Chef interview questions and answers come back to four things: the sections you have worked, how you keep food safe, how you stay calm in a full service, and how you work with the people next to you. A head chef wants short, true answers with one real example each. You do not need fancy English, only the right kitchen words and a clear order. Below are the questions cooks and chefs hear most, with sample answers to adapt.
Where you will hear these questions
Most cooks and chefs meet these questions in two places. The first is a job interview with a head chef, often by video and often followed by a trial shift. The second is a skills assessment for migration.
For Australia, Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) lists Chef and Cook in its Offshore Skills Assessment Program. The nominated countries for Chef and Cook include India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Brazil, Fiji and South Africa. TRA says an IELTS test is not needed for this program, but you do the technical assessment in English, without help.
VETASSESS, a TRA-approved assessing body, lists the areas its assessor covers for Cook and Chef. They include safe and hygienic food handling, minimising waste, cooking meat, poultry and seafood, stocks, sauces and soups, desserts and pastry, menus and costings. Chef candidates are also asked about managing staff and budgets. Our guide to the skills assessment technical interview explains how that day runs.
Common chef interview questions at a glance
These are practice examples, not a fixed list. Change every detail so the answer is true for you.
| Question | What the head chef listens for | A simple answer could be |
|---|---|---|
| Which sections have you worked? | Real sections, how long, and which one you are strongest on | "I ran the grill for two years and covered the fryer and the larder on days off." |
| How do you set up your section before service? | An order you repeat every day | "I check the bookings, read the prep list, label everything and fill my fridge in order." |
| How do you stop cross-contamination? | Separate boards, storage and clean hands, said as habits | "Raw meat goes on the bottom shelf, on its own board, and I wash my hands after I touch it." |
| A customer has a food allergy. What do you do? | That you stop, check and never guess | "I check the recipe, use clean tools and tell the head chef before the plate goes out." |
| What do you do when you get behind in service? | Calm, honest and asking for help early | "I tell the chef straight away and finish the oldest docket first." |
| Tell me about a dish you are proud of. | Your real cooking, explained in steps | "A slow-cooked lamb shoulder. I brown it, braise it for hours and reduce the liquid for the sauce." |
The same answer pattern works in every trade. If you want to see it beside other trades, read our trade job interview questions and answers.
Questions about your sections and your level
Kitchens are split into sections (stations): grill, sauce, fryer, larder for cold food, and pastry. The interviewer wants to know where you can stand on a busy night without help.
Commis chef interview questions
A commis chef is a junior cook who prepares food under a more senior chef. Questions at this level are about prep, knife skills, following a recipe and taking instructions. Expect "What do you do if you do not understand an instruction?"
A simple answer could be: "I ask the chef to show me once, then I repeat it back."
Chef de partie interview questions
A chef de partie runs one section. The questions move to planning: how you write your prep list, how you train a commis, and how you keep your section stocked during service.
A simple answer could be: "Every afternoon I check what sold, then I write tomorrow's prep list from the bookings."
In Australia, the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 uses its own grades for these jobs: a commis chef is Cook (tradesperson) grade 3, a demi chef is grade 4 and a chef de partie is grade 5. Be honest about which level matches your real work.
Food safety questions: say the checks you do
Safe and hygienic food handling is the first area on the VETASSESS list for Cook and Chef, and most head chefs ask about it early. They want to hear that you check food without being told.
- Deliveries: you check the temperature and the use-by date.
- Storage: raw food below cooked food, everything covered, labelled and dated.
- Cooking and cooling: you use a probe thermometer and you never guess when meat or chicken is done.
- Cleaning: clean as you go, with separate cloths and boards for raw and ready-to-eat food.
Be careful with numbers from home. If the interviewer asks for a temperature or a time limit you are not sure about in their country, do not guess. Say what you check, and say you will follow the kitchen's own food safety plan.
A simple answer could be: "When the fish comes in, I check the temperature and the smell before I sign. It goes into the cool room, labelled and dated."
Kitchen safety: knives, burns, slips and heavy pots
Safe Work Australia defines a hazard as a situation or thing that has the potential to harm a person. In a kitchen: knives, hot oil, wet floors and heavy pots.
In Australia, workers must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and for others who could be affected by what they do. So speak up, do not just work around a problem. Expect "What would you do if the floor near the fryer is wet in the middle of service?"
A simple answer could be: "I call 'wet floor' to the team, put the sign out and dry it straight away."
