As a Kitchen Assistant you’ll join one of our busy Chalet Hotel teams, and essentially you will be responsible for doing whatever is asked of you to ensure the smooth running of the kitchen.
The jobs aren’t always the most glamorous; you’ll be washing dishes, assisting with deliveries and stocking shelves, doing lots of cleaning as well as assisting the Chef team with basic food preparation. The job will be physically demanding – you’ll know you’ve done a shift at the end of transfer day!
So what are the positives I hear you ask?! You’ll be part of a team of hotel staff, so you will have a fantastic opportunity to meet like minded people. On top of this the camaraderie amongst the kitchen team generally beats any other in the Alps!
There’s also the small matter of mountain time. You can expect to work from early in the morning, assisting the breakfast service, through until mid morning. You can expect to be back in late afternoon to assist the chef team with evening service. On most days, the time in between will be yours to ski!
Tour operators are always looking for returners to rejoin their team. If you decide that catering is the career for you, you succeed at your job while showing a willingness to learn, then there are opportunities to climb the ladder.
This position doesn’t require any qualifications, and whilst experience of doing a Kitchen Assistant role is desirable, it’s not a necessity. Add in the mountain time that is available, and this is a very popular position, so how can you stand out from the crowd?
Firstly, Kitchen Assistants need to be happy to be told what to do before then getting on with it independently without making a fuss. Any evidence that you’re able to do this should be included. Emphasise that you’re not scared of hard work, and mention any examples where you’ve got stuck in. Finally, try to emphasise any cleaning and food hygiene experience you might have.
Workaseason recruit for Esprit Ski, Inghams and Ski Total; together these brands make up the largest British Ski Tour
Operator in terms of overseas positions, employing around 1500 seasonal staff every winter. About a third of these are
catering roles, so whether you are looking to spend a season as a Kitchen Assistant or a Chalet Host, are just starting
a career in cooking, or you have been working in the catering industry for many years, we have a position for you.
"The camaraderie amongst the kitchen team generally beats any other team in the Alps!"
Written by Chloe Dowle, Hotel Manager at Esprit Holidays.