The Royal Navy - Catering Services Apprentice (Submariner) (Production Chef)

Royal Navy

Hampshire (PO2 8BY)

Closes on Monday 1 June 2026

Posted on 4 June 2024

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Summary

Not only will you become part of the Silent Service, the highly specialised team at the forefront of our nation’s defence, you’ll also embark on a catering career like no other, where you’ll cook for the boat’s crew as well as deliver high end front of house service to visiting VIPs and royalty when the submarine is in port.

Wage

£20,400 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

A £5,000 bonus for earning your 'Dolphins', the mark of the Submarine Service Additional Submariner pay each day at sea when fully qualified

Training course
Production chef (level 2)
Hours
40 hours. Shifts TBC.

40 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 2 June 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

100

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you’ll do at work

  • Our world-class training means you’ll learn all the ins and outs of running a highly efficient commercial kitchen, including responsibility for ordering, receiving, and accounting for provisions to sustain the menus you’ll write, as well as learning how to offer the highest level of premium front of house experience and the behind-the-scenes organisation that enables it
  • Be part of the team whose role is about a lot more than just food. Your crewmates, at all levels, look forward to mealtimes, so you’ll be responsible for maintaining their high morale and wellbeing
  • Learn additional, crucial skills: you’ll become a highly trained, efficient submariner capable of firefighting, delivering first aid and, if it calls for it, driving the boat itself

Where you’ll work

Navy Command HQ
The Admiral Sir Henry Leach Building
Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO2 8BY

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

ROYAL NAVY

Your training course

Production chef (level 2)

Equal to GCSE

Course contents
  • Prepare and cook pre-portioned fresh and frozen meat, fish, and poultry to business standards.
  • Prepare and cook fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to business standards.
  • Prepare salad vegetables to business standards.
  • Cook poached, simmered, steamed, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, grilled, and fried dishes.
  • Regenerate dried and frozen ingredients and dishes.
  • Undertake stock control, storage, and rotation.
  • Communicate professionally with colleagues, line managers, stakeholders, and customers.
  • Work as part of a team to support service delivery.
  • Follow specifications to produce, portion, and present food.
  • Manage own time to ensure allocated tasks are completed.
  • Use techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
  • Use feedback to improve own performance.
  • Prepare and close down an area for service.
  • Use problem solving techniques to resolve routine and non-routine issues within scope of own role.
  • Maintain prep and par levels according to business need.
  • Clean and maintain manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, and technology.
  • Follow standard operating procedures to select and safely use appropriate knives and boards for the task, for example red handled knife and red board for raw meat.
  • Monitor and record food temperatures and manage allergens during preparation, cooking, holding, and serving.
  • Apply hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, for example COSHH, personal hygiene, and uniform.
  • Reduce the waste of resources, acting to measure and reduce plate waste, exercise portion control, and maximise yield.
  • Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures, including stress management.
  • Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
  • Deliver to key performance indicators to support the production, performance, and budget within own area of responsibility.
  • Use manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, machinery, and technology.
  • Prepare and cook pre-portioned fresh and frozen meat, fish, and poultry to business standards.
  • Prepare and cook fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to business standards.
  • Prepare salad vegetables to business standards.
  • Cook poached, simmered, steamed, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, grilled, and fried dishes.
  • Regenerate dried and frozen ingredients and dishes.
  • Undertake stock control, storage, and rotation.
  • Communicate professionally with colleagues, line managers, stakeholders, and customers.
  • Work as part of a team to support service delivery.
  • Follow specifications to produce, portion, and present food.
  • Manage own time to ensure allocated tasks are completed.
  • Use techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
  • Use feedback to improve own performance.
  • Prepare and close down an area for service.
  • Use problem solving techniques to resolve routine and non-routine issues within scope of own role.
  • Maintain prep and par levels according to business need.
  • Clean and maintain manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, and technology.
  • Follow standard operating procedures to select and safely use appropriate knives and boards for the task, for example red handled knife and red board for raw meat.
  • Monitor and record food temperatures and manage allergens during preparation, cooking, holding, and serving.
  • Apply hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, for example COSHH, personal hygiene, and uniform.
  • Reduce the waste of resources, acting to measure and reduce plate waste, exercise portion control, and maximise yield.
  • Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures, including stress management.
  • Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
  • Deliver to key performance indicators to support the production, performance, and budget within own area of responsibility.
  • Use manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, machinery, and technology.

Your training plan

By the end of your training you will be - Catering Services (Submariner) (Level 2 Production Chef Apprenticeship Standard).

Apprentices without level 1 English and maths will need to achieve this level and apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to take the tests for this level prior to taking the end-point assessment.

Training and development continues throughout your career with the Royal Navy. It takes place in two distinct environments: at onshore training facilities and on-board operational submarines. When you join you complete 10 weeks of basic naval training, followed by 27 weeks of role-specific training, focussing on:

Different styles of catering to match the diverse requirements of the job

  • Food hygiene
  • Health and safety
  • Catering accountancy
  • Stock control

After successfully completing your professional training, you will stay another four months at HMS Raleigh in the Submarine School. You’ll learn about submarine operations, including warfare, weapons, nuclear propulsion and escape training, and go to sea in a submarine. After this, there’ll be a test to check your knowledge. When you pass, you’ll earn your ‘Dolphins’ – the coveted badge of a qualified Submariner.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

  • Math and English (grade GCSE Level 4)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Number skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

Other requirements

Training and development continues throughout your career with the Royal Navy. It takes place in two distinct environments: at onshore training facilities and on-board operational submarines. When you join you complete 10 weeks of basic naval training, followed by 27 weeks of role-specific training.

About this company

The Royal Navy (RN) is responsible for the protection of British interests at home and around the World. 95% of all world trade passes through the high seas and every year Britain imports £524 billion worth of goods. The RN takes an active part in the protection of British Shipping. Around the United Kingdom the RN protects vital fishing stocks by monitoring fishing activities in our waters. We recruit throughout the year, so please ignore Key Dates

https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

You’ll start your naval career as an Able Rate. With experience and further training, you could be promoted to Leading Hand and beyond. If you show the right commitment, skills, and academic ability, you could become a Commissioned Officer. Members of the Royal Navy are promoted on merit. Work hard and you can rise through the ranks.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ROYAL NAVY

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000255380.

Apply now

Closes on Monday 1 June 2026

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.

Company’s application instructions

A job in the Naval Service means adventure, camaraderie – and lifelong prospects. Every day you make a difference. And no two days are the same. You could be policing the world's oceans, delivering humanitarian aid when natural or man-made disasters strike. Or you could be deployed in combat. No matter what job you do, you'll be a key part in operations around the world. Are you ready to go places?