Rob Kirby, Lexington Catering

The Staff Canteen
Rob Kirby

Rob Kirby discusses his role as Chef director at Lexington Catering and his own inspirations with regards to pursuing a career as a Chef.

Name: Rob Kirby

Place of work: Lexington Catering

Role: Chef director

Bio: Rob has over 30 years catering experience and was the winner of the first Food Service Catey’s for ‘Chef of the Year 2013’. Rob regularly appears on BBC TV and radio, showcasing his cooking and teaching the viewers.

Follow Lexington Catering on Twitter here: @LexyFood

Chef Skills

Rob Kirby takes us through his personal experiences whilst being in the Culinary Industry. These key skills that young Chefs and industry professionals learn as part of their basic training.

How long have you been in this role? 

12 years.

What experience and how many years would someone need in order to progress to the top level of the industry? 

15 years minimum.

What are the positive for working within the catering industry?

It’s very diverse, there are never two days the same and that’s what I like. From a small dining room to a 500 cover event, each menu comes with its own challenges and I love it.

What are your ultimate top five tips for someone looking to start a career in the hospitality sector?

  • 1. Right Attitude
  • 2. Driven
  • 3. Strong personality
  • 4. Level headed
  • 5. Have common sense

    Who are the key Chefs and restaurants that someone should be speaking to and trying to gain experience with?

Players - named Chefs and what’s/whoever is hot in the restaurant scene, offer to work for free, go with a positive ‘Yes Chef’ attitude and absorb like a sponge.

What are you looking out for on a CV or in an interview if someone was applying to work with you?

Simple to read, with headlines of where worked and school results, also anything food related where you have an interest.

In interviews be bright, look them in the eyes and be positive with a yes/can do attitude.

View Feature posts about Rob Kirby.

Find a Chef Job

Whether you're an aspiring Chef soon to be leaving education, or you are an established Chef looking for a new culinary challenge, we have a variety of Chef roles to suit you;
- Head Chef Jobs
- Executive Chef Jobs
- Sous Chef Jobs
- Commis Chef Jobs
- Chef de Parties Jobs
- Pastry Chef Jobs

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall  – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 25th May 2017

Rob Kirby, Lexington Catering