Apprentice Production Chef

Coastland College; Poole; Hybrid; GBP 16,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust is offering an apprenticeship in catering, in partnership with Coastland College. The programme combines one day per week at college (Weymouth) with practical work across NHS sites, and requires travel to multiple hospital locations.

You will gain on-the-job experience in food preparation, safety, and service delivery while developing professional knowledge and skills within an NHS setting.

Qualifications

• Apprenticeship combines on-the-job learning with college study.
• GCSE in relevant subjects.
• Travel independently to multiple NHS sites as part of the programme.

Responsibilities

• Food preparation and cooking, including specialist dietary requirements
• Maintaining food safety and hygiene standards
• Stock control and reducing food waste
• Supporting menu planning and service improvement
• Working collaboratively within a fast-paced healthcare environment
• Supervising and supporting junior team members where appropriate

Skills

Customer care skills

Education

GCSEs

Job description

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Closes in 14 days (Monday 19 October 2026)

We are looking for a motivated person to join our Catering Team and develop a rewarding career within NHS setting. You will support the smooth day-to-day running of busy healthcare kitchens, preparing high-quality meals for patients, staff and visitors in line with NHS National Standards for Healthcare Food and Drink.

Wage

£15,600 to £24,784.50, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

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

What you'll do at work

• Food preparation and cooking, including specialist dietary requirements
• Maintaining food safety and hygiene standards
• Stock control and reducing food waste
• Supporting menu planning and service improvement
• Working collaboratively within a fast-paced healthcare environment
• Supervising and supporting junior team members where appropriate

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

• Bridport Community Hospital, Blandford Forum, DT11 7DD
• 69 Haven Road, Poole, BH13 7LN
• Alderney Hospital, Poole, BH12 4NB

Training

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

• 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.

Based in partnership with Coastland College, the apprenticeship includes one day per week attendance at college (Weymouth) alongside practical workplace experience across multiple NHS sites
Applicants must therefore be able to travel independently as part of the programme

Requirements

GCSE in:

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Customer care skills

About this employer

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 almost 800,000 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 be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition.This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme.You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

Upon successful completion of this apprenticeship, further opportunities may be available to you within the company, but the experience and skills gained should prepare you for future progression within the industry

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Siobhan Baxter

[e-mail]

The reference code for this apprenticeship isVAC2000054856.