14 K20 K30 K31 K32 K33 K34 K35 K37 K38 K39 K40 K41 S2 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S10 S11 S12 S16 S17 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6
Duty 4 Clean and maintain a safe and hygienic kitchen environment including preparation, cooking and storage areas	K3 K4 K32 K33 K35 K37 K38 K40 K41 S2 S3 S8 S11 S12 S16 S17 B2 B3 B4 B6
Duty 5 Complete food safety management system documentation	K3 K4 K6 K8 K32 K33 K35 K37 K38 K40 K41 S3 S11 S12 S16 S17 B2 B3 B4 B6
Duty 6 Check and report food items and commodity (for example kitchen foil, film, plastic gloves, cloths etc) stock levels following stock rotation systems	K3 K4 K32 K33 K35 K37 K38 K40 K41 S3 S4 S9 S11 S12 S16 S17 B2 B3 B4 B6
Duty 7 Operate and clean specialist kitchen equipment following safe handling procedures	K2 K4 K7 K10 K13 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K21 K22 K23 K24 K25 K26 K27 K28 K29 K30 K32 K33 K35 K37 K38 K40 K41 S2 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S16 S17 B2 B3 B4 B6
Duty 8 Receive and check internal and external deliveries of food items, equipment and chemicals and store correctly	K3 K6 K8 K31 K32 K33 K35 K37 K38 K40 K41 S3 S4 S11 S12 S16 S17 B2 B3 B4 B6
Duty 9 Work with others to ensure dishes produced are of high quality, delivered on time and to the standard required	K6 K33 K34 K35 K36 K37 K38 K39 K40 K41 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S15 S16 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6
Duty 10 Contribute to reviewing and refreshing menus and improving the culinary offer	K1 K2 K31 K35 K36 K37 K38 K39 K40 S1 S6 S14 B1 B2 B4 B6
Duty 11 Develop own skills and knowledge through training and experiences	K1 K34 K35 K36 K37 K38 K39 K40 S1 S13 S14 S15 B1 B4 B5 B6

KSBs

Knowledge

K1: The factors which influence the types of food items and menus offered by the business Back to Duty

K2: How technology supports the development and production of dishes and menu items Back to Duty

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 Back to Duty

K4: How to undertake set up, preparation and cleaning tasks to organisational standard whilst working in a challenging, time- bound environment Back to Duty

K5: Correct ingredients and portion sizes for each dish in line with recipe specifications Back to Duty

K6: The principles of basic food preparation and cooking; taste, allergens (including intolerances), diet (including religious, cultural and medical) and nutrition Back to Duty

K7: Commonly used knives and kitchen equipment and their specific function Back to Duty

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 Back to Duty

K9: Traditional cuts of meat and poultry Back to Duty

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 Back to Duty

K11: Categories of fish including white fish round and flat, oily fish Back to Duty

K12: Traditional cuts of fish including darne, tronçon, goujon, suprème, délice, paupiette Back to Duty

K13: Preparation methods for fish and shellfish including cleaning, descaling, skinning, trimming, filleting, removing bones, shelling, cutting, marinating, coating Back to Duty

K14: Categories of vegetables including roots, bulbs, flower heads, fungi, seeds and pods, tubers, leaves, stems, vegetable fruits Back to Duty

K15: Traditional cuts of vegetables including Julienne, Brunoise, Macédoine, Jardinière, Paysanne Back to Duty

K16: Preparation methods for vegetables including washing, peeling, chopping, slicing, trimming, grating, turning Back to Duty

K17: Preparation methods for sauces, stocks and soups including weighing, measuring, chopping, roux, skimming, passing, straining, blending, whisking Back to Duty

K18: Preparation methods for rice, pasta/noodles and vegetable proteins including washing, soaking, straining Back to Duty

K19: Preparation methods for eggs (duck, chicken, quail) including beating whisking Back to Duty

K20: Categories of dough for example, bread, enriched, soda, naan, pitta, pizza Back to Duty

K21: Preparation methods for dough including weighing, measuring, sieving, mixing, kneading, proving, knocking back, shaping, resting, chilling, piping, rolling, cutting, trimming, glazing, portioning Back to Duty

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 Back to Duty

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 Back to Duty

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 Back to Duty

K25: Cooking methods for fish and shellfish including frying (deep and shallow), grilling, poaching, baking, steaming, stewing, boiling Back to Duty

K26: Cooking methods for vegetables including blanching, boiling, roasting, baking, grilling, braising, frying (deep, shallow and stir), steaming, stewing, combination Back to Duty

K27: Cooking methods for sauces, stocks and soups including boiling, simmering, reducing, thickening, flavouring Back to Duty

K28: Cooking methods for rice, pasta/noodles, eggs and vegetable proteins including blanching, boiling, frying (deep, sauté), scrambling, poaching, braising, steaming, stewing, baking, combination Back to Duty

K29: Cooking methods for dough, pastry, cakes, sponges, biscuits, scones, hot and cold desserts including baking, boiling, poaching, stewing, steaming, frying, combination Back to Duty

