Hospitality / Kitchen

Kitchen Assistant CV example (UK)

A UK kitchen assistant CV for restaurants, cafés, schools and care catering: food prep, hygiene, allergen awareness and keeping up in a busy kitchen.

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Example CV profile

Reliable kitchen assistant with [one year's] experience supporting chefs in a busy [pub kitchen serving 150 covers on a Saturday]. Preps vegetables, salads and desserts to the chef's spec, follows food hygiene and allergen procedures, and keeps the kitchen clean and organised during service. Available [evenings and weekends].

Key skills to include (if true for you)

Food preparation (washing, peeling, chopping, portioning)
Food safety and hygiene, including temperature checks and labelling
Allergen awareness and following allergen procedures
Stock rotation (FIFO) and putting deliveries away
Cleaning schedules and safe use of chemicals (COSHH)
Dishwashing and keeping equipment ready for service
Safe use of knives, slicers and mixers
Working quickly and calmly during busy services
Teamwork and clear communication with chefs and front of house

Example experience bullet points

Prepared vegetables, salads, sauces and desserts to the head chef's recipes and portion sizes before each service.
Labelled and dated food, rotated stock using first in, first out, and recorded fridge and freezer temperatures twice a shift.
Followed the kitchen's allergen matrix and checked labels on deliveries, passing any changes to the chef on duty.
Kept the pot wash and dishwasher moving during [150-cover] Saturday services so chefs never ran short of equipment.
Completed daily and weekly cleaning schedules, using chemicals safely in line with COSHH instructions.
Checked in and put away deliveries, reporting short or damaged items to the kitchen manager.
Covered breakfast service on [weekends], plating simple dishes under the chef's supervision.

Illustrative only. Replace with your own real roles, dates and results — never copy experience you don't have.

Education & training

Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene for Catering (or equivalent) – [provider], [year] (if held)
Allergen awareness training – [provider or Food Standards Agency online course], [year]
GCSEs or equivalent – [School], [year]

Keywords UK recruiters screen for

kitchen assistant · food preparation · food hygiene · Level 2 food safety · allergen awareness · stock rotation · cleaning schedules · COSHH · fast-paced · teamwork

Tips for a kitchen assistant CV

Use this example when the advert mentions food prep as well as cleaning. If it's mainly pot wash and cleaning, the Kitchen Porter CV example is a closer fit.
List food safety and allergen training with the provider and year. Free online allergen training from the Food Standards Agency counts.
Show you can keep up: the number of covers on a busy night, how many chefs you supported, or the dishes you prepped.
Mention safety habits a head chef cares about: temperature checks, labelling, FIFO, safe knife use and chemicals.
Put your availability near the top: evenings, weekends, split shifts and holidays.
No kitchen experience? Use cooking at home, food technology at school, volunteering at a food bank or community kitchen, or any job where you followed hygiene rules.

Kitchen assistant pay is usually hourly, and some kitchens share tips or a service charge. Check the advert for the rate, and GOV.UK for the National Minimum Wage rates for your age. Salary checker (ONS data).

Official sources and further reading

What head chefs look for in a kitchen assistant

Kitchen assistant adverts usually come down to five things:

Prep you can be trusted with. Washing, peeling, chopping and portioning to the chef's spec, ready before service.
Food safety habits. Temperature checks, labelling and dating, stock rotation and handwashing.
Allergen awareness. Knowing where the allergen information is and never guessing.
Keeping the kitchen moving. Clean equipment, clear surfaces and a pot wash that doesn't pile up.
Reliability. Evenings, weekends and turning up on time for every shift.

The National Careers Service's kitchen porter and kitchen assistant profile lists working well with others, staying calm under pressure, attention to detail, organising your time and physical fitness among the skills you'll need. Show each one with something you've done. Paste the advert into the free job ad keyword extractor to see which matter most to that kitchen.

Kitchen assistant, kitchen porter or chef?

Role	What the CV should lead with	Best example
Kitchen porter	Pot wash, cleaning, chemicals, deliveries	Kitchen porter CV
Kitchen or catering assistant	Prep, hygiene, allergens, supporting chefs	This page
Commis or chef de partie	Cooking, running a section, menus	Chef CV

The National Careers Service says that with experience and further training you could become a trainee or junior chef, so it's worth saying on your CV if that's your goal.

Food hygiene and allergen training

GOV.UK says food handlers do not have to hold a food hygiene certificate. Employers must make sure their staff have the right skills and training for their role, and staff must be trained to manage allergies. Many kitchens train you on the job, and some adverts ask for a Level 2 food safety and hygiene certificate. If you have one, list it with the provider and year.

Allergen rules for food that's packed on the premises before it's sold, known as prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food, are also known as Natasha's Law. The Food Standards Agency's guidance on them applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, Food Standards Scotland sets the guidance. You don't need to quote the law on your CV. "Followed the kitchen's allergen procedures and labelling" shows you take it seriously.

First job?

Many people start in a kitchen with no experience. The 16-year-old CV example, part-time job CV example and the guide to a CV with no experience show how to structure a first CV. For the cover letter, the chef cover letter example is a good model for kitchen roles.

Check it before you send it

Run your CV through the free CV checker for a suggested fix on each issue, or start with the free CV builder. See also the UK CV format guide.

FAQs

What should I put on a kitchen assistant CV?

Food prep you've done, food safety and allergen habits, cleaning and stock rotation, how busy the kitchen was, any food hygiene or allergen training, and your availability.

Do I need a food hygiene certificate to be a kitchen assistant?

Not by law. GOV.UK says food handlers do not have to hold a food hygiene certificate, but staff must have the right skills and training for their role, including on allergies. Some employers ask for a Level 2 certificate, so list it if you have one.

How do I write a kitchen assistant CV with no experience?

Lead with your availability and a short profile, then show you're reliable, quick to learn and careful with hygiene: food technology at school, cooking at home, volunteering in a community kitchen, or any job with a uniform and procedures.

What's the difference between a kitchen assistant and a kitchen porter?

A kitchen porter mainly washes up, cleans and helps with deliveries. A kitchen assistant also preps food and supports the chefs. Use the title in the advert and lead with the duties it mentions most.

Is a catering assistant CV the same?

Very similar. Catering assistant jobs in schools, hospitals, care homes and workplaces often add serving food and working to set menus. Use this example and add serving and customer duties if the advert mentions them.

Applying in the US, Canada or Australia?

In the US the role may be called kitchen helper or prep cook, and in Australia kitchen hand. Call the document a resume. The content is the same: prep, hygiene, cleaning, speed and reliability.

Related examples

UK CV format · Skills to put on a CV · How to tailor your CV to a job description · Cover letter examples · All UK CV examples