Kitchen Assistant CV Example
Updated 30 June 2026
A strong kitchen assistant CV proves you can handle the pace, the hygiene standards, and the teamwork that keeps a kitchen running. Whether you are applying for your first kitchen role or stepping up to senior kitchen assistant, this guide shows you how to write a CV that gets you shortlisted, with real examples, skills lists, and tips for candidates with no kitchen experience.
Kitchen Assistant CV examples
Entry-Level Kitchen Assistant
entryLeads with Level 2 Food Hygiene, transferable skills from retail, and clear availability, perfect for a first kitchen role.
Senior Kitchen Assistant
seniorDemonstrates leadership, advanced prep skills, and training responsibilities, shows readiness to step up to commis chef.
How to write a kitchen assistant CV
A kitchen assistant CV should be one to two pages, reverse-chronological, and laser-focused on the practical skills and compliance credentials employers screen for. Here is the structure that works.
Format and length
One page for entry-level roles (under one year of kitchen experience), two pages if you have multiple kitchen roles or are applying for senior kitchen assistant positions. Use clear headings, bullet points, and a simple font. No photo, no date of birth, UK CVs do not include them.
Section order
- Contact details and personal statement at the top.
- Skills section immediately after, this is where you list the concrete kitchen tasks (food prep, dishwashing, stock rotation) and compliance credentials (Level 2 Food Hygiene, COSHH) that hiring managers scan for.
- Work experience in reverse-chronological order, with achievement bullets that quantify your impact.
- Education and certifications.
- Additional information (availability, languages, interests) if relevant.
What to include in each section
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Personal statement | Role title, experience level, Level 2 Food Hygiene credential, key strengths (speed under pressure, reliability), and availability. 2-3 sentences. |
| Skills | Concrete kitchen tasks first (food prep, dishwashing, stock rotation, waste management), then compliance (Level 2 Food Hygiene, COSHH), then equipment (commercial dishwasher, waste compactor). |
| Work experience | Job title, employer, dates, location, and 3-4 achievement bullets per role with numbers (covers served, waste cut, shifts worked). |
| Education | Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety Certificate at the top, then GCSEs or other qualifications. Include awarding body for the hygiene cert. |
| Additional info | Availability, ambition to progress to commis chef, languages, relevant interests. |
The detailed sections below show you exactly how to write each part.
Personal statement examples
Reliable and enthusiastic kitchen assistant with Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety Certificate and eight months' experience in a high-volume restaurant kitchen. Confident handling food prep, dishwashing, and stock rotation during 150+ cover services. Available for evenings, weekends, and split shifts, and keen to progress towards commis chef role.
Hard-working and motivated individual looking for a kitchen assistant role to use my skills and gain experience. I am a team player who is passionate about food and eager to learn in a busy kitchen environment.
Writing your experience
Kitchen assistant work experience should prove you can handle the pace, the hygiene, and the teamwork. Every bullet should show a concrete task plus a measurable result, not just a list of duties.
The result-plus-metric pattern
Employers want evidence you kept the kitchen moving during service, not a list of chores. Structure each bullet as: task + context + measurable outcome.
Before (duty list):
- Responsible for washing dishes and keeping the kitchen clean.
- Helped with food preparation.
- Rotated stock and checked deliveries.
After (achievement with metrics):
- Operated commercial dishwasher and pot wash station during 120+ cover weekend services, keeping equipment turnaround under 10 minutes and ensuring chefs had clean pans throughout service.
- Prepared vegetables, salads, and garnishes for lunch and dinner service, reducing prep time by 15% through improved knife skills and organisation.
- Rotated stock using FIFO method and date-labelled all incoming deliveries, contributing to zero food safety incidents over 12 months.
Show speed and stamina under pressure
Kitchen employers screen for the ability to stay calm and keep pace when tickets pile up. Use concrete context to prove it.
Before:
- Worked well under pressure during busy periods.
After:
- Maintained clean workstations and cleared the pass during 200+ cover Saturday services, staying calm and keeping pace when tickets backed up during peak periods.
Action verbs for kitchen assistant roles
Prepared, chopped, peeled, portioned, operated, maintained, sanitised, rotated, checked, logged, supported, cleared, restocked, flagged, trained, supervised, reduced, cut, ensured, contributed to, recognised for.
Before and after examples
| Before (vague duty) | After (concrete achievement) |
|---|---|
| Helped chefs with food preparation. | Prepared mise en place including chopping vegetables, portioning proteins, and prepping sauces for 150+ cover services, supporting chefs to plate on time during peak periods. |
| Washed dishes and cleaned equipment. | Operated commercial dishwasher and glass washer during Friday and Saturday evening services, keeping pot wash clear and ensuring zero equipment delays for chefs. |
| Managed stock and deliveries. | Checked in daily deliveries, logged temperatures for chilled and frozen goods, and rotated stock using FIFO, maintaining 100% compliance during environmental health inspection. |
| Worked weekends and evenings. | Recognised for reliability across 30 consecutive weekend shifts without absence, supporting the team during the busiest service periods. |
Key skills & ATS keywords
Hard skills
Soft skills
ATS keywords
Education & certifications
The Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety Certificate is the single most important qualification for a kitchen assistant CV. List it first in your education section, above GCSEs or A-Levels, and include the awarding body (usually the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health or the Royal Society for Public Health).
