Overview of the Catering Assistant Role
A Catering Assistant works with chefs, servers, and event managers to ensure guests are happy with their service. They help prepare food, serve meals, and clean at events and in kitchens.
Catering Assistants will take on tasks such as kitchen maintenance and making sure food preparation areas are clean, setting up and moving furniture and cleaning up after service, and stock management including distributing ingredients.
It is important to have good communication skills in this role and to have the confidence to work well in a fast-paced environment.
There are also other catering and hospitality jobs to choose from on our site.
Dress Code
Catering Assistants are expected to wear practical and clean uniforms. These uniforms will include aprons, non-slip shoes and head coverings such as hats or hair nets.
Catering Assistant Responsibilities
A Catering Assistant is responsible for helping kitchen staff, assisting with service, and cleaning both kitchen and event areas.
Catering Assistant Tips
Focus on developing basic food preparation skills, as a Catering Assistant it is important to know these basic skills, as many tasks will include washing, peeling, chopping and cooking food.
Catering Assistants need excellent hygiene practices to keep work areas clean and up to code. Consider gaining relevant food handling certifications.
Qualifications and Skills of a Catering Assistant
A Catering Assistant should be capable of working in a team, be efficient in their work, and follow the best hygiene and safety standards set by the business.
Food Hygiene & Safety Certificates
These certificates are awarded after completing a food safety and hygiene course. It is important to have one of these, as it demonstrates that someone understands how to work safely in the food handling industry. There are a few different levels of certification to choose from, however, Catering Assistants will need at least a Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety Certificate.
It is important to be certified, as this shows that the Catering Assistant will follow best practices which will increase the consumers’ confidence in the Assistant’s food preparation skills.
Teamwork & Communication Skills
It is important to have excellent teamwork and communication skills as a Catering Assistant, as it is part of their job to assist in many parts of the kitchen or event area.
Active listening is needed to take or give instructions. This is essential for accurately following procedures and avoiding mistakes. It is also important to communicate clearly and to convey information concisely.
Catering Assistants will consistently work in a team environment, and it is important to keep a positive and supportive attitude towards other workers.
Efficiency & Attention to Detail
Efficiency and attention to detail are essential skills for any Catering Assistant. It is important to follow instructions and pay attention to small details and flourishes that show a high standard that reflects well on a business or employer.
A Catering Assistant should be able to do what is asked of them quickly and accurately, as well as having a good memory for completing tasks that require them to remember small details.
Duties of a Catering Assistant
The duties of a Catering Assistant are food preparation, maintaining kitchen standards, and managing stock and supplies.
Assisting with Food Preparation
Catering Assistants can be tasked with peeling, chopping and washing vegetables, which should be done with precision and care, and all food items should be checked for cross contamination before they are used in case they need to be discarded.
It is also in a Catering Assistant’s capabilities to make sauces and dressing, as well as to prepare meals when it is required of them. These skills will be learned through experience and training.
Maintaining Standards of Kitchen & Dining Areas
Food hygiene standards should be adhered to at all times, and it is part of the Catering Assistant’s duties to keep kitchen and dining areas clean. This will require wiping down food preparation stations with the correct cleaning products, disposing of waste appropriately, and making sure stock is organised correctly to avoid cross-contamination.
There will be regulations that Catering Assistants will be required to follow while working in different environments, these regulations should always be followed to keep productivity high and the customer’s experience pleasant.
Managing Supplies & Stock
It is part of a Catering Assistant’s job to check the stock to make sure all food is fresh, in date, and kept away from other ingredients that might affect the quality of the food. Any stock that needs to be removed will need to be disposed of correctly and safely and then restocked.
Other supplies are also essential to catering and hospitality, such as cooking equipment, these need to be well maintained and cleaned properly. Catering Assistants will be tasked with checking this stock and managing these supplies when necessary to make sure the kitchen runs efficiently.
Catering Assistant Career Progression and Advancement
Transferable skills learned from being a Catering Assistant can help to progress into other jobs such as Kitchen Management or Chef roles. There are also opportunities to work with large catering companies.
Becoming a Chef or Kitchen Manager
Catering Assistants should actively seek guidance from Chefs to move into this role, they will need to take on more specific responsibilities within the kitchen, and it is also beneficial to pursue culinary training to expand your skill set.
Kitchen Managers will need good leadership skills, and the ability to multitask and work well in busy environments. Kitchen Managers will need to give clear directions to other workers and deal with any issues that might arise during service.
Progressing into Roles with Large Catering Companies
It is possible to gain enough experience within smaller businesses to pursue similar Catering Assistant roles on a larger scale with large catering companies. These large events will require a great deal of previous experience and confidence in working in busy environments, as there will often be a lot more staff.
It is essential to be able to communicate clearly when working in a large team, and active listening is very important when passing messages, whether written or verbal, to prevent any issues during service.
FAQs on Becoming a Catering Assistant
Do You Need Formal Training to Be a Catering Assistant?
You do not need formal training to become a Catering Assistant but some training can be beneficial. Consider acquiring food safety certification.
How Much Does a Catering Assistant Earn?
An entry-level Catering Assistant can generally earn an average salary of £20,000 to £25,000 per year.
What Does a Catering Assistant Do?
A Catering Assistant helps with food preparation, cleaning and serving. They work with servers, event managers and chefs.
