Chef
Also known as: Commis Chef · Commis I · Kitchen Trainee
Prepares food in a hotel or restaurant kitchen, usually starting as a commis and moving up a section.
What you’d do
A chef prepares food in a hotel, restaurant, catering or cruise kitchen, working within a section such as pastry, Indian or continental. Hotels, restaurants, caterers and cruise lines hire chefs. A typical shift is preparation, cooking during service and cleaning down, often on evenings, weekends and holidays.
- Prepare ingredients and cook to set recipes
- Follow food safety and hygiene rules
- Keep the section stocked and organised
- Support senior chefs during service
How you get in
Freshers usually join through campus placement or a kitchen trial as a commis chef, or through a hotel's culinary training programme. Food safety training such as FSSAI's FoSTaC certificate is commonly expected.
Salary in India
Fresher salary over the years
middle of the 0–1 yr range, ₹ lakh a year
Fewer than two years of fresher data so far — the trend shows once there are two.
Skills you’ll use
From our guide · a curated list is coming
- Cooking techniques and recipe standards
- Food safety and hygiene
- Kitchen organisation and prep
- Working fast under pressure
About this field · for freshers
Job openings by year
Is demand growing?
Not added yet.
Competition4
How many graduates enter each year?
BHM graduates in 2023-24 at institutions that reported to AISHE — everyone finishing that degree, not only those entering this role.
Who hires
IT firms, banks, government, startups?
Not added yet.
Where the jobs are
Which cities?
Not added yet.
Women in the field4
Is it diverse?
Share of women among BHM graduates in 2023-24 — the entry degree, not people already working in this role.
At a glance
- Typical path: commis, demi chef de partie, chef de partie, sous chef, executive chef.
- Long hours and physical work are normal, especially early on.
- Some later move into catering, food production or their own outlet.
Stay safe
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