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Chef and cook interview questions and answers in English

The questions a head chef really asks cooks, commis and sous chefs, with model answers in simple English. Read them, then practise out loud with Dana.

Free · no sign-up · 6 questions · about 10 minutes

This interview tests

  • Hygiene and food safety
  • Speed during service
  • Teamwork in the kitchen
  • Free no sign-up
  • 6 questions
  • About 10 minutes
  • Speak or type

Your chef and cook interview

Dana, the head chef, asks six questions.

Dana, the head chef, asks first

Tell me about yourself and your kitchen experience.

  1. Why do you want to cook in our kitchen?
  2. A dish comes back because the customer says it's undercooked. What do you do?
  3. How do you keep your section clean and safe?
  4. Tell me about a time something went wrong during a busy service.
  5. Do you have any questions for us?

8 chef and cook interview questions and answers in English

Each question has what the interviewer wants to hear, and a model answer at B1 and at B2. B1 is short and simple; B2 adds detail and linking words. Use your real experience, in your own words.

Tell me about yourself and your kitchen experience.

What they want to hear. The kitchens you have worked in, your section and your years, then why you want this kitchen. Under a minute.

B1 answer

I'm a commis chef. I've worked in an Italian restaurant for two years. I prepare vegetables, make sauces and help on the grill on busy nights. I keep my section clean. Now I'd like to learn more and work in a bigger kitchen like yours.

B2 answer

I've been a chef de partie for three years in a busy hotel kitchen, running the sauce section for up to 200 covers a night. Before that, I trained at catering college and worked as a commis. I'm confident with stocks, sauces and fish, and I'm strict about hygiene. I'm applying here because your seasonal menu would push me to learn new techniques.

Why do you want to cook in our kitchen?

What they want to hear. A real reason about the menu, the style of cooking or the training, and what you bring to the kitchen.

B1 answer

I want to work here because your menu changes with the seasons, and I want to learn new dishes. Your restaurant also has a very good name. I'm fast and organised, and I'm happy to start with simple tasks and learn from you.

B2 answer

I'd like to work here because you cook with seasonal, local produce and change the menu every few weeks, so I'd keep learning. I also admire how calm and organised your kitchen looks during service. In return, I'm quick on prep, reliable on long shifts and careful about hygiene. I'd like to grow from my section into a sous chef role over the next few years.

A dish comes back because the customer says it's undercooked. What do you do?

What they want to hear. That you take it seriously as a safety issue, check it, cook a fresh dish fast, tell the head chef and find the cause.

B1 answer

First I check the dish carefully. I don't argue with the server. If it is undercooked, I say sorry and cook a new one quickly. I tell the head chef. Then I check the other dishes on the same order. Later I think about why it happened.

B2 answer

I'd take it seriously, especially with chicken or pork, because it's a safety issue. I'd check the dish with a probe, and if it was undercooked I'd cook a fresh one straight away rather than just putting the old plate back in. Then I'd tell the head chef and check the rest of that batch. Afterwards I'd find the cause, perhaps a cold grill or a rushed order.

How do you keep your section clean and safe?

What they want to hear. Practical hygiene habits: clean as you go, raw and cooked apart, labels and dates, temperature checks.

B1 answer

I clean as I go, so my section is always tidy. I use different colour boards for raw meat and vegetables. I wash my hands often. I label and date everything in the fridge. At the end of the shift, I clean everything and check the temperatures.

B2 answer

I clean as I go and keep raw and cooked products completely apart, with colour-coded boards and knives. Everything in my fridge is labelled with the date, and I rotate stock: first in, first out. I check and record fridge temperatures twice a day. Last year our kitchen kept a top hygiene rating at a surprise inspection, and I was proud of my part in that.

Tell me about a time something went wrong during a busy service.

What they want to hear. A real story: the problem, what you had to keep going, what you did yourself and how the service ended.

B1 answer

One Saturday night the oven stopped working in the middle of service. I had to keep the orders going. I told the head chef, I moved some dishes to the grill and I changed the order of the tickets. In the end every table got their meals, only a little late, and nobody complained.

B2 answer

Last summer, on a Friday with 150 covers booked, our fish delivery didn't arrive. I had to save the special without slowing service. I called two other suppliers, found one who could deliver within the hour, and meanwhile I prepped a vegetarian alternative so the servers had something to offer. As a result, we served every table, and the head chef kept that dish on the menu.

A customer has a nut allergy. How do you prepare their dish?

What they want to hear. Careful steps: check every ingredient, clean area and equipment, cook separately, mark the plate, and never guess.

B1 answer

First I check the recipe and the allergen list. I wash my hands and use clean boards, pans and knives. I cook the dish away from the other orders. Then I mark the ticket and give it to the server myself. If I'm not sure, I tell the head chef.

