Chef CV Example
Let your culinary skills and experience in the kitchen shine with our industry-specific chef CV
Professional CV example for Chef
[Ronald Johnson]
[Chef]
[5 Culinary Street, Birmingham, B1 1AA | 07234 567890 | ronald.johnson@email.com]
Personal Statement
Experienced chef with a strong background in fine dining and exquisite pastry creations. Proven track record of managing budgets, planning menus, and supervising kitchen staff while adhering to strict regulations. Dedicated to delivering exceptional culinary experiences for guests.
Experience
Head Chef, The Gourmet Restaurant, Birmingham (2017-Present)
- Planned and prepared seasonal menus, resulting in a 20% increase in sales over two years
- Supervised a team of 10 chefs and kitchen staff, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations
- Implemented new cooking techniques, such as sous-vide and molecular gastronomy, to enhance the fine dining experience
Sous Chef, The Elegant Plate, Birmingham (2014-2017)
- Assisted in the preparation of exquisite dishes for a 50-seat fine-dining restaurant
- Developed and executed a new pastry menu, leading to a 15% increase in dessert sales
- Demonstrated strong teamwork and communication skills to maintain a smooth-running kitchen
Education
Birmingham College of Food, Birmingham (2012-2014)
- Diploma in Culinary Arts, with a focus on French cuisine and patisserie, Grade: Distinction
Skills
- Filleting, braising, and roasting
- Menu planning
- Budgeting and cost control
- Strong leadership and teamwork skills
- Excellent presentation and plating abilities
- Knowledge of food safety regulations and HACCP principles
Certifications
- Food Safety Level 3, Highfield Qualifications, Birmingham, 2017
- Professional Cookery Level 2, City & Guilds, Birmingham, 2014
- Patisserie and Confectionery Level 3, City & Guilds, Birmingham, 2014
Languages
- Fluent in English
- Fluent in French
CV Vocabulary & Writing Tips
Pertinent vocabulary can make or break your application. By using effective keywords, you’ll prove your expertise and keep your reader’s attention high.
Words to Use
- Budgeting
- Detail
- Exquisite
- Fine dining
- Filleting
- High-quality
- Hygiene
- Menu
- Pastry
- Preparation
- Presentation
- Regulations
- Standards
- Teamwork
- Technique
Action Verbs
- Communicate
- Cook
- Create
- Delegate
- Ensure
- Lead
- Manage
- Order
- Plan
- Prepare
- Present
- Quality
- Schedule
- Select
- Supervise
- Train
Chef CV Tips and Ideas
In such a highly hands-on profession, it can be particularly hard to make a chef CV stand out. The right presentation and language will allow you to convince establishments to give you a chance to prove yourself in person.
Format
Highlight your skills Many may benefit from a reverse timeline
Design
Neat and sleek. Use a CV building tool to save time
Photo
No
Sections
Required
- Personal & contact details
- Summary
- Skills
- Work experience
- Qualifications
- Certificates
- Education & training
Optional
- Awards & achievements
- Hobbies & interests
- Languages
- Voluntary experience
- References
CV Length
1-2 A4 pages
Format
You want to make a long-lasting impression from the very first look the manager takes at your CV. Hospitality is as fast-paced as it gets and there’s no time to waste. That’s why your document should be highly readable and clear, with no unnecessary information or elements making you lose the reader’s attention.
The format you pick for your CV can do most of the hard work, guiding the recruiter through the content you most wish to highlight.
Unless you know that the company you’re applying for values creativity and uniqueness over everything else, keep your CV simple and straightforward.
Being a very practical profession, skill-based resumes allow restaurants to figure out in an instant that you have what it takes and can cover the cuisines and cooking styles desired.
However, some establishments are after a solid experience and loyal employees. If you’ve been in the industry for a long time, a chronological resume structure may work best for you.
Of course, not everyone is a seasoned chef. Those who are fresh out of school should give prominent space to their training and qualifications as well as potential awards and competitions. Check out this guide for creating a successful student CV if you’re still learning and wish to start working part time.
Design
The design of your choice should work together with the layout. Again, it’s important to keep things simple and understandable, possibly with some white space on the page for the reader to rest their eyes on. A fluffy and excessively colorful design may end up tirig the recruiter and working against you.
If unsure of how to achieve the best results, you can trust an online CV builder with the heavy lifting and create a sleek design with no effort.
Photo
As a rule of thumb, photos are a no-no in resumes. That is because they go against what outlined in the regulations against discrimination on the workplace.
However, you can add a link to your LinkedIn profile, cooking channel, or professional Instagram account where hiring managers will be able to see pictures of yourself and the delicious meals you can prepare.
Sections of a Chef CV
A chef CV should include the following sections:
- Personal & contact details
- Summary
- Skills
- Work experience
- Qualifications
- Certificates
- Education & training
Below you’ll also find a series of sections that may be included if relevant:
- Awards & achievements
- Hobbies & interests
- Languages
- Voluntary experience
- References
For example, languages can be useful when you know that restaurant you’re trying to get an interview at has a mostly international staff and/ or clientele.
CV Length
Our best advice is to keep it short and sweet. Again, you’re probably up against tough competition and the recruiter has no time to waste.
The standard is usually no longer than 2 pages. However, 1-page resumes are often preferred.
Chef CV Section Headings
Chefs should include several sections in their CV so as to give a 365-degree idea of their skills, experience and personal qualities. Different parts and techniques work for different people. However, the below sections should be included by all chefs.
Objective
In no longer than a few lines, draw attention to your expertise and specialties, your best skills and most remarkable achievements. Don’t skip this part: if short and to the point, most people will read it and be impressed by it.
Skills
It’s your time to shine. What can you do like no one else? What fine and near-impossible technique have you acquired?
Don’t think cooking only. Organisations also look for professionals who can manage invoicing, stock, training and people supervision.
Work experience
How can you back your words and prove that you can do what you say? By showing that you’ve done it before, successfully and for a long time. The work history section of your CV is, of course, one of the most crucial ones.
Those who are just starting out can instead opt for an entry-level CV.
Qualifications
For caterers and hospitality professionals more than for other positions, listing your qualifications can be key.
If you attended a prestigious academy, of course it’s time to boast about it. Continuous learning and development is also highly valued so if you still complete modules on specific foods and processes, let people know.
However, there are plenty of other types of certificates that professionals handling food should hold, including food hygiene training and health and safety in the workplace.
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