As part of a City & Guilds Apprenticeship with Caledonian Heritable, youâll gain hands-on experience by working within the kitchens of our venues. Apprentices are placed in our kitchen brigades, spending six months at each site to build confidence, skills, and industry knowledge.\n\nYouâll begin by mastering the foundations of professional cookery, including:\n\nFood safety and hygiene practices\n\nChemical handling and training\n\nMaintaining kitchen cleanliness\n\nReceiving deliveries and stock rotation\n\nBasic food preparation\n\nCore cookery techniques\n\nAll training is delivered within the City & Guilds framework, ensuring you develop the essential skills needed to progress in your culinary career. Year 1 City & Guilds Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Professional Cookery\n\nTerm - First 3 Months (August until October 2025)\nREHIS Elementary Food Hygeine\nShadowing Kitchen Porter and Basic food prep \nâ¢\t101- Maintenance of a safe, hygienic and secure working environment\nâ¢\t104- Working effectively as part of a hospitality team\nâ¢\t203- Maintain food safety when storing, preparing and cooking food\nâ¢\t102- Maintain, handle & clean knives\n4-11 months (November to June)\nDay to day \n3 Months in the first venue doing basic preparation and working in larder sections and vegetable sections.\nNext 6 months in a different venue\nMandatory Units\nâ¢\t101 â Maintenance of a safe, hygienic and secure working environment\nâ¢\t104 - Working effectively as part of a hospitality team\nâ¢\t203 â Maintain food safety when storing, preparing and cooking food\nâ¢\t102 â Maintain, handle and clean knives\nLearning Units to be tackled\nâ¢\t226 â Prepare vegetables for basic dishes\nâ¢\t238 â Make basic stock\nâ¢\t233 â Cook and finish basic vegetable dishes\nâ¢\t220 - Prepare fish for basic dishes\nâ¢\t227 â Cook & finish basic fish dishes\nâ¢\t223 - Prepare poultry for basic dishes\nâ¢\t230 â Cook and finish basic poultry dishes\nâ¢\t222 - Prepare meat for basic dishes\nâ¢\t229 â Cook and finish basic meat dishes\nâ¢\t236 â Prepare, cook and finish basic hot sauces\nâ¢\t240 â Prepare, cook and finish basic pasta dishes\nHolidays to be preset and agreed with Joe prior to course starting all set, Apprentices are CHL apprentices and if a venue is short staffed the apprenticeship comes first, being short staffed would need to be covered by agency or another employee. Learning and assessment days at Archerfield are set in stone once a week for each candidate on a set day and this is a priority, and the venue must release the student on that day.\nYear 2\n13-24 months\nAnother Venue Change and start on Level 3 NVQ in Professional Cookery\nMandatory\nâ¢\t302 - Develop productive working relationships \nâ¢\t203 - Maintain food safety when storing \nâ¢\t305 â Maintain the health, hygiene, safety and security of the working environment\nFurther Units\nâ¢\t332 â Prepare fish & complex dishes\nâ¢\t337 â Cook & finish shellfish dishes\nâ¢\t333 â Prepare shellfish for complex dishes\nâ¢\t338 â Cook & finish complex shellfish dishes\nâ¢\t334 â Prepare meat for complex dishes\nâ¢\t339 â Cook & finish complex meat dishes\nâ¢\t340 â Cook & finish complex poultry dishes\nâ¢\t342 â Cook and finish complex vegetable dishes\nâ¢\t343 â Prepare, cook and finish complex hot sauces \nâ¢\t348 â Prepare, cook and finish complex pastry products\nâ¢\t347 â Prepare cook and finish complex cakes, sponge, biscuits & scones\n\n Becoming an apprentice chef is as much about mindset and attitude as it is about skill. Apprenticeships are designed for people who are still learning, so you donât need to be perfectâbut you do need certain qualities to thrive. Here are the key ones:\n\n1. Passion & Curiosity\n\nGenuine interest in food, cooking, and ingredients.\n\nWillingness to learn new techniques and cuisines.\n\n2. Discipline & Work Ethic\n\nKitchens can be tough: long hours, hot environments, repetitive tasks.\n\nPunctuality, reliability, and the ability to stay focused under pressure are essential.\n\n3. Attention to Detail\n\nPrecision matters in cookingâmeasuring, timing, and presentation.\n\nCare with hygiene and safety standards.\n\n4. Teamwork & Communication\n\nKitchens run on collaboration. Being respectful, clear, and cooperative is vital.\n\nWillingness to take direction from head chefs and mentors.\n\n5. Resilience & Stamina\n\nPhysical and mental endurance to handle fast-paced, demanding shifts.\n\nAbility to bounce back from mistakes and learn from criticism.\n\n6. Creativity & Initiative (with Humility)\n\nFresh ideas and problem-solving are valuable, but always balanced with respect for culinary foundations.\n\nA good apprentice knows when to ask questions and when to observe.\n\n7. Adaptability & Willingness to Learn\n\nTechniques, menus, and kitchen cultures differâbeing flexible helps you grow.\n\nOpen to feedback and constant improvement.\n\n\uD83D\uDC49 In short: enthusiasm, reliability, resilience, teamwork, and a love of learning are the core qualities.