B2 answer

Allergies can be life-threatening, so I treat the order as a priority. First I check the recipe and every ingredient label, including sauces. Then I clean my area, use fresh equipment and cook the dish separately. I label the plate and hand it to the server personally, repeating the allergy. If I'm not completely sure an ingredient is safe, I say so and don't serve it.

How do you work with the rest of the kitchen during a busy service?

What they want to hear. Clear communication with the head chef and the pass, helping other sections, and cleaning down together.

B1 answer

I listen to the head chef and I answer 'Yes, chef' so they know I heard. I tell my colleagues when my dishes are ready. If my section is quiet, I help others. After service, we clean together and talk about any problems.

B2 answer

Communication is everything on the pass. I call back every order so the head chef knows I've heard it, and I give clear times, such as 'two minutes on the steak'. If my section is under control, I help the busiest one without being asked. After service, we clean down together and talk briefly about what slowed us down, so the next night runs better.

Do you have any questions for us?

What they want to hear. One or two questions about the section, the menu or the training. Leave pay for later.

B1 answer

Yes, I have two questions. Which section would I start on, and who would train me? And how often does the menu change? I would like to practise the dishes at home before I start, so I can work fast from the first week.

B2 answer

Yes, a couple. Which section would I start on, and how long would I work alongside someone before running it alone? I'd also like to know how the menu is developed and whether junior chefs can suggest dishes. Finally, what does a typical week of shifts look like? I want to make sure I can give my best from the first service.

Useful English words for a chef and cook interview

The words interviewers expect you to know, with a short meaning. Use two or three of them in your answers.

  • sectionone part of the kitchen, such as sauces or grill
  • preppreparing ingredients before service
  • mise en placeeverything ready and in place before you cook
  • servicethe time when the restaurant is open and orders come in
  • coversthe number of guests served
  • the passwhere finished plates are checked before they go out
  • cross-contaminationgerms or allergens moving from one product to another
  • stock rotationusing older stock first so nothing goes out of date
  • clean downclean the whole section at the end of service
  • commis chefa junior chef who is learning in each section

Useful phrases for a chef and cook interview

  • I've worked on the … section for …Describe your experience.
  • I clean as I go.Talk about hygiene.
  • I keep raw and cooked products apart.Show food safety.
  • Yes, chef. Two minutes on table six.Talk during service.
  • I check every ingredient for allergens.Handle an allergy order.
  • I label and date everything in the fridge.Describe your routine.
  • I'm quick on prep and calm during service.Name a strength.
  • Which section would I start on?Ask about the role.

Common English mistakes in a chef and cook interview

  • I am cooker in a restaurant.

    I'm a cook in a restaurant.

    A 'cooker' is the machine; the person is a 'cook'.

  • I prepare the mise en place every mornings.

    I prepare the mise en place every morning.

    'Every' takes a singular noun.

  • The chicken was not enough cooked.

    The chicken wasn't cooked enough.

    'Enough' goes after the adjective.

  • I washed my hands for not contaminate.

    I washed my hands to avoid contamination.

    Use 'to' or 'to avoid' for a purpose.

  • I have worked in kitchen during five years.

    I've worked in kitchens for five years.

    Use 'for' with a length of time.

Chef and cook interview in English FAQ

How do I answer 'Tell me about yourself' in a chef interview in English?

Say which kitchens you have worked in, your section and your years, then why you want this kitchen. For example: 'I've been a commis chef in an Italian restaurant for two years, mostly on sauces and the grill, and I'd like to learn seasonal cooking.'

What are the most common chef and cook interview questions?

Why our kitchen, what you do when a dish comes back undercooked, how you keep your section clean, tell me about a busy service that went wrong, how you prepare a dish for an allergy, and how you work with the rest of the kitchen. All eight are on this page.

Will there be a cooking trial as well as the interview?

Often, yes. Many kitchens ask you to cook a dish or work a short trial shift. The spoken interview still matters, because the head chef wants to know you understand instructions and can talk clearly during service.

What should I say about hygiene in a kitchen interview?

Give real habits: clean as you go, keep raw and cooked apart, label and date everything, check fridge temperatures. One clear example is better than a list of rules.

Which English words do I need in a professional kitchen?

Words like prep, section, service, covers, the pass, allergen and stock rotation are used every day. The vocabulary list on this page gives a short meaning for each one.

Can I practise a chef interview in English for free?

Yes. Choose Chef and cook on this page and press Start. Dana asks six questions out loud; you answer by voice or by typing. After each answer you see one wording fix and one tip, worked out from your own words by rules for common learner mistakes and the parts a good answer needs. Free, no sign-up.

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