What does a new chef need? Start with safe working habits, basic cooking skills, appropriate training and supervised practice. For uniform and equipment, use your employer's or course provider's requirements before buying. You do not need to assume that a large knife collection, expensive clothing or specialist gadgets are essential from day one.
This guide covers five foundations: skills, training, experience, uniform and tools. Use it to prepare questions and organise your next steps, not as a substitute for practical instruction or a workplace induction.
In this guide
- Skills and techniques
- Training routes for new chefs
- Making the most of workplace experience
- Choosing your chef uniform
- Tools and equipment
- Preparing for your first shift
- Frequently asked questions
1. Skills and techniques: build reliable foundations
Learn to work accurately and consistently before concentrating on speed. A supervisor can help you choose tasks suited to your experience and show you how the kitchen expects them to be completed.
Knife handling comes before elaborate cuts
Ask a competent instructor to demonstrate a suitable grip, hand position and cutting method for the knife and ingredient. A written description cannot show whether your technique is safe. Do not assume one rocking or slicing motion is suitable for every task.
HSE guidance on kitchen knives recommends training, a knife suitable for the task, sharp blades and a stable cutting surface. It also emphasises careful handling during washing and secure storage after use.
- Do not leave knives loose where they can be pushed off a worktop.
- Never try to catch a falling knife.
- Do not carry a knife in your pocket or use it as a can opener.
- Get instruction before sharpening or using unfamiliar equipment.
- Use the protective equipment specified for the task; ordinary chefwear is not automatically knife-resistant.
Once the basics are secure, practise the cuts your role requires, such as slicing, dicing and julienne, under guidance. Specialist tasks such as filleting and deboning need appropriate instruction and equipment rather than an expectation that every beginner should attempt them immediately.
Learn cooking methods through practice and feedback
Roasting, baking, simmering, steaming, braising and sautéing are useful areas to develop. Work through the methods relevant to your training programme or station, following approved recipes and food-safety procedures.
Record quantities, timing and adjustments so you can repeat a result. Ask what to improve rather than judging success only by appearance. More advanced processes, including sous vide, smoking and fermentation, should be introduced with suitable training and controls, not treated as compulsory beginner skills.
Organisation and communication matter too
Prepare ingredients and equipment before starting a task, keep your station orderly and make sure you understand instructions. If you are unsure about an ingredient, cooking process or order, ask before continuing. Reliability includes recognising the limits of your experience.
2. Training: choose a route that fits your goal
The National Careers Service describes university, college, apprenticeship and work-based routes into a chef career. There is no need to assume that one course format is the only way to start.
Compare the entry requirements, practical content, assessment, support and intended outcome of each option. Ask for the exact qualification title and awarding organisation where relevant. Course duration, costs and funding depend on the programme, so use current provider information rather than a generic estimate.
Online learning can support theory and practice, but check what feedback and practical assessment are included. See our online chef training guide for questions to ask before enrolling.
Also establish what food-safety, allergen and equipment training your role requires. A general cooking course should not be assumed to cover every process used by a particular workplace.
3. Experience: make workplace learning purposeful
Supervised work gives you a chance to apply skills in the kitchen's actual workflow. Ask who you report to, what you are authorised to do and how to obtain help during service.
Set small learning goals with your supervisor. These might include organising a preparation task, producing a consistent component or understanding a station's cleaning routine. Seek specific feedback and make a note of what to practise next.
Observe how colleagues communicate, organise orders and respond when something goes wrong. Do not copy a shortcut simply because an experienced person uses it; ask how it fits the kitchen's agreed procedures.
Build responsibility gradually. Report mistakes or uncertainty promptly rather than hiding them. For ingredient and allergy questions in particular, use the business's checked information and escalation process instead of answering from memory.
4. Uniform: check requirements before ordering
Confirm the required colour, sleeve length, footwear and head covering with your employer or college. Ask what is supplied, whether personal garments are allowed and what laundry arrangements apply.
Food Standards Agency guidance emphasises suitable, clean protective clothing for food handlers. That does not mean an ordinary chef jacket or apron provides certified protection against heat, chemicals or cuts. Task-specific protective equipment must be selected according to the workplace's requirements.
- Chef jacket: check the specified style and size guide, then assess movement through the shoulders and arms. Compare the actual fastenings, fabric and care instructions.
- Chef trousers: choose the required style and a secure, comfortable fit. Check movement when bending and reaching.
- Chef headwear: follow the workplace's hair-restraint and uniform instructions. Not every chef hat is a tall toque.
- Chef apron: confirm the required coverage and design. Check fit and care details rather than assuming every apron has adjustable straps or pockets.
- Chef footwear: ask for the workplace's specification and check the individual product's documented features. A category name alone does not establish slip resistance or protective performance.
Plan enough clean changes for your shift pattern and laundry turnaround. For garment care, read our guide to cleaning chef whites. Free UK mainland delivery on orders over £100.
5. Tools and equipment: buy for your actual tasks
Obtain the course or workplace kit list before spending money. Ask which items are supplied, which you must bring and how personal knives should be transported and stored under the organisation's arrangements.
A chef's knife, paring knife and serrated knife are examples of different tools you may encounter, not a compulsory shopping list for every beginner. Start with the tools specified for your duties. Do not buy a cleaver, filleting knife or large matching set merely because a general guide calls it essential.
Check whether you need scales, measuring tools, a food thermometer, tongs or other utensils, and what training is provided for their use and cleaning. Equipment intended for a training exercise may differ from what a workplace permits.
Maintain tools according to their instructions and report damage. A high price does not guarantee suitability, and ownership is not evidence that you can use an item safely.
The featured graphic illustrates uniform and equipment alongside a City & Guilds logo. It is not a compulsory kit list or a statement that City & Guilds endorses Chefswear.
Preparing for your first shift or practical class
- Confirm the start time, location and person to report to.
- Check the uniform, footwear and kit requirements.
- Arrive with clean clothing and follow the site's hygiene procedure.
- Ask about induction, emergency arrangements and reporting hazards.
- Understand who supervises your tasks and where to ask questions.
- Work carefully, accept feedback and review what to practise next.
Chef essentials: frequently asked questions
Do I need ten different knives to start chef training?
No general ten-knife list applies to everyone. Follow the kit list and start with tools suited to your course or duties, with instruction in safe use and storage.
Do I have to attend university to become a chef?
No. The National Careers Service also identifies college, apprenticeship and work-based routes. Compare the options against your circumstances and career goal.
Which chef uniform should I buy first?
Confirm the required items with your employer or course provider before buying. Check colour, fit, care requirements and any task-specific safety specifications.
Can I learn knife skills from a written guide?
A guide can introduce topics, but it cannot check your technique. Seek a practical demonstration and supervised feedback from a competent instructor.
What matters most when starting in a professional kitchen?
Work safely, follow instructions, stay organised and communicate when you are unsure. Build speed and independence as your skills and responsibilities develop.
Sources consulted: National Careers Service chef career guidance; HSE guidance on safe use of kitchen knives; and Food Standards Agency guidance on personal hygiene and work clothing. Sources are named in plain text without external links.
