Elena Prokopets
Claire Briggs Webber, CPRW
Thanks to the popularity of cooking shows, plenty of people want to be chefs. However, it takes talent, experience, and training to make it big in this field. When you are an expert in conceiving of and preparing amazing food, your talents are in high demand. Employers in the restaurant and hospitality industry are hiring back once again. While the demand for personal chefs, employed by private households, remains high as well.
No matter what type of employment you favor, you’ll need to ensure you stand out from every other job applicant. That means really shining when it’s time to sit for your job interview. We’ll leave that part up to you.
In order to land that interview, you have to have a fabulous application package. That includes your chef’s cover letter. To help you with that, we have provided a sample chef cover letter and some helpful writing tips.
Chef Cover Letter Sample (Word version)
Let’s start with this example. It does an amazing job of communicating the applicant’s talent, experience, and passion for fine cooking.
Download cover letter example (.docx)
Chef Cover Letter Example (text version)
Dear Everett Macnichol,
My name is Lorraine Young and I am a pastry chef with more than five years of experience in fine dining. I recently learned from a mutual friend of ours, Maya Davis, that you were looking for a pastry chef for your nightly dinner service at City Steakhouse as well as to run the dessert and tapas buffet you offer to Sunday diners. If this position is still available, I am very interested. I also believe I meet all of the qualifications to excel in this position.
Currently, I am the executive pastry chef at Labonne Bouchier. I lead a team of pastry chefs that produce a selection of French pastries and other desserts for lunch and dinner services. In addition to being in charge of production, I also designed the menu which features several items of my own creation. My passionfruit and Yuzu-infused version of the Pavlova dessert was recently spotlighted by the culinary critic, Mark Swiss, in the Time Out Magazine.
Prior to my service at Labonne Bouchier, I lived and worked in Europe where I staged at several restaurants and cafes. It was through these experiences that I familiarized myself with high-end foodservice and found my passion for desserts.
The pastry arts are truly my passion. I received my associate’s degree in culinary arts from Tuckwood community college in 2015 where I specialized in baking and pastry arts. In addition to working in the field, I also work as a children’s cooking instructor at Tuckwood City Library and coordinate a non-profit organization that collects food from restaurants in the area to be distributed to food banks and shelters. This is where I connected with our friend Maya Davis.
I’ve had the pleasure of eating at your restaurant many times and would love to meet up and talk about this position. I’m confident that my experience aligns very well with the dining experience you are offering your customers. Feel free to call or text, or contact me on messenger.
Regards,
Lorraine Young
How to Write a Chef Cover Letter
Now that you’ve read a great example of a cover letter for a chef, it’s time for some helpful tips. Incorporate these pointers into your writing to produce an equally compelling cover letter!
Do Your Research
Research the restaurant that you want to work at so that you are able to personalize your cover letter. If you fail to do this, it will be obvious that you are simply sending out a one-size-fits-all cover letter to potential employers. That’s not going to motivate anybody to call you for an interview. However, if you do some research, you can compose a very relevant letter that directly addresses the needs of the hiring manager and their business.
As a chef, you can personalize your cover letter by mentioning:
- The venue’s positioning and main specialties
- Type of cuisine they specialize in
- Popular or creative menu items
- Typical clientelle
Write a Strong Opening
What is your selling point? Is it your years of experience, leadership skills, creativity, or ability to lead an absolutely insane dinner service with only a prep cook and a dishwasher? Whatever it is that you have to offer, lead off with that. This is the attention-grabbing information that ensures your cover letter is read to the end.
For example, you can start with this:
“If you are looking for a private chef who can design an exclusive, locally sourced menu for 50 VIP guests in under 14 weeks and ensure impeccable food presentation, I’d be a good add-on to your household”.
Check our earlier post for more winning cover letter opening lines.
Make a Personal Connection
Do you and the hiring manager share friends in common? Did you attend the same school? Have you both been present at important industry events? If you can find some sort of connection, mention that in your cover letter. This creates a sense of familiarity. Additionally, when people feel a small connection to someone, they may unconsciously view them more favorably.
Final Thoughts: Ask for Feedback
Often, when people write correspondence, they can develop a bit of tunnel vision. Everything they write seems absolutely clear to them. This can make it difficult for them to recognize awkward phrasing or writing that may not make as much sense as they think. The best way to combat this is to ask someone you trust to read your letter for you. They can provide you with insights and a fresh perspective.
Need a resume to go with your cover letter? Check out our resume example for a chef position.
