NHS Apprentice Chef – Start Your Culinary Career in Poole

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust is looking for a motivated person to join our Catering Team and develop a rewarding career within the 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

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:

2 Nuffield Road, Nuffield Industrial Estate, Poole, BH17 0RB

Training:

• 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
• 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
• Reduce the waste of resources, measuring and reducing plate waste, exercising portion control, and maximising 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 English (grade C/4 or above)
• GCSE in Maths (grade C/4 or above)

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

Skills: Strong communication, teamwork, and good time‑management skills are essential.

Employer Contact for this apprenticeship: Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust, Siobhan Baxter

Application Closed on: Monday 20 July 2026