K30: Finishing methods for all food groups including resting, garnishing, adding sauce, glazing, gratinating, piping, filling, decorating, dusting, dredging, decorating Back to Duty

K31: The impact of seasonality on the availability, quality and price of ingredients Back to Duty

K32: The relevant legislation, regulations and responsibilities pertinent to this occupation Back to Duty

K33: The importance of following legislation and regulations and consequences of failing to meet them Back to Duty

K34: How personal and team performance impact on the successful production of dishes and menu items Back to Duty

K35: How to communicate with colleagues and support team members Back to Duty

K36: The importance of training and development to maximise own performance Back to Duty

K37: Professional behaviours and organisational culture Back to Duty

K38: How all teams are dependent on each other and the importance of teamwork both back and front of house Back to Duty

K39: Basic costing and yield of dishes and the meaning of gross profit Back to Duty

K40: The principles of supply chain and waste management Back to Duty

K41: Potential risks in the working environment, how to address them and the potential consequences of those risks Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Contribute to reviewing and refreshing menus in line with business and customer requirements Back to Duty

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 Back to Duty

S3: Check food stocks, report on shortages, prioritise food that is close to expiry and keep the storage areas in good order Back to Duty

S4: Prioritise tasks, ensuring food items meet the required quality standard and in the required time frame Back to Duty

S5: Measure dish ingredients and portion sizes accurately Back to Duty

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 Back to Duty

S7: Use correct knives and knife skills when preparing food and use the correct equipment when preparing, cooking and finishing food Back to Duty

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 Back to Duty

S9: Apply correct preparation and selection methods when using fresh produce in dishes Back to Duty

S10: Complete preparation and cooking tasks to a high standard, delivered on time and presented as described within the recipe specification Back to Duty

S11: Maintain a clean and hygienic kitchen environment at all times, complete kitchen documentation as required Back to Duty

S12: Work with others to ensure dishes produced are of high quality, delivered on time and to the standard required Back to Duty

S13: Choose methods of communication that achieve effective team working Back to Duty

S14: Develop own skills and knowledge through training and experiences Back to Duty

S15: Deal with team challenges and problems constructively to drive a positive outcome Back to Duty

S16: Effectively manage resources to meet specifications and control waste Back to Duty

S17: Follow safe systems of work reporting risks in the appropriate manner Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: Is enthusiastic and committed to improving and developing skills Back to Duty

B2: Has a food safety approach at all times Back to Duty

B3: Shows accuracy and attention to detail Back to Duty

B4: Works according to the values and culture of the organisation Back to Duty

B5: Is fair, consistent, reliable and respectful Back to Duty

B6: Leads by example to develop individual and team skills Back to Duty

Qualifications

English and Maths

English and maths qualifications form a mandatory part of all apprenticeships and must be completed before an apprentice can pass through gateway. The requirements are detailed in the current version of the apprenticeship funding rules.

Additional details

Occupational Level:

Duration (months):

Review

this apprenticeship will be reviewed in accordance with our change request policy.

End-point assessment (EPA plan)

Rigorous robust and independent assessment undertaken by an apprentice at the end of training to test that the apprentice can perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the occupational standard

End-point assessment organisation (EPAO)

An organisation approved to deliver end-point assessment for a particular apprenticeship standard. EPAOs must be on the register of end-point assessment organisations

Holistic or synoptic

Assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way i.e. assessing several KSBs at the same time

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB)

What is needed to competently undertake the duties required for an occupational standard

Valid

Referred to in relation to assessment methods; fit for purpose

Change request policy

Most changes to an apprenticeship are made as a result of a holistic review of it. We prioritise the need for such reviews based on a range of factors. These include:

the time since the apprenticeship was developed or last reviewed (taking account of its typical duration)
the existence of any known problems with it (e.g. lower than expected starts, low achievement rate, high withdrawal rate, any issues with the availability of training or end-point assessment provision)
whether the apprenticeship is currently subject to a dispensation
the relative significance of the apprenticeship based on how many users it has

The availability of an employer group to support a review and its potential impact on any related technical education product also inform the timing of a review.

Details of apprenticeships that are currently being revised or adjusted are available in our revisions and adjustments status report.

Status: Retired

Level: 2

Reference: ST0228

Version: 1.2

Date updated: 26/06/2023

Route: Catering and hospitality

Minimum duration to gateway: 12 months

Typical EPA period: 4 months

Maximum funding: £8000

LARS Code: 93

EQA Provider: Ofqual

Commis chef assessment plan

File size: 315 KB

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

Print the occupational standard (including PDF)

Version log

Version	Change detail	Earliest start date	Latest start date
1.3	Funding band revised	26/06/2023	Not set
1.2	End-point assessment plan and standard revised.	28/09/2021	25/06/2023
1.1	The funding band for this standard has been reviewed as part of the apprenticeship funding band review. The new funding band is £8000	04/03/2019	27/09/2021
1.0	Retired	27/04/2016	03/03/2019

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