Sous Chef
Also advertised as: Deputy Head Chef, Junior Sous Chef, Kitchen Sous Chef, Second Chef, Senior Sous Chef, Sous Chef
Deputises for the head chef, running sections of the kitchen and supervising chefs.
What the job involves
Sous chefs are second in command in the kitchen, stepping in to run service when the head chef is absent and supervising chefs de partie and commis chefs day to day. You help develop menus, control food costs and keep hygiene standards to legal requirements. It is a demanding role that requires years of section experience before promotion.
Typical responsibilities
- Supervise kitchen sections during service
- Deputise for the head chef when required
- Help plan menus and manage food costs
- Train and mentor junior kitchen staff
- Maintain food hygiene and safety standards
Common employers
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Gastropubs
- Contract catering companies
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£26,000 – £30,000 a year
With experience
£32,000 – £40,000 a year
Typical hours
45+ hours including evenings and weekends
Working environment
Hot, fast-paced kitchen environment
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Culinary technique
- Kitchen management
- Costing and portion control
- Leadership under pressure
- Food hygiene knowledge
Transferable skills you may already have
- Kitchen experience
- Team supervision
- Working under time pressure
Requirements employers ask for
- Culinary technique
- Kitchen management
- Costing and portion control
- Leadership under pressure
- Food hygiene knowledge
- Level 2 Food Safety
- Several years of kitchen experience
- Level 2 Food Safety
Useful but not essential
- Kitchen experience
- Team supervision
- Working under time pressure
- NVQ or City & Guilds in Professional Cookery
- Culinary college qualification
Helpful qualifications
- NVQ or City & Guilds in Professional Cookery
- Culinary college qualification
Licences and checks
- Level 2 Food Safety
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Senior Production Chef (Level 3)
- Culinary Chef Manager (Level 5)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Hospitality and catering
- Related subject: Food technology
Where this career can lead
next
Head Chef
next
Executive Chef
next
Kitchen Manager
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Direct route to head chef
- Hands-on creative work
- Skills transfer to any kitchen worldwide
What people find hard
- Physically demanding and hot working conditions
- Long antisocial hours including weekends
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a sous chef?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a sous chef earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £26,000 to £30,000 a year, rising towards £40,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Kitchen experience, Team supervision, Working under time pressure.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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