Essential certifications
Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety Certificate: This is the baseline credential for any kitchen role in the UK. If you do not have it yet, book it before you apply, it is a one-day course available online or in person, and most employers will not interview without it.
COSHH training: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health training covers the safe use of cleaning chemicals. Many employers provide this on the job, but if you have completed it elsewhere, list it in your achievements or certifications section.
Manual handling certification: Not always required but increasingly common, especially in hotel or high-volume kitchens where you will be lifting stock, moving equipment, or handling deliveries.
How to present your education
List qualifications in reverse-chronological order. For each entry, include the qualification name, the institution or awarding body, and the year completed. If you are currently studying (for example, working towards a Level 3 Food Safety qualification or a commis chef apprenticeship), note the expected completion date.
Example:
- Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety Certificate, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, 2025
- GCSEs including Maths (Grade 5) and English (Grade 6), Parkside Academy, 2024
If you have no formal kitchen qualifications
You can still apply for entry-level kitchen assistant roles if you have transferable experience (retail, bar work, care, hospitality) and a willingness to learn. In your personal statement, say you are booking or willing to complete the Level 2 Food Hygiene course before starting. Many employers will accept this, especially if the rest of your CV shows reliability, teamwork, and the ability to work at pace.
Common mistakes to avoid
Writing a vague personal statement that lists chores without hygiene credentials or setting.
Lead with your Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate, the type of kitchen (restaurant, hotel, care home), and concrete evidence of coping with service pressure. Example: 'Reliable kitchen assistant with Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety Certificate and six months in a busy pub kitchen, supporting 120+ cover weekend services.'
Listing duties instead of achievements in work experience bullets.
Show outcomes with numbers. Not 'responsible for dishwashing' but 'operated commercial dishwasher during 150+ cover services, keeping pot wash clear and ensuring chefs had clean equipment throughout service.'
Burying the skills section or filling it with generic soft skills only.
Put the skills section high on the CV, right after the personal statement, and lead with the concrete kitchen tasks employers scan for: food prep, dishwashing, stock rotation, waste management, Level 2 Food Hygiene, COSHH.
Failing to state shift availability and flexibility.
Kitchen rotas live and die on flexibility. State your availability explicitly in the additional information section or personal statement: 'Full availability for evenings, weekends, and split shifts.'
Sending a generic CV to every kitchen role without tailoring to the job ad.
Kitchen assistant postings vary by setting (high-volume restaurant vs care home vs hotel banqueting). Mirror the duties and skills named in the listing, allergen awareness, particular machinery, manual handling, rather than sending one generic version.
Omitting ambition to progress to commis chef.
Mentioning you want to learn prep and basic cooking under the chefs tells employers you will stick around and grow, which reduces churn in a high-turnover role. Add a line in your additional information or personal statement: 'Keen to progress towards commis chef role.'
Junior vs senior: what changes
| Aspect | Junior | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Personal statement | Leads with Level 2 Food Hygiene, transferable skills from retail or bar work, and willingness to learn. May mention a short placement or first kitchen role. | Leads with years of kitchen experience, advanced prep skills (filleting, butchery basics), and training or supervisory responsibilities. Mentions progression ambition to commis chef. |
| Skills section | Basic food prep (chopping, peeling), dishwashing, stock rotation, Level 2 Food Hygiene, COSHH, commercial dishwasher operation. | Advanced food prep (filleting, sauce mise en place, butchery basics), stock management and ordering, allergen awareness, training junior staff, plating support, waste tracking. |
| Work experience bullets | Focus on reliability, speed during service, and basic prep tasks. Metrics like 'supported 120+ cover services' or 'recognised for punctuality across 20 shifts.' | Focus on leadership, cost control, and advanced prep. Metrics like 'supervised team of three assistants,' 'cut food waste by 18%,' 'trained five new starters,' 'prepared mise en place for 200+ cover events.' |
| Certifications | Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety Certificate, COSHH training (if completed). | Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety Certificate, COSHH, manual handling, possibly Level 3 Food Safety or allergen training. May also list internal awards (Employee of the Month). |
| Additional information | Availability, willingness to learn, interests related to cooking or fitness. | Availability, ambition to progress to commis chef, volunteering (e.g. community kitchen), possibly a second language if relevant to the kitchen's cuisine. |
| Tone and positioning | Enthusiastic, reliable, ready to support the team and learn on the job. | Experienced, dependable, ready to take on responsibility and mentor others. Positions self as the person who keeps the line running and supports the chefs to move fast. |