Cook training & profession

It’s cramped, noisy, and hot in the restaurant kitchen… and yet another receipt! The announcement comes quickly, you listen carefully: “New table 7. In the first soup and salad, in the second one schnitzel, one fish, the third fruit salad.” You immediately assign the different components of the menu to the work steps in your head: You are responsible for the supplements today. And let’s go!

What does a chef (m/f/d) do?

As a chef, you prepare food. This includes not only the work on the stove itself but also preparatory activities such as menu planning or buying new goods. Some kitchens only cook freshly, others use convenience products. Large companies often work with different stations, in a small restaurant you can be responsible for meat, side dishes, and sauces at the same time. 

You only actually cook a small part of your working time. The rest of the time you prepare things before or after. Because order and cleanliness are also an integral part of your work as a chef.

What does a chef (m/f/d) do?

As a chef, you don’t just come to the restaurant when the guests arrive. Long before that, you may have to take care of the shopping, but you definitely have to take care of the preparation of the food: chopping vegetables, filleting fish, and carving up meat. In addition, broths and sauces must be prepared.

When the restaurant opens and the guests come, it can quickly become stressful. Bonus arrives in the kitchen and the chefs prepare the ordered dishes. Once the plates have been served, the service staff will come to serve you.

After cooking, you need to do the dishes and tidy up so your workspace is ready for the next order.

The evenings can be long, but not all chefs work in the evening shop. Especially in canteens or old people’s homes, you will also be employed as a cook during the day and have almost a “normal” working day.

How does the cooking training work?

The training usually lasts 3 years. Your training to become a chef is usually structured on a dual basis, i.e. you alternate between a company and a vocational school. In the company, you will learn the practical side of the profession of cook and take on specific tasks. The theoretical background knowledge is imparted to you at the vocational school.

During your training, you must keep a record of your tasks and activities as proof of your training. Your trainer will check your record book regularly. However, the training to become a chef can also be school-based, which means that you mainly learn at a vocational school or similar educational institution and have practical phases in the company.

In the fourth half of the apprenticeship, the first part of the final exam is waiting for you, you will complete the second part of the final exam at the end of the vocational training. In the practical part of the final exam, you will, among other things, prepare a 3-course menu for 6 people, present it and conduct a guest-oriented discussion. You also prove that you can act sustainably, safely, and hygienically. After passing the final exam, you are a state-approved chef.

How much does a chef earn in training?

If you are not doing school training, you will also earn money from your first day of training. The training allowance as a chef increases with each year of training and is not fixed in terms of amount. Some companies are bound by collective bargaining agreements, while others have no fixed guidelines for the salary of a chef.

On average, you can count on this training allowance:

in the first year of training: 772 euros

in the 2nd year of training: 878 euros

in the 3rd year of training: 998 euros

Is training to become a chef right for me?

Above all, you need a passion for food, for tastes, and for guests. But there are also other requirements and skills when working as a chef. In the following, you can check whether the apprenticeship as a chef suits you or not.

You are suitable for the cooking training if you can implement instructions precisely hygiene is important to you you don’t lose focus even under stress you communicate well and like to You’re rather less suited to be a chef, if You like having regular working hours and weekends off you don’t like to calculate you prefer to work alone than in a team your sense of smell and taste are impaired