Catering Assistant Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a Catering Assistant. Feel free to use our Catering Assistant job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a Catering Assistant.
Who is a Catering Assistant?
If you want to work as a caterer, you’ll need to know a lot more than just how to cook and bake. When a caterer expands, the owner frequently employs people to prepare the food while she concentrates on the business side of selling, preparing, and serving food. Working as a catering assistant will teach you what it takes to be a successful caterer, strengthen your résumé and skill set, and prepare you to one day own your own business.
Catering Assistants are responsible for preparing food, stocking supplies, and cleaning the kitchen and service areas. They work with caterers for social and corporate events like weddings, conferences, and galas. Catering Assistants collaborate with Event Managers, Servers, and Chefs to ensure that event attendees are happy. Depending on whether the job is part-time or full-time, a typical workweek can last up to 40 hours. Weekends, late nights, early mornings, and vacations are common for catering assistants.
Catering Assistants can advance to Catering Manager or Catering Coordinator positions with experience and training. Depending on the business, they can also advance to the position of Trainee or Junior Chef.
In its most basic form, a catering assistant’s job includes assisting in the kitchen and maintaining hygiene and sanitation in food preparation areas. They frequently assist with the preparation of catering orders or serve the food after it has been prepared.
Catering assistants are also in charge of performing basic food preparation chores including washing and peeling vegetables. They are also likely to be in charge of organizing the storeroom and unloading supplies from suppliers.
They’ll also take care of rubbish collection and disposal. Cleaning and chopping meat, fish, and vegetables, as well as operating machinery, are common tasks for a catering assistant.
Catering Assistant Job Description
Below are the Catering Assistant job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a Catering Assistant job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a Catering Assistant include the following:
- Cleaning, peeling, and cutting fruit and vegetables, seasoning and slicing meats, and creating sauces and salads are examples of basic food preparation chores.
- Following the catering manager’s directions, set up the dining and buffet areas.
- Making sure all tableware and chafing dishes are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before each catering event.
- Taking accurate inventory of food and catering supplies, and buying additional supplies as needed.
- Unloading into and off food, tableware, and catering equipment that are loaded in catering vehicles.
- Following each catering event, properly store clean chafing dishes, tableware, platters, and equipment.
- Responding to all concerns and answering visitors’ catering-related questions during events.
- Assisting with the creation and execution of marketing initiatives to promote catering services.
- Assisting with all customer billing-related tasks.
Qualifications
- Having a GED or high school certificate.
- Work experience in the catering sector for at least a year.
- A food handler’s permit is required.
- Food safety and health requirements are well-understood.
- Working under pressure is an important skill.
- The ability to cooperate and work effectively as part of a group.
- Excellent problem-solving and organizing skills.
- Communication abilities that work.
- Customer service skills.
Essential Skills
- Sales
Direct sales for a catering firm are usually handled by the owner or a business booker, although you may be asked to attend sales calls or work a trade show booth. Customer service is an important aspect of sales, and a caterer’s assistant is frequently responsible for pre-event phone calls, e-mails, and letters, as well as post-event, follow-up. A consumer might, for example, ask to see centerpiece samples recommended by the caterer during the initial sales meeting. After that, it would be up to the caterer’s helper to bring those samples to the consumer.
- Food Preparation
A small caterer could recruit an assistant to help with the meal preparation. Salads, sweets, box lunches, and sandwiches can be the only things the assistant can make. After the food has been made, the assistant will be in charge of packing and storing the products until the occasion, as well as delivering, setting up, and serving them. To keep the food hot, the chafing dishes stocked, and the area clean, the caterer’s assistant frequently works carving stations or stands behind a buffet line.
- Marketing
A catering assistant doesn’t develop marketing strategies or establish advertising, public relations, or promotional plans, but they may help the owner with all of these things. Paid promotion and word-of-mouth are used to generate catering business. Prepare to deliver and proof production materials, then distribute finished brochures and flyers with the help of a local graphic designer or ad agency. Managing Twitter and Facebook activities could be one of your responsibilities.
- Multitasking
As a catering assistant, you may be in charge of multiple jobs at the same time. This necessitates the ability to multitask successfully. You might be cooking while also cleaning the kitchen and keeping track of orders, for example. Multitasking can assist you in finishing jobs on schedule and keeping the kitchen clean and organized.
- Keeping food safe
Catering helpers need to know about food safety because it ensures the safety of the meals they make. Knowing how to properly handle food safety ensures that the food they create is safe to eat.
- Dexterity
They lift, pull, carry, and push goods while standing for lengthy periods of time; some functions of this position require bending, kneeling, and stooping.
Catering assistants in restaurants and other similar establishments frequently work evenings and weekends, which means you may be required to work long hours on occasion. Catering assistants can stay engaged and effective throughout their shifts if they have stamina and a decent work ethic.
- Hygiene
Catering assistants pay attention to hygiene when working with food; when cleaning up, they follow sanitation standards; they wash their hands and keep a decent appearance when preparing or serving meals.
- teamwork abilities
Catering assistants work as part of a team to ensure that catering events run successfully, as well as assist chefs, servers, and caterers.
- Management of Inventory
A caterer either buys and stores goods, or rents or leases it, with an assistant keeping inventory and supplies in order. Tables, chairs, tablecloths, and other on-site goods may be provided by a full-service caterer for an event. Catering companies frequently use food-service-specific equipment supply companies. When an event is scheduled, the caterer’s assistant will be given a list of food products by the caterer or the company’s chef and will be responsible for purchasing, receiving, and inspecting the items when they come.
