what is a catering assistant?
As a catering assistant, your job is to maintain kitchen organisation and general cleanliness in the cooking and service areas. Additionally, you help with basic food preparation tasks, including operating slicing and chipping machines. You have storeroom and stock duties on shift, receiving deliveries and putting them away. You also take care of washing equipment and crockery, collecting rubbish, clearing tables and, when required, serving customers.
what does a catering assistant do?
To be a catering assistant, you need physical stamina and the ability to work well with others under pressure. A catering assistant works as part of a kitchen team in a busy and fast-moving environment. Hence, attention to detail is important, as is excellent spatial awareness to avoid accidents in the confined space of the cooking area. You work quickly and efficiently, lifting boxes, using potentially dangerous tools and equipment, and delivering prepared meals. Catering assistants work in various companies. For instance, you may work in an office preparing meals for workers or service workers at a construction or mining site. Regardless of your work environment, your primary role is to ensure meals are served properly.
view vacanciesaverage catering assistant salary
The average salary of a catering assistant is $55,000 per year. The work responsibilities can increase or decrease your salary. For instance, you will earn a starting salary of $50,000 annually when you have minimal responsibilities. With experience and additional qualifications, you receive a remuneration package of over $60,000 yearly.
what factors affect your salary as a catering assistant?
The tasks and duties a catering assistant performs influence their earnings. Some catering assistants help chefs prepare food, while others only monitor kitchen operations. When you have a supervisory role, you are likely to earn more than an entry-level catering assistant.
The hours you work also affect your remuneration. When you work full-time, you are likely to earn more than working part-time. Some catering assistants work outside standard business hours, like evenings and weekends, and the hourly rates are higher than standard business hours.
The industry you work in and your location also determine your earnings. Working in the hotel or hospitality industry pays depending on the size and duties you perform at the hotel. Working in metro areas also pays more than hotels in smaller cities.
Want to know what you will earn as a catering assistant? Check out what you are worth with our salary checker.
types of catering assistants
As a catering assistant, you can find work in various organisations. Depending on the size of the business, you are either focused on a few repetitive tasks or have broader areas of responsibility:
- coffee shops and pubs: small hospitality businesses need their staff to do a little bit of everything. As well as assisting the cook or chef by washing and preparing ingredients, performing basic cooking tasks, and managing stock levels, you also clean the serving areas and wash plates and utensils. In some businesses, you order supplies and receive fresh produce. You assist the waiting staff in setting and clearing tables, serving meals and taking orders from customers during busy periods.
- hotels and restaurants: as a catering assistant in a small hotel or restaurant, you take many of the same broad responsibilities as in a cafe or pub. In larger establishments, your tasks are more focused but involve basic food preparation and cooking. You also manage the stock levels on shift to ensure that ingredients are on hand, dishwashing duties and keeping the kitchen and service areas clean.
- canteens and commissaries: hospitals, schools and military bases have large kitchens, so your main role as a catering assistant is to prepare large ingredients for cooking in bulk. In kitchens with a canteen, you serve diners from behind a hot or cold display station, while in a hospital, you might do rounds of the wards to take patients' meal orders.
- event catering: as a catering assistant in an event management company, you help prepare food for transport and then for service. You work in the company's kitchen, maintaining cleanliness and preparing ingredients, and then help your team to pack up the meals to be delivered to the event. When on-site, you could be at the back of the house, or you might be responsible for clearing tables and packing away equipment at the end of the event.
working as a catering assistant
If you are interested in working as a catering assistant, check out the specific duties and tasks they perform.
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catering assistant job description
Some of the duties and responsibilities of catering assistants include:
- assisting with basic food preparation: as a catering assistant, you assist with the basic preparation of food items. That means you clean vegetables, peel and cut them into small pieces. You also prepare hot food items.
- cleaning and sanitising dishes: as a catering assistant, you clean dishes, sanitise the tableware and clear the tables after meals. You also clean the work areas in the kitchens and dining rooms.
- setting up dining areas: as a catering assistant, you prepare the dining area for lunch or dinner. You set up the dining area by arranging the chairs and tables and putting up tents. You follow the catering manager's instructions when setting up the tables to match the event's theme.
- loading and unloading food and tableware in outdoor catering: as a catering assistant, you pack up the catering supplies and load the vehicles after an event. You also offload the catering vehicles at the beginning of the day.
