Catering assistant CV examples

In catering, timing and presentation are everything – and the same goes for your CV. Employers want to know, at a glance, that you’ve got the practical skills to keep things running smoothly, whether you’re handling food prep, clearing tables, or supporting the kitchen team.

This guide will show you how writing a CV and tailoring it to the role will emphasise your practical skills and ability to thrive in fast-paced environments. Whether you’ve worked at formal functions or busy cafés, this guide ensures your CV serves up exactly what employers want to see.

If a hiring manager can’t see your kitchen skills and customer service experience in seconds, they’ll be onto the next candidate before the starter’s even served. A good CV structure makes life easier for recruiters – and proves you know how to organise things properly.

Here’s the layout to follow:

• Name and contact details – Place your name and personal details prominently at the top of your CV for quick access. Adding a photo is up to you.
• Profile – Open with a summary of your experience, customer service skills, and reliability.
• Core skills – List your key strengths, such as food preparation, hygiene standards, and teamwork.
• Work experience – Walk through your employment history, focusing on catering duties, customer interactions, and fast-paced teamwork.
• Education – Provide detail on your relevant food safety qualifications, certificates, or degrees.
• Additional info – Optionally include things like language skills, awards, or additional hobbies that support your application.

A disorganised CV format leaves a bad taste – so keep the formatting clean, simple, and professional. That way, employers can quickly scan your skills and experience without digging through unnecessary detail.

Follow these formatting tips:

• Bullet points – Use these to keep your responsibilities and achievements short and sharp.
• Divide sections – Label and space out each section clearly to make reading easier.
• Use a clear and readable font – Stick to a professional, readable font to make sure your CV is easy on the eyes.
• No more than 2 pages – This gives you the length to detail your experience while keeping it concise enough to respect the recruiter’s time.

Your CV profile is your chance to give employers a quick taste of what you bring to the table. It should summarise your catering knowledge and reliability in a few punchy lines. It’s your chance to introduce yourself as the reliable, hardworking Catering Assistant every team needs.

Less experienced candidates should go for a longer personal statement, along with an exhaustive cover letter which is nicely tailored to each role.

Here’s what to include:

• Catering experience – Mention where you’ve worked, whether it’s restaurants, event venues, or contract catering.
• Food preparation skills – Highlight your ability to follow hygiene standards and prepare ingredients correctly.
• Teamwork – Emphasise your ability to work smoothly alongside chefs, servers, and event staff.
• Customer service – Show you understand the importance of friendly, professional service.
• Adaptability – Stress that you’re comfortable handling busy periods, last-minute changes, and varied tasks.

The core skills section is a quick-reference point for employers, showing the abilities that make you a great Catering Assistant.

Make sure this list is tailored to the job you’re applying for. A formal event caterer might prioritise customer-facing service, while a kitchen-based catering assistant might need more food prep and cleaning skills. Addressing the employer’s needs helps make your application stand out at first glance.

Work experience is where you prove you can handle the heat – literally and figuratively. Whether you’ve worked in kitchens, event catering, or front-of-house roles, this section should demonstrate your hands-on catering experience.

List your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent. Focus on practical duties – assisting chefs, maintaining cleanliness, preparing ingredients – and highlight your contributions to successful service.

If you’re new to catering, include any hospitality experience (even in retail or events) that shows transferable skills like customer service, teamwork, or handling fast-paced environments.

• Outline – Briefly explain the venue or company, its type of catering (events, corporate, restaurant), and your role within the team.
• Responsibilities – Describe your main tasks, like setting up service areas, preparing ingredients, or assisting with food service. Use action words like “prepared,” “assisted,” and “maintained.”
• Achievements – Highlight your positive impact, such as helping reduce waste, improving service speed, or receiving positive customer feedback.

Formal qualifications aren’t always essential for Catering Assistant roles, but food safety training and relevant hospitality certificates can boost your chances.

List qualifications in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent. If you’ve completed food hygiene training or health and safety courses, highlight those here. If you’re still in education, mention your expected completion date.

For career changers or school leavers, you can also mention transferable studies – like customer service units or teamwork-based projects.