Find your ideal career in the food industry

READY to cook up your next move? The King’s Coronation has seen a £1bn spending surge on food and drink, giving a much-needed boost to the hospitality section.

But the industry’s vacancy rate is running at seven per cent, more than double the national average.

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Among the roles with the biggest numbers to fill are chefs, with almost 42,000 open jobs nationwide, including a position at Demi Chef de Partie at Buckingham Palace itself.

But becoming a chef can add spice to your life in lots of ways, so this week Sun Jobs reveals why you should consider a hot new career in the kitchen.

1. It’s flexible – Many people are put off from applying as they fear they’ll be working weekends and evenings, when everyone else is out having fun. Not so!

   There are lots of chef roles working for organisations in the day only, such as nurseries, health clubs, schools and even corporate fine dining specialists.

2. It’s a career for life – Everyone needs to eat, so a good chef will never struggle to find work. You can start at 16 and work into your 60s, 70s or longer.
3. You can specialise – From your local pub to a palace to a cruise liner to a five-star resort, chefs are needed everywhere people gather and stay. It’s a portable skill which can see you travel the world.
4. There’s a clear entry path – You’ll need to gain your Basic Food Hygiene Certificate and take an apprenticeship or a college course for your first job.

   Usual requirements include 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course. Find out more at becomingachef.co.uk.

5. You could hit the big time – How many celeb chefs can you name? Plenty of cooks have gone on to bake a fortune for themselves and social media is making it easier to build your personal brand.

Hungry for success? Here’s how to get started with the Sun Jobs pick of the week

Line Chef, David Lloyd Clubs, London

Be part of the club at David Lloyd and land a package of extra perks too.

The role: David Lloyd is seeking a Line Chef to be an integral part of its food journey.

What you’ll do: In this role you will learn new chef skills, use quality and locally sourced ingredients from approved suppliers and share ideas for menu additions.

Chefs rarely work split shifts or past 10 pm — ideal if you’re currently working in a branded restaurant or high street chain and feeling stressed out from working long hours.

What you’ll need: The ideal candidate is self-motivated, takes pride in producing great quality food, and is happy to work with the head chef and general manager to deliver consistently high standards.

Full training and development opportunities are available to help you achieve this.

Apply now: You can view more details about this role here.

Chef, Ready Set Recruit, London

This tasty new role is daytime hours only.

The role: Ready Set Recruit is working with a London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) nursery to hire a Chef.

What you’ll do: The LEYF is a collection of 40 nurseries. In this role, you will prepare nutritious meals for children and feel real job satisfaction from promoting healthy eating habits for life.

You’ll also be part of the LEYF chef community, contributing across settings, and sharing ideas and recipes. The huge plus with this role is the hours: no evenings or weekends.

What you’ll need: In-house training is provided however applicants should have a food hygiene Level 2 or equivalent qualification, along with experience keeping a kitchen clean, stocked and organised and the ability to work quickly and efficiently when preparing food.

Apply now: You can find more information about this opening here.

Regional Bank Chef, Four Seasons Health Care, Leeds

This wonderful role is all about food as love – show how much you care.

The role: Four Seasons Health Care is looking for a flexi Bank Chef to plan and deliver a full dining experience.

What you’ll do: Working across various care homes, you will prepare and cook all daily meals for residents and staff, and provide catering for special occasions and events, such as birthday cakes.

You will also be responsible for monitoring and recording the day-to-day production schedule, food safety standards and organising the cleaning rota.

What you’ll need: Applicant should be a team player, with strong communication skills, the ability to be flexible and adaptable and passionate about offering superior service.

Apply now: View the full job description here.

Discover thousands more open roles all across the UK on The Sun Job Board

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk