Want to be an Open Kitchen Host?
Join our network of professional kitchens opening their doors to the next generation of culinary talent.
Host Benefits
- Showcase your kitchen
- Connect with future talent
- Promote culinary careers
- Join Chef Network community
Open Kitchen Week 2025
Open Kitchen, an initiative of Chef Network, opens up professional kitchens to anyone interested in a culinary career or curious about the opportunities professional cookery has to offer. For one week, chefs throw open their doors and invite the public to become guests in their kitchen and discover what it is like to work in a real professional kitchen.
This information on this page is for Open Kitchen hosts. If you want to be a Kitchen Guest during Open Kitchen Week 2025, you can register your interest to take part.
Learn MoreHow does it work?
Kitchen Experiences
Open Kitchen is about giving people a taste of real life in a professional kitchen. People come to your kitchen as guests, not workers, but should get an insight into the kitchen on a normal working day.
As a host, you will be asked to offer up to three kitchen guest slots during Open Kitchen Week. These can be anything from a couple of hours up to maximum 8 hours long.
Booking Process
You will register your available slots on the dedicated Open Kitchen booking platform, where members of the public view, select, and can book them.
Before they come to your kitchen, guests will do a basic online induction to cover Food Safety, Healthy & Safety, and to agree to the Terms & Conditions of the visit.
Who is Open Kitchen aimed at?
Target Participants
We are targeting Open Kitchen participation at anyone who might be considering their future career or a potential career change, as well as at anyone who influences career choices. This includes:
- School Students/School leavers
- Transition Year, Leaving Cert, Leaving cert applied
- Career Changers
- People looking to return to work/unemployed
- Student Chefs
- Teachers, Career Guidance Counsellors, TY Coordinators, Home Economics teachers
Open to All
But we believe anyone visiting a professional kitchen, having a positive experience, and telling that story, is a good thing and contributes to changing perceptions. So participation is open to all.
Our aim is to showcase positive kitchen work environments and tell positive stories about culinary careers
What does a kitchen visit involve?
Daily Activities
The main objective is that the guest gets to experience how your kitchen really works and what a day in the life of a chef, baker, chocolatier etc in a real working kitchen is like.
You can structure the day however best suits you and your team, but we suggest including some (or all) of the following:
- A tour of the kitchen
- An introduction to the main schedule activities for a normal day in the kitchen
- Introductions to the team
Hands-on Experience
- Time with various staff members hearing directly from them about their role, their day-to-day work, and tasks
- Participation in one or two simple hands-on activities
A staff member must meet each guest on arrival and accompany/supervise them throughout their visit
Who can be an Open Kitchen host?
Eligibility
Open Kitchen hosting is open to Chef Network members across the island of Ireland who have signed up to the Kitchen Workplace Charter.
If you are not yet a Chef Network member, you can become one. If you have not yet signed up to the Kitchen Workplace Charter, find out more and pledge your commitment.
Diverse Participation
We are looking for a geographical spread – we want kitchens in every county, in every large town and city, any where and everywhere in Ireland and Northern Ireland to make the Open Kitchen opportunity accessible to as many people as possible.
We want all kinds of kitchens – it is important for us to showcase all sectors of foodservice and hospitality, all kinds of culinary professions and roles.
Terms and Conditions for Open Kitchen hosts
All Kitchen Hosts Must Be:
- A Chef Network member
- Be signed up to the Kitchen Workplace Charter
- Have dedicated staff member to manage Open Kitchen hosting, and a staff member to meet and supervise participants for the visit.
- Health & Safety – all kitchens must be fully compliant with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 and HACCP.
- Insurance – It is advised that participating kitchens complete a simple risk assessment. Your public liability insurers must be informed of your participation and full indemnity to Chef Network/IFSA/Eventhaus must be provided and evidenced.
- Members of the public taking part in the programme will be viewed as Food handlers and will be required to undertake a short on-line induction training in advance of entering your kitchen (provided by Chef Network).
What happens next?
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Mid-September
Open Kitchen opens to the public to book slots from mid-September. This will be announced through launch events and a national and regional media, and social media, campaign.
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Promotion
We will share graphics and content with you that you can share on your own platforms to promote your participation in Open Kitchen week.
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Final Preparation
The week before Open Kitchen Week, registered guests will complete their online induction and their booking details will be shared with you.