RAF Chef - Full Time Career with Apprenticeship – Find an apprenticeship

Summary

An opportunity to complete an apprenticeship as an RAF Chef with an OFSTED outstanding training provider. You'll be working in kitchens across the UK and around the world that play a key part in the UK's defence, where you'll prepare attractive menus, learn how to manage your workstation, and work in a fast-paced kitchen.

Wage

£25,200 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course

Production chef (level 2)

Hours

Days and shifts to be confirmed on assignment to your first station after training.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

2 years

Positions available

30

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

The RAF Chef training program will provide you with the required organisational, time management, communication and number skills you'll require to stay calm under pressure.

You can be employed in various environments; in military kitchens where you will work with the industrial partner to prepare hotel standard fare and provide gastronomy dining experiences for military personnel; in a field kitchen providing catering support for exercises and operations worldwide; or in an in-flight catering production kitchen producing meals for fast jet pilots, helicopter crews and large aircraft crew and passengers travelling to all corners of the globe.

With experience, you could volunteer to work in our VIP Team and cook for high-ranking officers, government ministers and even members of the Royal Family. If selected, you could compete in
culinary competitions and eventually gain an invitation to represent the Royal Air Force on the Combined Services Culinary Arts Team who compete internationally against the best industry chefs in the world.

Your day-to-day tasks will vary dependent on your role, but they will include;

Working with the strategies of our industrial partners to prepare attractive menus that meet set standards
Following specifications to maintain quality and control, adhering to hygiene, health and safety regulations whilst instilling a knowledge of allergens, nutrition and diets so you can cater to the diverse Royal Air Force family

Where you’ll work

Nottingham
NG1 2ND

Training

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

College or training organisation

ROYAL AIR FORCE

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

Production Chef Level 2
Functional skills in maths and English (if required)
On successful completion of the application and selection process, your apprenticeship will start with a 10-week Basic Recruit Training Course (BRTC) at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. The course is designed to help you adjust to a military environment. As well as fitness and military training, you’ll also learn about the RAF lifestyle
Your specialist training will begin at the Food Services Training Wing at Worthy Down. This 14-week course will train you to maintain excellent standards of personal, food and kitchen hygiene whilst using specialist kitchen equipment to produce a variety of dishes
You will also undertake a 10-day Introduction to Deployed Operations with No 3 Mobile Catering Squadron (3 MCS) where you will be trained to set up field kitchens under canvas, this skill will enable you to provide catering support to deployed operations worldwide as well as supporting exercises both based in the UK and abroad

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

Other in:

None (grade None)

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
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Customer care skills
Presentation skills
Number skills
Team working
Creative
Initiative
Physical fitness

Other requirements

The role is varied and, after training, you could be stationed across the UK and beyond.

About this company

The Royal Air Force work with our UK and international partners to watch the skies, respond to threats, prevent conflict, and provide assistance in an uncertain world. We provide all personnel with a varied range of training and activities to make sure you're ready for anything. A career in the Royal Air Force will provide you with a whole host of possibilities. You will receive world class training, allowing you to learn and develop throughout your career. We recruit throughout the year, so please ignore the closing and start dates.

https://recruitment.raf.mod.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Pay will increase incrementally each year.

After this apprenticeship

The apprenticeship is a gateway to a full-time career in the Royal Air Force. Promotion to the rank of Corporal and beyond is dependent on successful completion of the apprenticeship and then on merit by competitive selection. As you advance through the ranks, you will have the increased opportunity to lead and direct people, managing resources and workforce within your area of work to deliver the required outputs whilst maintaining and instilling the highest standards expected within the RAF.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ROYAL AIR FORCE

0345 6055555

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000272987.

Apply now

Closes on Saturday 30 August 2025

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

You'll be directed through to the RAF Recruitment Website where more detail on the role is available. We have positions available for this role throughout the year and the process can take a few months. Once you have completed an application you will be invited to complete an aptitude assessment, selection interview, health assessment and a fitness test. More details of the requirement can be found at the application link.

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RAF Chef - Full Time Career with Apprenticeship

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