Chef and cook interview questions and answers in plain English

Short answer

Show safe habits, calm service and that you can learn their kitchen. A chef interview is often short and is usually followed by a trial shift. You may be asked about food safety, allergens, busy services and working with the team.

What the job needs

For commis, line cook, chef de partie or cook jobs, the kitchen usually wants to know:

Food safety as a habit: temperatures, labelling, raw and cooked food kept apart, cleaning as you go.
Allergens: knowing which dishes contain what, and never guessing when a customer asks.
Calm under pressure: preparing well before service, and staying organised when tickets come fast.
Kitchen English: hearing calls from the pass, answering "Yes, chef", and asking when you are not sure.
Consistency: the same dish, the same way, every time.

Questions you may be asked

Questions like these come up often in kitchen interviews:

Tell me about your kitchen experience.
How do you keep food safe during a busy service?
A customer tells the waiter they have a nut allergy. What do you do?
A dish comes back from a table. What do you do?
How do you prepare before service?
How do you stay calm when the kitchen is very busy?
Tell me about a time you disagreed with another chef.
Which section are you strongest on?
Can you work evenings, weekends and split shifts?

Your experience

Kitchen work in another country counts. Name the type of place, how many covers or how busy it was in simple words, and your section.

"Tell me about your kitchen experience."

I worked for six years in restaurants in my country. For the last three years I ran the grill section in a busy steak restaurant, and I trained two new cooks. Since I came here I have worked as a cook in a café. I am now looking for a chef de partie role in a bigger kitchen.

"Which section are you strongest on?"

I am strongest on the grill, because I did it every night for three years. I am also comfortable on cold starters. I have less experience in pastry, but I am happy to learn it.

Food safety and allergens

In the UK, food businesses must give customers information about 14 allergens that the law lists, such as peanuts, milk, gluten and eggs. Many kitchens also ask staff to hold a Level 2 food hygiene certificate, or to complete one when they start.

"How do you keep food safe during a busy service?"

I keep raw and cooked food apart, with different boards and utensils. I check temperatures with a probe and write them down. I label everything with the date. I clean as I go, so my section is ready for the next ticket.

"A customer tells the waiter they have a nut allergy. What do you do?"

I check the allergen information for the dish, not my memory. I tell the head chef or the person on the pass. I use clean equipment and a clean board, and cook the dish separately. If I am not completely sure it is safe, I say so, and we tell the customer honestly.

Busy service and problems

"How do you prepare before service?"

I check the prep list and what was used yesterday. I prepare my mise en place in order, starting with the things that take longest. Before service I taste my sauces and check that everything is labelled and in the right place.

"A dish comes back from a table. What do you do?"

I stay calm and ask the waiter what the problem is. If the problem is with my dish, I remake it quickly and tell the head chef. After service I find the reason, for example the steak was not rested, so it does not happen again.

"How do you stay calm when the kitchen is very busy?"

Good prep helps most, so I start service ready. During service I listen to the calls, answer clearly and focus on one ticket at a time. If I am falling behind, I tell the chef early, not at the last minute.

"Tell me about a time you disagreed with another chef."

A sous chef wanted me to use a different marinade from the one on the recipe card. I did not argue during service. Afterwards I asked him why, and he explained the supplier had changed. We updated the card together, so everyone used the same recipe.

The trial shift

Many kitchens ask you to work a short trial shift after, or instead of, an interview. Arrive early, bring your knives if they ask, listen more than you speak, ask where things are, and clean your station before you leave.

Common English mistakes, and how to fix them

Instead of "Yes" when you did not hear the call: say "Sorry chef, how many?" or "Sorry chef, which table?" In a kitchen, checking is safer than guessing.
Instead of "I cook very fast": say "I can keep up with a busy service because I prepare well." Speed alone can sound unsafe; preparation sounds professional.
Instead of "No nuts in that, I think": say "Let me check the allergen sheet." With allergens, "I think" is not enough, and an interviewer may listen for this.
Instead of "I am working in kitchen since 2018": say "I have worked in kitchens since 2018." Use "have worked" with "since", and "in kitchens" or "in a kitchen".

Useful phrases

Short sentences you can use in your answers. Each one has a job.

"Yes, chef." / "Heard, chef.": To show you heard a call or an instruction. Short and clear is normal in a kitchen.
"Behind!" / "Hot behind!": To warn someone you are walking behind them, or carrying something hot. You may hear these on a trial shift.
"Let me check the allergen sheet.": When anyone asks what is in a dish. It shows you never guess.
"I'm falling behind on this section — can someone help?": To ask for help early during a busy service.
"Where do you keep the…?": On the trial shift. Asking is better than opening every fridge.
"I cleaned down my station and labelled everything.": To describe the end of a shift, in an answer about standards.

What an interviewer may and may not notice

An interviewer may notice whether you talk about food safety and allergens without being asked. It can show these are habits.
An interviewer may notice how you talk about other chefs. Blaming the team for a bad service can sound like a risk.
On a trial shift, a head chef may watch how you listen, ask and clean as much as how you cook.
What an employer decides depends on many things you cannot see. No page and no practice tool can tell you what one interviewer will decide.

Questions people ask

Do I need a UK food hygiene certificate?

Many kitchens ask for a Level 2 food hygiene certificate, or ask you to complete one when you start. It is a short course. If you have one, say so in the interview.

Is a trial shift normal?

Yes, many kitchens ask for one. Ask before the day how long it is, what to wear and what to bring.

My kitchen English is limited. What should I learn first?

Learn the calls you will hear ("Yes chef", "Behind", "Two minutes"), the names of equipment and sections, and the words for the 14 allergens. Practise asking short checking questions.

How do I explain experience from a restaurant abroad?

Describe the type of place, how busy it was in simple words, your section, and one thing you were responsible for. The interviewer needs to picture the kitchen.

Chef interview questions with a tip for each — and guides by country and first language
Talking about work experience from another country — help the interviewer picture your old job
How to answer "How do you handle pressure?" — a structure for busy-service answers

About this page

Published by EnglishJobReady. Last reviewed: 10 October 2026.

This page gives general advice for practice. Every employer is different, and it cannot tell you what a particular interviewer will think or decide.

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