How to Write a Cook or Chef CV That Gets Callbacks

Head chefs skim CVs in seconds between services. Yours needs to answer three questions fast: Can you cook? Will you turn up? Can you handle the pace?

Keep it to one page

Nobody in a kitchen reads two pages. One page, easy to scan.

The structure that works

1. Name + contact — phone and email, that’s it
2. One-line summary — e.g. “Chef de partie with 4 years across pub and hotel kitchens, strong on grill and larder.”
3. Experience — venue, role, dates, and what sections you ran and how busy it was (covers per service matters more than fancy words)
4. Skills & certs — Food Hygiene level, allergen training, sections you’re confident on
5. References — “available on request” is fine

What actually impresses

• Covers per service — “180 covers on a Saturday” tells a chef everything
• Sections you can run solo
• Reliability signals — long stints, no unexplained gaps

Common mistakes that bin a CV

• Typos and inconsistent dates
• Vague duties (“helped in the kitchen”) with no sections or numbers
• No contact number
• Listing hobbies instead of covers and sections

After you apply

Kitchens hire on trial shifts, not interviews. Be ready to come in, work a service, and show you’re calm and clean under pressure.

Ready? Find cook jobs and chef de partie jobs near you.