Industry

Hospitality and food

Hotels, restaurants and pubs: apprenticeships in kitchens, front of house, supervision and management, often with a fast route to running your own site.

Hospitality and food is one of the easiest industries to get into, and one of the quickest to move up in. Apprentices learn on the job in hotels, restaurants and pubs.

Who we’ve researched

  • Whitbread, which owns Premier Inn, aims to take on around 1,200 apprentices a year, from hospitality services to management.
  • McDonald’s UK runs apprenticeships for crew and managers, and a five-year School Leaver Degree Apprenticeship.
  • Greene King runs chef, bar and waiting, and team leader apprenticeships, with no formal entry requirements.

Things to know

  • Low entry barriers. Many hospitality apprenticeships don’t need specific grades, and some help you gain English and maths.
  • Fast progression. Routes often lead from team member to supervisor to manager.
  • Unsociable hours. Hospitality often means evenings and weekends, so think about whether that suits you.

Types of work and careers

  • Chef and kitchen

    Cooking and running kitchens, from prep to head chef.

  • Front of house

    Bar, waiting and reception roles, looking after customers.

  • Supervision and team leading

    Running shifts and leading a team.

  • Hospitality management

    Managing a hotel, restaurant or pub as a business.

Compare Hospitality and food apprenticeships

A quick side-by-side of what each employer publishes. Pick a level to see what each employer offers at that level, and open a profile for the full details and sources.

All employers

Employer Levels Length Pay Entry requirements Where
Greene King Not published Not published Not published No formal entry requirements Pubs across the UK
McDonald's UK
  • L6–7 Degree
5 years (degree apprenticeship) Not published Not published McDonald's restaurants
Whitbread
  • L2 Intermediate
  • L3 Advanced
  • L4–5 Higher
Not published Not published Not published Premier Inn hotels and restaurants across the UK

Intermediate apprenticeships (Level 2)

Roughly equivalent to GCSEs.

Employer Programmes at this level Length Pay Entry requirements
Whitbread 1 programme Intermediate Apprenticeship in Hospitality Services Not published Not published Not published

Advanced apprenticeships (Level 3)

Roughly equivalent to A levels.

Employer Programmes at this level Length Pay Entry requirements
Whitbread 1 programme Advanced Programme in Hospitality Supervision Not published Not published Not published

Higher apprenticeships (Levels 4–5)

Roughly equivalent to a foundation degree, HNC or HND.

Employer Programmes at this level Length Pay Entry requirements
Whitbread 1 programme Higher Programme in Hospitality Management Not published Not published Not published

Degree apprenticeships (Levels 6–7)

Roughly equivalent to a bachelor's or master's degree.

Employer Programmes at this level Length Pay Entry requirements
McDonald's UK 1 programme School Leaver Degree Apprenticeship 5 years Not published Not published

"Not published" means we couldn't find it on the employer's official pages. Pay and lengths can change each year and between locations, so always check the employer's own page before you apply. How apprentice pay works · What the levels mean

Key figures

Apprentices Whitbread aims to take on every year
~1,200
Source: Whitbread
Length of McDonald's School Leaver Degree Apprenticeship
5 years
Source: McDonald's UK
Formal entry requirements for Greene King apprenticeships
0
Source: Greene King

Summary

  • Hospitality apprenticeships cover kitchens, front of house, supervision and management.
  • Entry requirements are often low: Greene King doesn't set any formal requirements.
  • Progression can be quick, with routes from crew or team member up to management.
  • McDonald's runs a five-year degree apprenticeship that fast-tracks school leavers into management.

Employers we profile in this industry

Levels documented across these employers:

  • L2 Intermediate
  • L3 Advanced
  • L4–5 Higher
  • L6–7 Degree

  • Greene King

    The pub company and brewer. It runs chef, bar and waiting, and team leader apprenticeships across the UK, with no formal entry requirements and support for Functional Skills if you don't have GCSE maths and English.

    Hospitality and food
    Levels not confirmed

  • McDonald's UK

    The restaurant chain, which runs hospitality apprenticeships for its crew and managers and a five-year School Leaver Degree Apprenticeship that fast-tracks you into management while you study for a degree.

    Hospitality and food
    • L6–7 Degree

  • Whitbread

    The company behind Premier Inn and its restaurant brands. It plans to take on around 1,200 apprentices a year, from intermediate hospitality services to higher-level hospitality management.

    Hospitality and food
    • L2 Intermediate
    • L3 Advanced
    • L4–5 Higher

This is a curated selection, not a complete list of employers in the industry. Filter this industry in Employer Search.

Sources and review

Last reviewed . Details can change after this date, so check the official source before you rely on them.

  1. Early Careers Whitbread Careers · accessed
  2. School Leaver Degree Apprenticeship McDonald's UK · accessed
  3. Apprenticeships at Greene King Greene King · accessed

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