Reality check
Seasonal kitchens cover the full spectrum from a 17-year-old washing pots in a Bulgarian hotel to a 45-year-old head chef running a Michelin-starred Courchevel brigade. What they have in common is compressed intensity: five months of maximum effort, guaranteed accommodation, and a very different rhythm to year-round restaurant work.
Resort kitchens pay well for senior roles because the hours are vicious and the standards are high. They pay modestly for entry roles because the package (accommodation, food, ski pass) is substantial. The experience is a legitimate career accelerator if you treat it as such.
The hierarchy
- Kitchen Porter (KP): Pot wash, prep, basic cleaning. No experience needed. Entry point.
- Commis Chef: Junior cook. Usually following a recipe pack under supervision. Mushroom chopping year.
- Chef de Partie (CDP): Runs a section (starters, mains, pastry). First proper chef role.
- Sous Chef: Number two. Runs the kitchen when the head chef is off. Handles rotas, ordering, training.
- Head Chef: Menu, budget, team, standards, everything. Buck stops here.
- Private Chalet Chef: Solo chef in a luxury chalet. Menu design, shopping, service, clear-down, repeat.
Qualifications needed
What you actually need
KP: Food Hygiene Level 2 (online, £20, same-day).
Commis: Food Hygiene L2, allergen awareness, ideally NVQ L2 or equivalent.
CDP: Food Hygiene L3, allergen, NVQ L2 or L3, two years' kitchen experience.
Sous / Head: L3 plus three to five years' experience plus management or HACCP exposure.
Chalet chef: Same as CDP plus demonstrated menu design and guest-facing skills.
Pay and hours
Seasonal kitchen pay ranges enormously by role, level, and venue. Indicative monthly pay for a ski season in a mid-to-premium resort:
- Kitchen Porter: £1,600 to £2,400 per month package (pay plus accommodation and food).
- Commis: £1,800 to £2,600.
- Chef de Partie: £2,200 to £3,200 plus tips.
- Sous Chef: £3,000 to £4,000.
- Head Chef / Chalet Chef (luxury): £3,500 to £6,000 plus tips and performance bonus.
The hours
60 to 80 hours a week in service weeks. Split shifts (09:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to midnight) are common. One day off a week is standard. Resorts with a lunch service are heavier than dinner-only chalets. If a contract says 48 hours a week, ask what that actually looks like in service.
Where the best kitchens are
The prestige resorts offer the best money, the hardest hours, and the most CV value.
- Courchevel 1850 & Megève (France). Multiple Michelin-star hotels, top chalet operators, highest seasonal pay in the Alps.
- Gstaad, St Moritz, Zermatt (Switzerland). Swiss gross pay is high even for mid-level chefs. Contracts are formal.
- Val d'Isère, Verbier, Méribel. Deep hiring markets, good balance between premium chalets and mid-market operators.
- Superyachts. Summer alternative for chefs wanting international travel. Pay is higher than land-based but so is the intensity.
- Ibiza & Greek islands. Summer work for chefs who want sun after a winter season.
How to get hired
Senior chef roles go early. KPs and commis roles stay open late.
- Confirm your Food Hygiene level is current.
- Apply direct to target operators in May to July for sous and head roles; August to October for CDP, commis, and KP.
- Prepare a short menu and cost-sheet to speak about in interview.
- Create a profile on PeakWave so operators can find you directly.
- Line up references from your last two kitchens. Chefs hire on references more than CVs.
A resort season on your CV is legitimate professional experience. Done well, it accelerates your career more than the same months in a chain restaurant.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get a seasonal kitchen job with no experience?
Yes, as a kitchen porter. KP roles are entry-level, pay £400 to £600 per week plus accommodation, and are the fastest route into a kitchen brigade. Many head chefs started as KPs. Food Hygiene Level 2 is cheap, online, and expected. A good attitude matters more than anything on a CV.
What is the kitchen hierarchy in a resort?
Standard brigade: Kitchen Porter, Commis Chef, Chef de Partie (section chef), Sous Chef (second in command), Head Chef. In a smaller chalet kitchen this collapses to one or two chefs and a KP. In a luxury chalet or hotel with a Michelin pedigree you get the full brigade plus pastry chef, allergen lead, and often a development chef.
How many hours do seasonal chefs actually work?
60 to 80 hours a week is standard during service weeks. Split shifts with a midday break are common. Changeover days are longer. One full day off a week is standard but not always delivered. If a contract promises 48 hours, check what it actually means in practice.
Are Michelin resorts worth chasing?
For career chefs, yes. Courchevel, Gstaad, St Moritz and Megève host multiple Michelin-starred hotels paying top seasonal salaries and offering CV value you cannot get elsewhere. Expect the hours and standards to match the pay. For first-season cooks, a mid-tier chalet or hotel is usually a better learning environment than a high-pressure Michelin kitchen.
What qualifications do I need to be a seasonal chef?
Level 2 Food Hygiene is the baseline for any role. Level 3 if you are running a section. City & Guilds 706, NVQ Professional Cookery, or equivalent European qualifications help for Chef de Partie upwards. Allergen awareness training is now expected in all UK-facing kitchens.
Can you go seasonal-to-permanent as a chef?
Very common route. Many seasonal chefs do a winter in the Alps, a summer on yachts or in Mediterranean resorts, and build their CV that way for three or four years before settling into a year-round role. Employers in London and New York actively value this experience.
Ready for your next kitchen season?
Create your profile and seasonal kitchens can find you. Free, always.