Pair these common cover letter examples for kitchen staff with our free kitchen staff resumes to learn how to frame your accomplishments for a potential employer. Use a customizable cover letter template to present your qualifications in an eye-catching design.
Want a stronger cover letter? Use our extensive library of professional cover letter examples as practical starting guides.
Use this sample cover letter and cover letter writing guide to create a compelling cover letter. Find a suggested list of commonly required culinary skills to feature on your document.
Add your name, phone number and email. Match your cover letter to your resume template.
Add the date of writing, followed by the manager’s name, job title and professional mailing address.
Open your letter with a formal greeting like “Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name,” “Hello, Mr./Ms. Last Name,” or, as a last resort, “To whom it may concern.”
Mention the open job name and employer in the opening sentence. Add one kitchen-related skill or accomplishment that directly ties to the advertisement.
Use one or two paragraphs to elaborate on one or two accomplishments in your kitchen staff resume. The goal is to quantify your training further and prove your proficiency.
In the final paragraph, reiterate your interest and qualifications. Express your eagerness to discuss your candidacy further in an interview.
End the letter with a formal closing followed by your full name and, if applicable, your professional titles or certifications. Acceptable signatures include “Salutations,” “Best,” or “Regards.”
Here’s a list of useful culinary and technical skills that help kitchens function well.
Understanding various dietary restrictions, allergens, and potential replacements enables preparing meals that meet special dietary needs.
Efficiently prepare ingredients, follow recipes and ensure consistent dish quality.
Knowledge of proper hygiene practices, safe food handling procedures and maintaining a clean and organized workspace.
Track, organize and reorder kitchen supplies and ingredients, ensuring that ingredients are always available, fresh and properly disposed of if spoiled.
Operate and maintain various kitchen tools and machinery, such as ovens, grills, fryers and mixers.
Safely use and maintain various kitchen knives for chopping, slicing, dicing and other cutting techniques with speed and precision.
Understand the menu, ingredients, possible substitutions and preparation methods. Share the ability to explain how to prepare and plate dishes.
Arrange and garnish dishes to enhance visual appeal, aligning with the restaurant’s style and reputation.
Measure and allocate ingredients and servings to minimize waste and ensure consistency.
Strong analytical skills to follow complex recipes and instructions to produce dishes that meet the establishment’s standards.
The ability to remain calm, focused and efficient under pressure, especially during peak service times.
Interpersonal skills working efficiently within a kitchen brigade, communicating effectively with chefs, servers and other staff members.
Monitor and adjust cooking temperatures to ensure food is cooked safely and to the desired doneness.
Management skills to complete multiple tasks, ensure timely preparation and deliver dishes in a fast-paced environment.
Minimize food waste through careful planning, proper storage and creative use of leftovers or byproducts.
Robert Martin
Fort Worth, TX
555-555-5555
bobby.martin@email.com
May 14, 2024
Alyssa Hernandez
Zadie’s Kitchen
2455 Oak St.
Fort Worth, TX
333-333-3333
alyssa.hernandez@zadies.com
Dear Ms. Hernandez,
I’m interested in the open prep and line cook position at Zadie’s Kitchen. I have three years of hands-on experience as a dishwasher and informal kitchen assistant in high-paced environments. With a strong understanding of standard kitchen operations and rapid prep work to help meet rush-hour demand.
As a dishwasher, I took on additional responsibilities, including ingredient preparation, maintaining kitchen cleanliness and managing cleaning supply inventory. Through this work, I developed strong knife skills and precise measurements and passed my food safety and sanitation certification (ServSafe).
My dedication, experience, and desire to grow as a culinary professional make me a strong candidate for this role. I am excited about the opportunity to develop my skills further at Zadie’s and contribute to the success of your kitchen. Feel free to contact me at 555-555-5555 or by email.
All the best,
Robert Martin
In this sample cover letter for kitchen staff, no-experience candidate Robert Martin worked as a dishwasher but developed relevant cooking skills through informal experience. Mr. Martin makes this an effective kitchen staff cover letter by focusing on transferable skills.
Mr. Martin summarizes his experience and transferable skills in 150 words. The letter is brief and straight to the point, which is ideal for busy hiring managers.
This sample kitchen staff cover letter highlights his three years of experience as a dishwasher, emphasizing the skills that directly relate to the prep and line cook position, such as knife skills, ingredient preparation, and food safety certification.
The letter connects his experience with the requirements of the new role, making it easy for the employer to see how he would fit into the team.
A cover letter helps promote your resume — but your resume acts as an essential building block for your job search. This concise summary helps hiring managers trace your training, experience, skill development and accomplishments. The following help articles, online tools and samples can help you improve your resume.
Although it’s wise to have a detailed draft with your accomplishments, you need to tailor your cover letter to focus on the needs of specific jobs because of applicant tracking systems (ATS). These programs scan your application for matching qualifications and can delete you if you don’t meet these requirements before a person sees your cover letter and resume.
To ensure your application makes it through this, tailor your cover letter by highlighting skills and experiences that match the job description. Mention the restaurant by name and reference specific responsibilities in the job posting.
Use action verbs like “prepared,” “assisted,” “maintained,” “organized” and “executed” to describe your past experiences. These verbs demonstrate your active kitchen role and ability to contribute effectively in a fast-paced environment.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most kitchen and food preparation workers earn $15.59 an hour, or $32,420 annually. Your pay can vary depending on local state and county ordinances.
