Danny Roberts, 19 Demi-chef de partie in retail catering at Elior’s Bentley Motors contract
“In this industry, age is just a number – if you are capable of doing the job, then you will get the opportunity”
hotels – for instance, the 150-bed Chessington Safari Hotel at Chessington in Surrey, and Alton Towers and Blackpool Pleasure Beach all offer themed accommodation.
Retail catering Retail catering is a fast-paced, growing industry that covers railways, airports, shopping malls and high streets – you name it. One particular growth area is in the healthy-eating, ‘food to go’ market, such as Pret A Manger, Leon and Eat. Retail catering also embraces contract catering brands, such as Compass’s DeliMarché and the high street coffee shop and sandwich outlets. Operators tend to have multiple sites, offering scope to progress to area and regional management roles. Management skills can be relatively easily transferred from brand to brand.
Top tips
● If you’re starting out or studying, the leisure sector is a great place to get extra experience. Think about a weekend job at a health club or summer work at one of the UK’s tourist attractions.
● Get noticed by seeking out responsibility and being enthusiastic. Busy managers will love you.
● Look for companies with a good track record in training and career development. Think about what future opportunities the company may have, too.
● Find out if you can gain experience in other departments. Adding extra skills to your CV will make you ultra-employable.
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Why did you choose a contract caterer? I wanted focused training, which I didn’t get at the previous hotel restaurants where I worked. I started here two years ago as an apprentice, then became commis chef before being promoted. I now have NVQ Level 2 and 3 in cookery, a hygiene certificate and a health and safety certificate. Working for a stable, well- known company has also given me a chance to go on stages to London restaurants and to win awards in cooking contests.
Tell us about retail cookery This is high-volume catering so the food is usually already prepared. Our job is to make sure it is cooked and to build the meal on the plate – whether it’s a burger or a wrap.
How have you benefited from working in retail catering? Our staff canteen gets 1,000-1,200 people coming through the doors, so I have learnt how to work fast. It’s an eye-opener for a young chef. It is a good discipline because if you lose your concentration you let down the customer and the team.
What are your goals? I enjoy retail catering, but I try to work on the hospitality side, too – fine-dining for Bentley clients. Eventually, I want to work in a Michelin- starred restaurant and see a different way of cooking. Or, if I stay in contract catering, I would like to work towards being a development chef.
What advice would you give an aspiring chef? Be prepared to work long hours, be dedicated and, most importantly, enjoy the job. If you don’t love it, you won’t be able to keep up the momentum. And I would recommend starting as an apprentice, with day release to college. You get hands-on experience four days a week with a sous chef right next to you.
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