Careers in Fish and Chips/Restaurants
The foodservice sector offers a rewarding career path for people passionate about high-quality seafood and customer service.
With over 80,000 people employed across the sector, foodservice provides opportunities at every level, from entry level roles to business ownership. Many positions offer progression, supported by apprenticeships and other training programmes.
More information about training courses can be found here.
Waiter or waitress
Waiting staff work as part of a team to deliver friendly and efficient customer service.
Responsibilities typically include:
- Preparing the dining area
- Taking customer orders
- Serving food and drinks
- Clearing tables
This role can lead to opportunities in food preparation, counter service, or fish frying, as well as progression into other areas of hospitality.
There are usually no formal entry requirements, although basic numeracy, literacy and communication skills are beneficial. Hospitality apprenticeships are available.
Counter service staff
Counter staff provide efficient and helpful service to customers. Their duties may include:
- Taking and preparing customer orders
- Handling payments
- Responding to customer enquiries
- Maintaining clean and organised work areas
Career progression may include moving into food preparation, waiting, or cooking roles, as well as other hospitality sectors. There are generally no pre-entry qualification requirements, but basic numeracy, literacy and communication skills are desirable. Hospitality apprenticeships are available.
Food preparation
Food preparation staff work as part of a team to ensure that food is prepared, on time, to high standards, and according to customer requirements.
Food preparation assistants may move into counter assistant, waiting, or fish frying roles. It may also open doors to other hospitality careers.
While there are typically no formal -entry requirements, basic food hygiene training is strongly recommended. Hospitality apprenticeships are available.
Fish frier
Fish friers lead the preparation and cooking of customer orders. Responsibilities include:
- Cooking seafood and other menu items
- Receiving and checking deliveries
- Maintaining high standards of food hygiene and safety
- Ensuring customer, staff and visitor health and safety
Fish fryers can progress to managers or owner/manager, or into other areas of hospitality.
While there are no pre-entry qualification requirements, fish friers must be skilled in cooking and confident using fish frying equipment, with strong safety and hygiene standards. Supervisory experience and good communication skills are advantageous. Specialist fish frying training programmes and hospitality apprenticeships are available.
Manager
Managers oversee the day-to-day operations and profitability of a foodservice business. Responsibilities include:
- Purchasing produce and setting retail prices
- Building relationships with customers, wholesalers and suppliers
- Managing staff, sales and marketing
- Ensuring compliance with health, safety and hygiene legislation
- Overseeing finance and business performance
Managers typically require commercial experience and strong retail or hospitality business skills. This includes a good knowledge of sales and marketing, financial management, health and safety, legislation, and people management. Most managers will also be experienced fish friers with sector knowledge.
New entrants are encouraged to consider various fish frying training courses as well as an Elementary food hygiene and health & safety courses.