Chef CV Example
A comprehensive CV for experienced chefs across all kitchen levels, from commis to executive chef. Showcases your culinary creativity, kitchen management skills, and commitment to excellence in food quality.
Recommended template: BoldPro
Key Skills to Include
Quick Tips
- Lead with your culinary qualifications and the most prestigious kitchens or restaurants you have worked in.
- Describe your signature cuisine style and any awards, reviews, or recognition your food has received.
- Include metrics like food cost percentages, covers per service, or revenue figures to demonstrate business impact.
- Mention any experience with menu engineering, dietary accommodation, or sustainable sourcing practices.
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Upgrade to ProHow to Write Your Chef CV
A chef CV must demonstrate your culinary talent, leadership ability, and commercial awareness. Whether you are a sous chef stepping up to a head chef role or an experienced head chef seeking a new challenge, your CV should show that you can create excellent food, manage a kitchen efficiently, and control costs. Employers want evidence that you can lead a team, maintain food safety standards, and contribute to the overall success of the business.
CV Structure
Use a reverse-chronological format with a strong opening profile. For each role, state the venue type, cuisine style, average covers, and brigade size. List four to five key responsibilities followed by two to three measurable achievements. Include a dedicated skills section and a qualifications section that highlights your food safety certifications and any culinary awards or accolades.
CV Format
Select a professional, clean template that presents your experience clearly. Avoid overly creative designs — let your culinary achievements speak for themselves. Use bullet points for clarity and ensure the document is no longer than two pages. Save as PDF to preserve formatting when sending applications.
CV Profile Examples
Head Chef
Creative and commercially minded head chef with nine years of progressive kitchen experience, including four years leading brigades of up to twelve in award-winning restaurant settings. Specialises in modern British cuisine with a focus on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Achieved and maintained two AA rosettes while reducing food costs from 34% to 28% through disciplined supplier management and menu engineering.
Sous Chef
Ambitious and technically skilled sous chef with six years of experience in high-volume hotel and fine-dining kitchens across the North West. Confident managing all kitchen sections, deputising for the head chef, and training junior members of the brigade. Passionate about classical French technique with a modern approach to flavour and presentation.
Chef Seeking New Challenge
Versatile and quality-driven chef with seven years of experience spanning gastropubs, boutique hotels, and contract catering. Experienced in developing seasonal menus that balance creativity with cost efficiency, and leading teams during services of up to 200 covers. Looking for a head chef opportunity to take full ownership of a kitchen and drive culinary standards forward.
Open with a three-to-four sentence profile that states your experience level, cuisine specialisation, leadership scope, and one headline achievement. This should immediately convey your calibre as a chef.
Key Skills for Your Chef CV
Menu Creation
Developing creative, commercially viable menus that balance seasonal ingredients, dietary requirements, and cost targets.
Kitchen Management
Overseeing daily kitchen operations including staffing, prep lists, service delivery, and closing procedures.
Food Cost Control
Monitoring ingredient costs, managing portion sizes, and negotiating with suppliers to maintain target gross profit margins.
Supplier Negotiation
Building relationships with food suppliers and negotiating pricing, delivery schedules, and quality agreements.
Team Leadership
Recruiting, training, and motivating kitchen teams to deliver consistent quality during high-pressure service periods.
HACCP & Food Safety
Implementing and monitoring hazard analysis systems to ensure full compliance with food safety regulations.
Cuisine Specialisation
Deep expertise in a specific cuisine style, whether modern British, French classical, Asian, or plant-based cooking.
Quality Assurance
Maintaining consistent dish quality through recipe standardisation, tasting protocols, and plating standards.
Staff Training
Developing junior chefs through structured training on techniques, food safety, and professional kitchen conduct.
Work Experience Examples
For each role, set the scene with the venue type and covers before listing responsibilities. Focus on menu development, team leadership, and cost management. Always include quantified achievements — rosette or star awards gained, food cost improvements, revenue growth, or waste reductions — as these demonstrate your tangible business impact.
Head Chef
The Pheasant Inn, Cheshire
Led the kitchen operation of a two-rosette country gastropub serving modern British cuisine to an average of 140 covers per evening service.
Responsibilities
- Designed and costed seasonal menus four times per year, sourcing ingredients from local farms and artisan suppliers.
- Managed a brigade of eight including sous chef, two chefs de partie, and four commis chefs across lunch and dinner services.
- Controlled food costs, maintaining a gross profit margin of 72% through portion control, waste tracking, and supplier negotiation.
- Ensured full HACCP compliance, achieving a 5-star food hygiene rating across three consecutive inspections.
- Conducted weekly performance reviews with kitchen staff and organised practical training sessions on new techniques.
Achievements
- Secured two AA rosettes within the first year of appointment, up from one rosette under the previous chef.
- Increased average spend per head by £8 through introduction of a tasting menu and premium wine pairing option.
- Reduced food waste by 20% over twelve months through improved mise en place planning and creative use of off-cuts.
Sous Chef
Hotel du Vin, Birmingham
Deputised for the head chef in a 66-cover French-influenced bistro within a boutique hotel, managing service delivery and kitchen operations.
Responsibilities
- Ran the pass during busy evening services, ensuring dishes met quality and timing standards before leaving the kitchen.
- Managed ordering, stock rotation, and weekly stocktakes, maintaining food cost within the budgeted 30% target.
- Trained and mentored commis chefs, conducting knife skills workshops and recipe standardisation sessions.
- Prepared banqueting menus for private events of up to 80 guests, coordinating with the events team on logistics.
Achievements
- Contributed to a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence through consistent food quality praised in guest reviews.
- Reduced supplier spend by £12,000 annually by renegotiating contracts with three key food suppliers.
Education & Qualifications
List your food hygiene certificate level first, followed by any culinary diplomas, NVQs, or apprenticeships. Include the training provider and completion date. If you hold specialist certifications such as WSET or allergen management, list these in a separate qualifications section.
Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate
Supervisory food safety qualification essential for chefs overseeing kitchen operations and staff.
City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery
Advanced culinary qualification covering complex techniques, menu planning, and kitchen management.
NVQ Level 3 in Professional Cookery
Competence-based qualification assessed through workplace performance in a professional kitchen.
WSET Level 2 in Wines
Wine knowledge qualification valued in restaurants where chefs contribute to food and wine pairing menus.
Frequently Asked Questions
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