Apprentice Chef at Accor Hospitality

Name:   Jordan Taplett - Lee

Job Title/Role:  Modern Apprentice Chef - 1st Year

Dress code:   Chef’s uniform – White Chef Jacket, Checkered Blue & White Pants, White neck tie, white chef hat, black safety shoes, name badge and security ID card

Tell us a bit about what your job entails:  I am an apprentice chef, I work on the larder section and help where I can for others.  Preparing food for hotel guests.

Describe a typical day at work:  I generally work 3pm – 11pm.  3-5pm is mis en place (preparation) of vegetables, cakes, desserts, salads etc.  5-6pm is setup of my section.  6pm – 10pm is service and 10pm -11pm is clean up time!

What inspired you to work in this field?  I like to eat and make food at home, my mum has always cooked and often we would go out to restaurants.  I really enjoyed my hospitality class at school.

Qualifications and previous experience that got you the job:  The Gateway programme and my teachers got me here – one day a week, volunteering and was then offered the apprenticeship by the Executive Chef.

What skills & attributes help a person to get a job like yours?  Good People skills, Good Listening skills, flexibility with hours, practical capability.

What do you enjoy about your job most of all? What are the perks of the job?  I enjoy experimenting, the job is different every day, good team environment, makes me feel good when I am achieving great things.

What are the mundane aspects of the job?   Quiet days, some tasks can be a bit repetitive.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to get into your industry?  Show that you really want the job, call them back and don’t wait for them to call you, show that you are interested, do as much as possible to get into it.

What sort of job could you go to from here?   Possibly a chef on a boat or even think about branching out in Food & Beverage.