- Communication
The catering assistants must also be able to communicate well. Clients, other catering workers, and kitchen personnel may all want communication from you. It’s critical to communicate messages and instructions in a clear and simple manner. Clients may also require you to connect with them over the phone or in person.
- Cleaning
Washing dishes and equipment after events, inspecting them before events, and cleaning those that are dirty are common responsibilities of a caterer’s assistant. If the organization has a permanent kitchen, the assistant may be in charge of maintaining it and preparing for inspections according to health department requirements.
- Ability to work swiftly
Working quickly is critical in a fast-paced atmosphere like a kitchen. You can work faster if you are physically fit and have a high level of concentration.
- Organization
You can be in charge of keeping track of supplies, food, and other things if you work as a catering assistant. Having good organizing skills can help you stay on top of things and make sure you have all you need to do your responsibilities. You may also be in charge of maintaining track of the catering company’s records, thus solid organizational abilities will aid you in keeping track of vital paperwork.
- Customer service
Customer service abilities will enable you to communicate with clients and customers in a polite and professional manner. As a catering assistant, you could be in charge of answering menu questions, taking orders, and serving food. Customer service abilities can assist you in interacting with clients and customers in a polite and professional manner.
- Ability to work under pressure
A kitchen may be a busy place with a lot of activities going on at the same time. It’s critical to handle stress and maintain high-quality standards as a catering assistant to thrive.
- Enthusiasm
Working as a catering assistant is a challenging career that requires you to learn new skills on a regular basis. Staying motivated and productive requires a positive attitude toward your work and a desire to learn new things.
How to become a Catering Assistant
- Obtain Degree
One of the first questions to ask yourself if you want to work as a catering assistant is how much schooling you’ll need.
A bachelor’s degree is held by certain catering assistants. Catering Assistants with master’s degrees are among those who work in the industry. Although some Catering Assistants have a college diploma, anyone with a high school diploma or GED can work as one.
When it comes to learning how to become a Catering Assistant, picking the correct major is always crucial. Catering Assistants most typically receive Bachelor’s Degrees or a High School Diploma, according to our research. Associate Degree or Diploma degrees are two more degrees that we frequently see on Catering Assistant resumes.
- Make a resume for yourself as a catering assistant
Make sure your resume is up to date before looking for jobs. To increase your chances of getting an interview, mention your previous professional experience in reverse chronological order, beginning with the most recent. On your resume and in your cover letter, try to emphasize any cooking experience you may have. You can also add any certifications or technical abilities that might be useful in a catering assistant position.
Include relevant keywords from the job description in your CV to improve your chances of receiving an interview. If a job posting asks for a candidate with time-management abilities, for example, you might include that information in your CV. This might also assist you in demonstrating to employers that you are capable.
- Gain experience in the kitchen.
It’s a good idea to gain some culinary experience before becoming certified as a catering assistant. Having some kitchen experience on your resume will help you stand out to companies when looking for new jobs. It’s also a great way to see if you prefer working in a kitchen.
You might find that previous work experience will assist you in becoming a Catering Assistant. Many Catering Assistant roles, for example, require previous experience as a Cashier. Many Catering Assistants, on the other hand, have prior work experience as Sales Associates or Server.
- Apply for positions as a caterer’s helper.
You’re ready to start applying for employment as a caterer assistant once you’ve completed your resume. Online job boards are a good place to start looking for work. These tools can help you find employment that fit your talents, experience, and credentials by filtering open jobs by area, employer, and salary.
Where to Work as a Catering Assistant
Catering assistants can work in a school, a café or restaurant, a hotel, a hospital, the military, a waterpark, or a variety of other settings. As a catering assistant, you will most likely be required to work shifts that include evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Of course, this depends on your place of employment; for example, if you work in a school dining hall, you will only be expected to work during the week. The working hours of a restaurant are different than those of a private catering company. A full-time catering assistant works 40 hours per week on average, although part-time jobs account for around two-thirds of all kitchen roles, and casual and seasonal work is also available.
They may be required to work very early in the morning or late at night, though shifts are normally split among personnel. On the plus side, the working environment can be entertaining, and there may be staff discounts or free lunches available.
At busy periods, such as lunch and dinner, the work atmosphere is likely to be noisy and unpleasant. Catering assistants are ideal for both sexes (neither gender dominates the function) and all ages, while employees under the age of 18 may find their role restricted due to health and safety rules regulating the use of specialized equipment, such as knives.
- Schools
Catering assistants support the head cook or catering manager in providing nutritious, balanced, and cost-effective meals to children every lunchtime.
Planning menus, adhering to nutrition and healthy eating requirements for children are some of the responsibilities of a catering assistant in a school. In addition, daily income must be reconciled.
- Hospitals
Hospitals require catering assistants, chefs, cooks, and catering supervisors. They are responsible for assisting in the preparation, cooking, and serving of meals to patients and personnel. The cuisine must fulfill the medical and cultural demands of the patients, as well as encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle.
Catering assistants operate in either the main kitchen or in a pantry on the ward. They assist the crew in food preparation and maintaining a clean kitchen. They also provide food to hospital employees and patients.
- Catering companies
Catering assistants assist catering companies in preparing meal ingredients, setting up buffet stations, and loading and unloading food and catering materials into and off catering vans. They collaborate with catering managers to ensure that clients and guests are happy with the food services they receive.
Catering Assistant Salary Scale
As of, the average Catering Assistant’s pay in the United States was $35,425; however, salaries frequently range from $29,023 to $40,156. Salary ranges depend on various factors, which include schooling, certifications, supplementary talents, and the number of years you’ve worked in your field.
