Careers in catering: roles you may not have thought about

by Natasha Christou Digital Marketing Consultant

As one of the UK’s biggest industries, catering is a hub for opportunity if you’re looking for a challenging, exciting career. The breadth of available roles is something which continues to appeal to new recruits, offering a whole host of challenges and opportunities. Not all career opportunities are obvious though — and there’s certainly a few hidden gems to uncover! Durham hotels in particular offer many opportunities for those hoping to enter the catering industry, so let’s take a look through this run down of some of the most interesting roles available in the catering industry.

Food manufacturing inspector

Food allergies are a big talking point in recent times, and this is why the role of a manufacturing inspector is so important. Many food and beverage companies have placed a lot of focus onto their health and safety departments for this reason, and as a food manufacturing inspector, you’ll be at the forefront of these all-important processes. Your day to day duties could include inspecting conditions in processing plants, carrying out quality control checks, testing samples of raw ingredients and processed products, presenting results and interpreting data, ensuring that practices meet the required standards, checking labelling is sufficient, producing quality reports and advising manufacturers on how to improve, as well as issuing warning notices if standards are not being met. The training processes relating to these roles is meticulous, due to the complexity of the work.

o   Getting started

In order to pursue a career as a food inspector, apprenticeships are a popular route and most education facilities will require that you have GCSE education or an equivalent for entry. The level 2 award in food catering certificate, or a level 3 award in supervising food safety in catering are options to look out for. College curse such as the Level 3 Diploma in Food and Drink Operations is also recommended, providing a combination of taught work and hands-on experience. Candidates could apply directly to a vacancy or gain experience in the field then progress through an existing position.

o   Pay expectations and working hours

Typically, the starting wage of an entry level food inspector is around £15,000, and after gaining valuable experience it can reach anywhere in the region of £30,000. The typical hours are set between 40-42 per week, and the role can involve being on call. For this reason, a driving license can prove advantageous.

 

Food technologist/ food scientist

If you want to understand the role of a food technologist better, then reminisce and think back to Willy Wonka — as this is essentially what the role entails! This is one of the most interesting roles in the production side of the catering industry, wherein you’ll be responsible for devising and testing new flavours, products and ensuring safe consumption. Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of exactly what they eat, and this is being incorporated into the production line, testing and labelling these ‘zero fat’ and ‘high protein’ products that have become commonplace in supermarket aisles. You’ll also be involved in investing new ways to keep food fresh, attractive and safe, as well as finding ways to cut costs and save time in production. Along with blending new recipes, experimenting and creating sample products, you might also design the manufacturing machinery.

o   Getting started

To become a food scientist, many employers will look for a degree qualification but an apprenticeship or even workplace progression could secure a career. Relevant higher education awards include food science, food studies and food technology. Chemistry and nutrition can also lend themselves to securing a role as a food technologist or scientist, but overall some hands-on experience is always invaluable. Other options include the food technologist advanced apprenticeship, and progression from this could lead to a food industry technical professional degree apprenticeship. Those in employment can work towards these roles, in positions such as a lab assistant or a food technician, gaining qualifications while employed.

o   Pay expectations and working hours

You will be expected to work between 39-41 hours, so just like any role in catering this isn’t one for the faint hearted. The average starting wage is around £20,000, rising to anywhere around £45,000 for those with experience. These roles might involve shift work, and this is predominantly during the evening.

Catering Manager

Catering is arguably one of the most people-orientated, social environments to work in, and it’s no surprise. Catering is the backbone to many large conferences, parties, weddings and other events. Nowadays, catering can be used to create unique experiences for a whole host of purposes, and as a catering manager you can be as creative as you want in this sense. From making contacts in the right places, to securing a catering plan that will make people’s big events as memorable as possible, the job is extremely varied. This role relies heavily upon communication, initiative and leadership, as well as the ability to think outside of the box. You’ll be at the helm of brining together one-in-a-lifetime events for your clients, and no two days will be the same as a catering manager. Daily, you could be required to organise shifts and rotas, recruit and train staff, meet suppliers and negotiate contracts, cater for dietary requirements and plan various budgets.

o   Getting started

It has become more popular for venues such as hotels to offer their own training initiatives for prospective employees, and this develops a strong sense of both awareness of the role and also of the relevant brand expectations. Many catering managers start off as graduates or on  an entry-level scheme, learning on the job and attending courses in order to gain the relevant qualifications. It is certainly worthwhile looking into such establishments in your location, finding out where these schemes are available. Experience is favoured, even if it is just in the form of a generic events management/ catering role. Apprenticeships to pursue for a role as a catering manager will be focused on management, and a college courses to consider is the Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management.

o   Pay expectations and working hours

The starting wage as a catering manager can be around £19,000, and an experienced professional can earn up to £40,000, but this will depend largely on the location you’re working in. The hours for this role are slightly more than any typical catering position, working up to 41-43 hours per week. It can be demanding, and often working patterns will fall on weekends and can include bank holidays.

 

Take on a new challenge with one of these exciting roles in catering and you’ll certainly be set for a rewarding, fast paced career. 

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Created on Aug 21st 2019 03:34. Viewed 331 times.

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