You may also be asked about carrying knives, lifting a full stock pot or a fryer fire. Our list of workplace safety interview questions has answers for these.
Speed and a busy service: the pressure questions
Every head chef asks some version of "How do you handle pressure?" Give one real night, not "I work well under pressure".
Australian Government job-search advice describes the STAR method for questions about the past: Situation, Task, Action and Result. In a kitchen it sounds like this:
A simple answer could be: "On a Saturday our grill chef went home sick at six o'clock (situation). I had to run grill and my own section (task). I asked the commis to plate the sides, I called my tickets out loud and I cooked the oldest dockets first (action). We kept the tables moving and no plate came back (result)."
Questions that start with "What would you do if...?" are different: there is no true story, so you explain your plan in order. See our guide to real-life scenario questions.
Teamwork and simple English on the line
A kitchen runs on short calls. One missed call can mean a burn or a wrong plate, so use these words in your answers:
- "Yes, chef" or "Heard": I understood the order.
- "Behind" and "Hot behind": I am walking behind you, and I am carrying something hot.
- "The pass": the counter where the head chef checks each plate before it goes out.
- Docket: the order ticket from the front of house.
- Mise en place: everything prepared and in its place before service.
If you do not catch a question in the interview, ask. VETASSESS tells candidates to ask the assessor to repeat a question they do not understand. Our guide on English level in a trade interview explains what matters.
The trial shift: what to expect after the interview
Many kitchens ask a cook to work a short trial after the interview. The Fair Work Ombudsman describes an unpaid work trial as a demonstration, under supervision, to show you have the skills for the job. It says this should be made clear before you start, and any time beyond what is reasonably needed to show your skills must be paid at the correct minimum rate. You can read the Fair Work rules on unpaid trials.
On the day, clean as you go and ask before you touch another cook's section.
How to practise your chef interview answers
Australian Government job-search advice says it can help to practise your answers with someone you trust. Do it out loud, in English.
- Write down your sections, your best dishes and one hard service you remember. These are your examples.
- For each question in the table above, say a two or three sentence answer out loud. Start with the answer, then give one example.
- Ask a friend to play the head chef and mix up the order of the questions.
- Get your CV ready to match what you say. Build AI CV can help you lay out a chef CV before the call.
On InterviewTraining.ai you watch an interviewer ask a question on video, answer out loud, and get a score from 0 to 10 with what you did well, what to add and a stronger answer. The marking does not take marks off for your accent or simple words. Start with the chef questions, use technical skills practice for food safety and cooking methods, and finish with a full mock interview.
Common mistakes in chef interviews
- Listing dishes without steps. Explain one dish from start to finish.
- Saying "I am always careful" about food safety. Name the checks: dates, labels, the probe, separate boards.
- Guessing a temperature or a rule. A wrong number sounds worse than "I follow the kitchen's food safety plan".
- Claiming a higher level than your real work. The trial shift will show it.
- Talking badly about your last head chef. Official advice is never to criticise past employers.
- Never saying "we". A kitchen is a team. Show how you help the cook next to you.
Rules and requirements can change. Check the official government website before you act.
Frequently asked questions
What questions are asked in a chef interview?
Most chef interviews ask which sections you have worked, how you set up before service, how you keep food safe, how you handle a busy night and how you work with the team.
How do I answer cook interview questions with simple English?
Give the answer first, then one short example, then stop. If you miss a question, ask the interviewer to repeat it.
Is there a cooking test in a chef skills assessment?
It depends on the assessing body and the pathway. TRA says the Pathway 1 technical assessment includes a technical interview and may involve a practical demonstration of skills. Your assessing body tells you what your own assessment includes.
Should I agree to an unpaid trial shift?
The Fair Work Ombudsman says an unpaid trial should only be long enough to show your skills, and that this should be made clear before you start. Any longer period must be paid.
What should I ask a head chef at the end of the interview?
Ask about the menu, the size of the team, which section you would start on and how a normal week looks.
Key takeaways
- Chef interview questions focus on sections, food safety, kitchen safety, pressure and teamwork.
- Name the checks you do for food safety; never guess a temperature or a rule.
- Use one real service for pressure questions, told in the STAR order.
- Learn the kitchen calls and ask for a question again if you miss it.
- Practise every answer out loud in English before the interview and the trial shift.
Topics
- chef interview questions
- cook interview
- kitchen jobs
- food safety
- trade interview
- interview answers
