Commis Chef Employment Contract UK

Responsibilities reflected in the contract

• Prepare ingredients accurately under the assigned chef's direction.
• Follow recipes, portion guidance, date labels and storage instructions.
• Complete assigned temperature, cleaning and opening or closing checks.
• Rotate through agreed sections and maintain required training evidence.
• Use knives, heat and kitchen machinery only after instruction and authorisation.
• Raise allergen, quality, shortage and contamination concerns promptly.
• Maintain orderly work areas and support service without exceeding competence.

A realistic working scenario

Asked to plate a modified dish, the commis cannot confirm whether the sauce contains the named allergen. They pause the order and ask the section chef to verify it.

Outputs to agree

• accurate basic preparation
• labelled and stored ingredients
• clean equipment and work areas

Records and evidence

• Training or section log.
• Prep and labelling check.
• Temperature task.
• Incident or allergen escalation.
• Booking records.
• Payment records.

Reporting relationship

Typically reports to Head Chef, Kitchen Manager or General Manager. Confirm the employer's actual reporting structure in the builder.

Authority and escalation

• The commis works to recipes and supervision; independent menu substitution, allergen assurance and hazardous equipment use require authorisation and training.
• Obtain approval before committing expenditure, changing contractual commitments or making regulated or staffing decisions outside the assigned role.

Tools and systems

• Booking systems.
• Payment systems.
• Kitchen or housekeeping equipment where authorised.
• Shift handover tools.
• Guest communication systems.

Workplace context

• Commercial kitchen, food-storage, preparation, service and associated hygiene-control areas.

Training and certification

• Complete employer-required health and safety training.

Contract priorities

• supervised development
• shift and section rotation
• food hygiene
• equipment competence

Information the employer should prepare

• the kitchen, sections and types of service included
• the rota, split shifts, weekends and section-rotation expectations
• the training programme, supervision and review arrangements
• the preparation and cooking tasks permitted at each competence stage
• the knives, machines, heat processes and PPE covered
• the food-safety, label, temperature and cleaning records assigned
• the reporting route for allergen questions and unsafe instructions