Commis-Chef:
Job Description:
• Maintaining high standards of hygiene
• Preparing the ingredients for a more senior chef
• Measuring dish ingredients and portion sizes accurately
• Dealing with deliveries and stock rotation
Skills Needed:
You'll need to have a lot of stamina, be able to learn on your feet and be passionate about food because cooking in a high pressure kitchen is hard work. You'll also need to be versatile, because it is important that you gain experience in all sections of the kitchen - fish, pastry, butchery and so on - before you consider specialising.
Chef De Partie:
Job Description:
• Preparing, cooking and presenting dishes within your speciality
• Managing and training any demi-chef de parties or commis working with you
• Helping the sous chef and head chef to develop new dishes and menus
• Ensuring you and your team have high standards of food hygiene and follow the rules of health and safety
• Monitoring portion and waste control to maintain profit margins
Skills Needed:
• Great cooking skills
• A cool head
• An ability to delegate appropriately
• Organisational flair
• A grasp of profit margins
Someone who's got bags of stamina and enjoys the fast pace of working in a kitchen. You also need to be able to stay calm and work as part of a team during a frenetic service. As head of your section you need to be confident enough to manage the commis chefs working with you - and to give them clear instructions.
Sous-Chef:
Job Description:
This is person is second in command and takes responsibility for the kitchen operations if the chef is absent.
• Supervise activities of specialist chefs, chefs, cooks and other kitchen workers
• Demonstrate new cooking techniques and new equipment to cooking staff
• May plan menus and requisition food and kitchen supplies
• May prepare and cook meals or specialty foods.
• Managing food purchasing and storage
• Maintaining a safe and hygienic kitchen environment
• Helping create new recipes and write menus
Skills Needed:
• Great cooking skills
• A cool head
• An ability to delegate appropriately
• Organisational flair
• A flair with ingredients
• An ability to stay calm when the pressure Mounts
• First rate culinary skills
You need passion and a love of ingredients. You'll be someone who performs well under pressure and recognises the importance of motivating and leading junior members of staff who may also be working under pressure.