Apprentice Chef

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust is offering four Apprentice Chef positions across St Ann's Hospital, Alderney Hospital and Blandford Hospital. The apprenticeship starts January 2027 and combines on‑the‑job training with study at Coastland College, Weymouth, with weekly college attendance and travel between sites.

You will work under experienced chefs in healthcare catering, learning to prepare meals meeting dietary and nutritional needs while following high safety standards.

Qualifications

• Interest in food, cooking and catering as stated in the role description.
• Willingness to learn and develop in a healthcare catering environment.
• Basic understanding of health and safety principles relevant to kitchen work.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook a wide range of high-quality meals for patients, staff and visitors.
• Follow food safety, HACCP, COSHH and hygiene standards consistently.
• Support stock control, ordering and reducing food waste where possible.

Skills

Enthusiasm to learn

Teamwork

Education

GCSE English & Maths

Tools

Basic Computer Skills

Job description

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Apprentice Chef

The closing date is 19 October 2026

Are you passionate about food, keen to learn and looking for an exciting opportunity to build a career as a chef? We are looking forfour enthusiastic and motivated Apprentice Chefsto join our Catering Teams withinDorset HealthCare.

This is a fantastic opportunity toearn while you learn, gaining practical experience in NHS healthcare catering while working towards a professional chef qualification.

Where will you be based?

We havefour apprenticeship positionsavailable, based at:

• St Ann's Hospital
• Alderney Hospital
• Blandford Hospital

The apprenticeshipstarts in January 2027and is delivered in partnership withCoastland College. As part of the programme, you will be required to attend college inWeymouth one day per week, alongside your practical workplace training.

You will need to be able totravel independently to your workplace and college as required.

Please note visa sponsorship for this role is unfortunately not available. Ensure you hold valid right to work in the UK and will not require sponsorship if successful.

Main duties of the job

What will you do?

Working alongside experienced chefs and catering managers, you'll become an important part of the team responsible for providing nutritious, high-quality meals topatients, staff and visitors.

You'll gain valuable hands-on experience in a professional healthcare kitchen, developing your culinary skills while learning how catering plays an important role in patient care and wellbeing.

Your apprenticeship will give you experience in:

• Preparing and cooking a wide range of high-quality meals
• Preparing food to meetspecialist dietary and nutritional requirements
• Following excellent food safety, hygiene and health & safety standards
• Learning about stock control, ordering and reducing food waste
• Supporting menu planning and service improvements
• Working effectively as part of a busy and supportive catering team
• Developing your organisation, communication and customer service skills
• Taking on additional responsibilities and supporting junior colleagues as your skills and confidence develop

What are we looking for?

You'll be someone who:

• Has an interest in food, cooking and catering
• Is enthusiastic about learning new skills and developing a career
• Enjoys working as part of a team
• Is committed to providing excellent service to patients, staff and visitors
• Is willing to learn and follow high standards of food safety and hygiene

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to create healthier lives, empowered citizens and thriving communities.

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidates individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact [e-mail]

Person Specification

Knowledge, Skills and Training

• English language and maths qualifications at GCSE level or equivalent
• Understanding of Health and Safety procedures, HACCP, COSHH, Allergen principles

Information Technology

• Basic knowledge of computers

Personalqualities and attributes

• Proven ability to remain calm and efficient under pressure
• Is self-aware, which includes awareness of impact on others
• High level of drive, self- motivation and energy to see tasks and projects through to conclusion
• Ability to motivate and influence others and manage resistance to change
• Proven ability to achieve results both autonomously and as part of a team with the confidence to take initiative within boundaries

Business Travel

• Subject to the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act, able to travel using own vehicle on Trust business

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust