How to become a chef in Australia

Becoming a professional chef can be a lengthy process, as it requires a deep passion for cooking and a willingness to continually develop your abilities. To get started, you’ll generally need to complete a professional qualification such as a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery.

What’s it like to be a chef?

As a chef, you are responsible for a wide range of tasks and duties, from planning menus to ordering food supplies and ensuring a kitchen remains clean and safe. While the exact duties will vary depending on your experience and type of role, they generally include: 

• Cooking and presenting dishes - Preparing and cooking dishes to a high standard and in a timely manner, while following recipes and any safety requirements. 
• Taking stock of ingredients and equipment - Taking stock of food supplies, evaluating the freshness of ingredients and discarding any expired food. This also involves placing new orders for food and equipment wherever necessary.
• Communicating with other kitchen staff - Working closely and communicating with other chefs, cooks, kitchen assistants, and front-of-house staff to ensure everything flows smoothly. 
• Ensuring the work environment is clean and safe - Keeping the kitchen areas, cooking equipment, and utensils clean, while maintaining food safety and hygiene standards to prevent cross-contamination and foodborne illness. 
• Planning menus and new dishes - Designing new menus and helping to decide which ingredients and dishes will be used. Chefs often consider the season, customer preferences, cost and availability of ingredients.

Why become a chef?

The following are some of the reasons why becoming a chef can be a brilliant career choice: 

• Opportunity for creativity - Cooking is an art form and one of the most compelling reasons to become a chef is the chance to experiment with flavours, design unique dishes and create food that encompasses a variety of cuisines. If you’ve ever found joy in crafting a meal or combining new flavours, then you're already tapping into a creative side that could help you thrive as a chef. 
• Hands-on work - Instead of sitting behind a desk, chefs spend most of their workdays standing and moving around. If you enjoy practical, hands-on tasks, you could become a chef and spend your days preparing ingredients, plating dishes and using different kitchen equipment.
• The schedule can suit different lifestyles - If you're looking for the freedom to choose a role that matches your lifestyle, a career as a chef offers flexibility that other industries can’t. You can choose from part-time shifts, restaurant evenings or the rush of an early morning, whatever suits your preference.
• Fast-paced career - Chances are you'll never have a dull moment working as a chef. Each day brings plenty of activity and excitement, with the buzz of being on your feet in a fast-paced kitchen.
• Chance to travel the world - Earning your qualification as a chef can open doors to working overseas. Because Australian training is respected both locally and abroad, you can find roles in restaurants around the world, giving you the chance to gain new experiences and travel to new places while you work. 
• You make people happy - It’s also great to remember that cooking, at its heart, is an act of service. It doesn't matter if you're making a lunchtime meal or preparing an elaborate dish at a renowned restaurant; the food you make has the ability to bring people together and create meaningful experiences.

What skills and attributes do professional chefs need?

To be successful, chefs often need a combination of skills and attributes, from food preparation to time management and communication. These include the following: 

• Technical food skills - Chefs need a strong knowledge base in contemporary and classical cooking techniques. This includes knowing how to use kitchen equipment, such as knives, prepare different ingredients and follow recipes safely and efficiently. 
• Safe food handling and hygiene - A chef needs a strong understanding of food safety and hygiene practices to prevent food contamination and keep customers safe. This includes storing food correctly, maintaining clean work areas and following workplace procedures. 
• Creativity - Creativity should be an essential part of a chef’s repertoire, helping you design menus, prepare new meals and find new ways to adjust recipes on the fly without compromising quality. 
• Stamina - Chefs are often required to work long shifts over unconventional hours and late nights, while spending most of their day standing and moving around the kitchen. Stamina helps them maintain their energy and concentration levels to ensure quality doesn't dip through a busy service. 
• Time management and multitasking - Chefs will need to have excellent time management skills to multitask different dishes while still meeting deadlines for service. 
• Decision making - They will regularly be faced with challenges that require quick and practical decisions to solve. This could be a last-minute change to an order, or a missing ingredient during preparation. 
• Communication and teamwork - Communication and teamwork are the backbone of any successful kitchen. All members of staff, including chefs, waitstaff and managers, need to communicate clearly and collaborate to ensure the entire team succeeds.

How to become a chef in Australia

1. Complete a commercial cookery qualification

A recommended starting point is completing a commercial cookery qualification, such as a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery. This course provides training in all the essential skills you need to work in a kitchen. You will gain hands-on experience in food safety and hygiene, managing supplies and working with others, as well as preparing and presenting a wide range of dishes.

Depending on your chosen pathway, you may also complete your qualification as part of an apprenticeship, combining classroom learning with practical work in a real kitchen. 

2. Undertake an apprenticeship

Your qualifications may be completed as part of an apprenticeship, allowing you to combine your formal training with on-the-job experience in a professional kitchen. It gives you the chance to work with experienced, qualified chefs, understand how a kitchen operates, and put your skills into practice. Some of these skills you can develop include managing busy services, multitasking multiple dishes, using commercial kitchen equipment, and learning how to work smoothly as part of a team. 

3. Become a qualified chef

Once your training and apprenticeship are complete, you can begin your working journey as a qualified chef. You may start in a junior role before gradually taking on greater responsibilities as you gain more skills and experience. As a qualified chef, you can work across a variety of environments, from restaurants, cafes, and hotels to resorts and catering businesses. 

4. Build your experience and progress your career

As you gain experience in the kitchen, you can progress your career and build towards more senior positions, such as a chef de partie, sous chef and eventually a head or executive chef. You can also find your own voice as a chef, choosing to specialise in a particular cuisine or cooking style. Further study can also help you develop more advanced culinary or management skills, particularly if you want to move into a leadership role. 

What are the different types of chefs?

The roles you may have in a kitchen as a chef include:

Executive chef

Also known as the head chef, the executive chef is the high-ranking chef in the kitchen and is responsible for overseeing all operations. They supervise other chefs, design and create menus, order stock and ensure food safety. They usually aren’t responsible for cooking on the line, and instead ensure everything in the kitchen is running smoothly and dishes are up to the standard expected. 

Sous chef

The second-in-command in a kitchen, a sous chef supports an executive or head chef to ensure all dishes meet the restaurant's standard for taste and appearance. They are responsible for supervising the kitchen floor team, leading daily service and continually checking food quality. They must be efficient at delegating tasks to the rest of the kitchen staff and overseeing each station to ensure they’re delivering to required standards. 

Chef de Partie (Station chef) and their speciality roles

A station chef is responsible for running a particular area or station of the kitchen. Depending on the size and structure of the kitchen, station chefs can be divided into several specialities. 

Commis chef

Many chefs start their careers in junior roles and grow from there. A Commis chef is an entry-level position that usually shadows more senior chefs to learn more about how to work in a kitchen. They help with preparing food and carrying out basic cooking tasks, while ensuring the kitchen is clean and well-organised. By gaining experience and demonstrating their skills, Commis chefs may earn a promotion to more advanced roles. 

Chef salary expectations and career outlook in Australia

The average annual salary for a chef in Australia ranges from $75,000 to $80,000 per year. 

Exact salaries will vary depending on a chef’s level of experience, with junior chefs typically earning approximately $60,000, while head chefs can earn more than $90,000 per year. It also depends on the line of work, as chefs working in mining camps, luxury hotels and high-end restaurants may earn more than those working standard hospitality roles. Many chefs also have opportunities for overtime and extra compensation for working weekends, late nights and public holidays. 

The hospitality sector is experiencing strong growth, with chefs and cooks amongst the hardest roles to fill for employers. This means chefs will continue to be in demand across Australia moving forward, and are listed on the Jobs and Skills Australia website as a national shortage.

FAQs about becoming a chef

Do you need a qualification to become a chef?

You will need a formal qualification to work as a cook in some hospitals, schools or aged care facilities. You generally don't need any qualifications to work in a kitchen as a cook or kitchen hand; however, many employers may prefer chefs to have some form of qualification, such as a certificate in commercial cookery. Formal training will also help you secure leadership roles down the road. 

Can you become a chef without an apprenticeship?

Yes, many chefs start their careers without completing a traditional apprenticeship. While this is the recommended route to ensure you learn the necessary skills, many chefs still begin their careers by climbing the ranks after securing an entry-level position as a kitchen hand or washing dishes. 

Is being a chef a good career in Australia?

Yes, absolutely. Chefs are currently in high demand in Australia, with thousands of new workers needed each year. It’s also a great opportunity to turn your passion for food into a career, with kitchens building exceptional time-management, communication and organisational skills. It can be a great avenue for artistic expression, with culinary skills in demand across the world allowing chefs to easily travel and work overseas. 

What’s the difference between a chef and a cook?

Put simply, the basic difference between a cook and a chef is the level of responsibility. A chef is a culinary professional who is indirectly responsible for the food that comes out of the kitchen. Being a chef requires special training to learn techniques and design recipes. They also have a high level of responsibility within a kitchen and are in charge of leading staff.

On the other hand, a cook is someone who follows established recipes given to them by a chef to prepare food for others. They should have basic skills to execute the menu, but may need more advanced skills for more complex recipes.

If you have a passion for cooking and enjoy working in a creative, hands-on environment, becoming a chef can offer a rewarding career with endless opportunities for growth. SW-TAFE offers courses to help you become a qualified chef and develop all the skills and experience needed to succeed in a professional kitchen. Contact them today to find out more.