Dreaming of being a chef

6 Minute English

BBC

Education, Language Learning

4.5 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2026

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What did you have for dinner last night? And did you cook it yourself? Many people cook at home regularly, for themselves and for others, but have you ever thought about cooking professionally? Working in a restaurant can be tough, but for some people, becoming a top chef is a dream job. Neil and Becca discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

✔️ Find a free worksheet, transcript and interactive quiz to help you learn: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260219

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Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.
0:05.7	Thanks for listening to this episode. Have you heard our new podcast beating speaking anxiety?
0:12.1	It's all about how to fight your fears of speaking English. Maybe you're scared of making
0:16.8	mistakes, worried you won't understand people, or worried you can't be yourself when
0:21.7	speaking English. Each episode tackles a different fear with experts to help you improve your
0:27.4	speaking confidence. Search Learning English Conversations in your podcast app to find the latest
0:33.0	episodes. 6 Minute English from BBC LearningEnglish.com.
0:40.3	Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.
0:46.3	And I'm Becker. Do you enjoy cooking, Neil?
0:49.3	Yes, I do enjoy cooking. I think it's quite relaxing, especially after a busy day. How about you, Becker?
0:57.3	I enjoy cooking when I'm feeding other people, but usually after a busy day at work, I don't enjoy cooking for myself.
1:05.0	Well, we're talking about cooking today, and most of us can at least boil an egg but not everyone could make it as a professional
1:13.0	chef in a world famous restaurant. Being a top chef requires passion, dedication and hard work.
1:20.6	Many chefs work 15 hours a day, six days a week and busy kitchens cooking expensive food
1:26.3	are very stressful places to work.
1:28.5	So why do they do it? In this episode, we'll hear from one South African chef who started
1:34.4	her own award-winning restaurant in the country known as the Home of Fine Dining, France.
1:40.1	As usual, we'll be learning some useful new words and phrases. And remember, you'll find all this episode's vocabulary, along with the transcript, on our website, BBClearningenglish.com.
1:51.6	But first, I have a question for you, Neil.
1:54.1	The top prize for any professional chef are Michelin Stars, awards given to restaurants offering outstanding cooking.
2:01.4	But who is the winner of the most Michelin Stars ever?
2:04.9	Is it? A. Italian chef Enrico Bartolini.
	...

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