- answering questions from guests: as a catering assistant, you answer questions from guests and handle any complaints that arise. You deal with issues associated with catering services.
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work environment
As a catering assistant, you work in a dedicated kitchen owned by a catering company or from an event area. When working from a central location, you mainly perform administrative tasks like ordering kitchen supplies. If you work from an event area, you move from one event location to another.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include catering managers, bakery assistants and kitchen assistants. You might also be working in close proximity to hotel managers and housekeepers, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, chefs, cleaners, food and beverage attendants and waiters.
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work schedule
As a catering assistant, your work hours depend on the events you cater. The work hours can be during office hours or evenings when you host an evening event. The average schedule of a catering assistant is 40 hours a week for full-time positions. You can find part-time and seasonal jobs. Sometimes, you work early or late at night to cover the duties.
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job outlook
Catering assistants start in entry-level positions and become senior caterers or catering managers. Aside from working in catering, you can work in hotels and event planning. Working towards a qualification in food processing or food preparation and hospitality is possible.
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advantages of finding a brand manager job through randstad
Finding your catering assistant job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a catering assistant is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Thousands of people earn a permanent contract every year with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.
education and skills
Formal qualifications aren't mandatory for becoming a catering assistant, but the following educational qualifications improve your competitiveness:
- qualifications: to become a catering assistant, enrol in a Certificate III in catering operations. The courses are available in a TAFE, or you can pursue them at a registered training organisation. Alternatively, complete a certificate in commercial cookery and finish an apprenticeship program to improve your cooking experience and skills. If you are interested in a management role, complete an undergraduate qualification in culinary management or hospitality management.
- kitchen experience: you require work experience in a kitchen environment. Having cooking and kitchen experience prepares you for various duties associated with the role.
catering assistant skills and competencies
As a catering assistant, you require the following skills to thrive in a fast-paced environment:
- ability to stay calm under pressure: as a catering assistant, you work in a busy and lively environment due to many tasks happening at once. The ability to remain calm is important since you handle various client complaints. Your calm nature is also useful in maintaining high-quality standards.
- teamwork skills: as a catering assistant, you work with caterers, chefs, dishwashers and kitchen staff. With many professionals working in close proximity, conflicts are unavoidable. You require teamwork skills to work as a team and serve customers well.
- communication skills: as a catering assistant, you interact with guests when serving food. Being friendly and polite when communicating with guests and other professionals is important.
- customer service skills: as a catering assistant, you work in the kitchen and sometimes interact with customers. Your customer service skills help you connect with customers and provide the best catering experience.
FAQs about working as a catering assistant
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a catering assistant.
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what is a catering assistant's role?
As a catering assistant, you provide catering support in the preparation of meals. You also cook and serve food and beverages. Other duties include preparing the dining area for service, cleaning the dishes, and putting food away after a meal. The role may involve cleaning kitchen linen and setting furniture and trolleys to ensure the work environment is neat.
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how much does a catering assistant earn?
As a catering assistant, you are in a supportive role and take home a remuneration package of $55,000 per year. When you are new to the role, you receive a salary of $50,000 annually. In a senior role in the company, you are likely to take home a remuneration package of $60,000 yearly. The earnings depend on your experience and the complexity of the duties involved.
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what is the qualification of a catering assistant?
Formal education isn’t necessary for catering assistants, but you require some academic qualifications to get your foot in the door. A certificate course in catering operations and commercial cookery prepares you for the role. If you want to work in a management role, you may require a bachelor’s degree to learn leadership skills.
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is catering assistant a good job?
A job as a catering assistant helps you join the hospitality industry. You require minimal educational qualifications, and you learn various skills, including food service positions and hygiene. As a catering assistant, you have various advancement opportunities. You can become a caterer or advance to a senior chef role.
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what is the difference between a catering assistant and a kitchen assistant?
As a catering assistant, you clean the kitchen and handle all the aspects of cleaning. You sometimes prepare food and serve the customers. While kitchen assistants perform similar duties like assisting with food preparation and cleaning the kitchen, they don’t serve customers. Kitchen assistants only work within the confines of the kitchen and rarely serve customers.
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how do I apply for a catering assistant vacancy?
Applying for a catering assistant job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.
