Prep Chef Jobs in Santa Cruz, CA

A Prep Chef, also known as a preparation cook, is an integral part of the culinary industry responsible for preparing ingredients for the main cooks or chefs in a kitchen. Their tasks include washing, peeling, cutting, and chopping fruits, vegetables, and other food items, as well as cooking and preparing simple dishes. They also play a critical role in maintaining cleanliness and order in the kitchen, storing food appropriately, and ensuring the availability of fresh ingredients. Prep Chefs often work under the supervision of a head chef or cooks, thus they need to have a keen eye for detail, excellent time management skills, and the ability to work well in a fast-paced environment.

To qualify as a Prep Chef, a certificate or an associate's degree in culinary arts or a related field is usually required. However, critical skills such as culinary expertise, knife skills, understanding of food safety standards, and a strong familiarity with various cooking techniques are essential. In addition, they should also have good physical stamina to manage long hours of standing and handling kitchen equipment. Prior to progressing to the position of a Prep Chef, a person may start their culinary journey in roles such as a dishwasher, line cook or a kitchen assistant.

1-15 of 20 Jobs

Meat Cutter

  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 22 hours ago
  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 22 hours ago

Id : 562212, Title : Meat Cutter, Category : Retail, Store Ops, RequisitionType : High Volume - Retail, JobGrade : null, RequisitionId : ...496, ExternalPostedStartDate : 2025-06-11T17:23:06...

Dessert Finisher/Barista

  • Santa Clara, CA (22 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 1 day ago
  • Santa Clara, CA (22 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 1 day ago

Compensation Range $18.20 - $19.00 / Hour Overview: Why Join Our Team: Great earnings potential Full and part-time hours available Flexible scheduling to fit your life Medical coverage starting at...

Prep Cook

  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 1 day ago
  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 1 day ago

Your Background: Great technique: you have strong knife skills Kitchen savvy: you know your weights, measurements and volumes Attention to detail: you follow all steps and techniques to ensure consistency...

Food Prep, Cook, and Pizza Maker - Cast Member

  • Cupertino, CA (15 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 1 day ago
  • Cupertino, CA (15 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 1 day ago

Easy prep for pizza, salads, and wings. Pay and Benefits: Chuck E. Cheese now offers access to earned wages with our NEW "Work Today, Get Paid Tomorrow" program....

Prep Cook (Full Time)

  • Mountain View, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 1 day ago
  • Mountain View, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 1 day ago

Completes orders from steam tables and grill and serves customers at multiple stations....

Meat Cutter (River St)

  • Santa Cruz, CA
  • 2 days ago
  • Santa Cruz, CA
  • 2 days ago

Knowledge of retail Meat and Seafood departments preferred, however butcher shop or meat fabrication industry experience acceptable. Prior meat cutting / fabrication experience required....

Butcher

  • Cupertino, CA (15 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 2 days ago
  • Cupertino, CA (15 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 2 days ago

Successfully completed WFM Butcher Apprentice Program, or an equivalent training program.* * UK Exceptions may apply Physical Requirements/Working Conditions Must be able to lift 50 pounds....

AM Prep Cook

  • Santa Cruz, CA
  • 3 days ago
  • Santa Cruz, CA
  • 3 days ago

skills and attention to detail Ability to follow recipes and prep instructions consistently Able to stand for long periods and lift up to 50 lbs Team player with a good attitude and willingness to...

Meat Cutter

  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 4 days ago
  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 4 days ago

A Day in the Life: As a Meat Cutter, you will be on the cutting edge with our beef, poultry, and other meat products, and you must be willing to carve out time to engage our customers in friendly...

Prep-Cook/ Line Cook

  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 8 days ago
  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 8 days ago

Our Culture Our unique culture is at the heart of all we do and is guided by our values and behaviors. It's what we expect of ourselves and each other every day. We call them the "Actions We Live...

Line Cook/Prep Cook

  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 9 days ago
  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 9 days ago

Join the largest delivery-first restaurant group in the United States! Location: 949 Ruff Dr, San Jose, CA 95110 Schedule: Part Time Shifts available Salary/Hourly Pay: $19-$20 + Benefits Benefits...

Dishwasher/Food preparer

  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 18 days ago
  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 18 days ago

goods according to recipes and standard operating procedures including but not limited to scooping cookies cutting barscookies mixing buttercreams etcEnsure all food is prepared handled and stored...

Kenzo Sushi - Host and Sushi Chef : Prep Bake Part ($20)

  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 19 days ago
  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 19 days ago

un Kenzo Sushi - Host and Sushi Chef : Prep Bake Part ($20) (san jose south) kenzo sushi image 1 of 1 5465 Snell Ave KENZO SUSHI compensation: $20 + Tip employment type: experience level: entry...

Prep Cook

  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 30+ days ago
  • San Jose, CA (24 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 30+ days ago

Overview Open interviews conducted daily - Walk-ins are Welcome Hiring Immediately We value Gracious Hospitality in everything we do, it starts with you! Our team members are the not-so-secret...

Meat Cutter Full Time

  • Saratoga, CA (14 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 30+ days ago
  • Saratoga, CA (14 miles from Santa Cruz, CA)
  • 30+ days ago

Join our team of more than 34,000 team members, supporting our members and communities in our Club Support Center, 235+ clubs and eight distribution centers. BJ's Wholesale Club offers a...

Demographic Data for Santa Cruz, CA

Moving to Santa Cruz, CA? Find some basic demographic data about Santa Cruz, CA below.


Local
National
101,449
2,927
Medium/Lg

Prep Chef Online Courses and Training Opportunities

iHireChefs curates thousands of courses in order to recommend the best ones to help further your career. If you register for a course using the links on our site, we may receive a small commission.
Viennoiserie Master Pastry chef by APCA chef online
Master chef Angelo Vontoorn in this program is going to teach about different Advance Venoisseries and Laminated doughs. Some are also based on started or Levain. You will be learning how to make...
Travel Cake Master chef series Chef lim by APCA chef online
Travel cakes Master chef series by chef Lim, our in-house executive Pastry are something which does not need too much or a storage and great stuff for picnic and partiesThis program will cover 8...
Pastry Chef Training
Pastry Chef Training Overview Everyone feels happier when they pursue your passions. So if youre passionate about baking, a pastry chef career is an excellent choice. Baking is creative! And this...

Salary for Prep Chef Jobs in Santa Cruz, CA

Estimated salary range based on data from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and iHireChefs research efforts.

Licensing / Certification

Required or preferred licenses and certifications for Prep Chef positions.



Highest Education Level

Prep Chefs in Santa Cruz, CA offer the following education background
High School or GED
33.3%
Associate's Degree
24.6%
Vocational Degree or Certification
17.5%
Bachelor's Degree
16.9%
Some College
3.1%
Master's Degree
2.3%
Some High School
1.8%
Doctorate Degree
0.4%

Average Work Experience
Here's a breakdown of the number of years' experience offered by Prep Chefs in Santa Cruz, CA
Less than 1 year
40.5%
2-4 years
26.0%
1-2 years
22.8%
None
9.8%
8-10 years
0.9%



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