What's in a day?
Breakfast chefs are usually found in hotels, with the job speaking for itself - you'll be cooking breakfast for guests.
Key responsibilities:
- Preparing and cooking breakfast
- Sometimes manning the breakfast buffet
- Ordering stock for the kitchen
- Stocktaking
In some kitchens you'll assist with room service orders and help in the main kitchen when needed.
What sort of hours will I work?
You'll need to be an early bird as most kitchens will expect you at your stove and flipping eggs by 6am. That said, even if you're helping with prep for the main kitchen, you should be wrapped up by 2pm. You'll probably work a five-day rota, which means working some weekends.
What's the best bit about being a breakfast chef?
You work a daytime shift, with the afternoons and evenings free. It's also a nifty way of getting a job with a blue-chip hotel that can provide training and long-term career development.
And the worst?
Those early mornings.
What skills do I need?
- A passion for food
- An ability to work independently (in some kitchens)
- An understanding of health and safety and food safety regulations
What qualifications do I need?
Check out the many courses on offer at catering colleges around the country. Some hospitality-related qualifications that might help include:
- The 14-19 Hospitality & Catering Diploma
- NVQs or SVQs
- BTEC National Diploma
- Any health and safety and food hygiene courses
Alternatively, you could work your way into the role by applying for an apprenticeship, or by becoming a kitchen porter with a company that offers good training programmes.
Who would it suit?
Let's face it, to be successful as a breakfast chef, you need to be happy to get up early and reliably prompt when turning up for work. It goes without saying that you should enjoy cooking and preparing food and will probably be ambitious to move into the main kitchen.
What sort of salary can I expect?
Salaries can range from £11,000 to £22,000
Where can I go from here?
This is a great starting point if you want to follow a career as a chef. Simply work hard and take all the training you can get and you'll soon be moving up the kitchen hierarchy.
Look for breakfast chef jobs and head chef jobs
