View source for SAKE: Skills, Attitude, Knowledge and Experience.

'''For Goodness Sake''' 

How many times have we seen someone call them selves a chef, attend an interview for a chef position, appear on television or in an editorial as a chef, or even see teaching institutes misleadingly advertise they teach “chefs”.

'''So what then is a Chef?.''' 
 
We know the community broadly perceives any professional cook to be a chef, in most technical circles the person who manages a commercial kitchen is called the chef. We also unfortunately find that different cultures, English dictionaries, and curriculum documents considerably disagree what the role really embodies. 

Some time ago I attempted to identify a role model.  I called my philosophical statement “SAKE”, simply because I believe that there are four distinct elements that encompass what a chef should symbolise.  '''Skills, Attitude, Knowledge and Experience''' and unless a person can truthfully demonstrate they have all four elements they are not in reality a genuine professional chef. 


In a simplistic abstract model, a chef can be portrayed in by the stages of their development:
 
''A trainee or an apprentice is learning to use their hands to become a qualified cook.''
 
''A qualified cook has learnt to use their hands and now learning to use their brain in order to progress to a sous chef.'' 

''A sous chef has learnt to use their hands and brain and is learning to use other hands to advance to a Chef de Cuisine''

''A Chef de Cuisine has learnt to use their hands; their brain, other hands and learning to use other brains to mature as an Executive Chef''

''An Executive Chef is simply a cook who has learnt to use their hands and brains and other hands and brains.''
 

However, '''SAKE''' attempts to define a “chef” in greater detail.  Here is my '''SAKE''' model, measure yourself to discover if you are a professional chef in this model role.  


The title Cook and Chef is basically one and the same; they both commercially prepare food. Technically to be titled a chef must be in charge of a kitchen or a part of a large kitchen. Both cooks and chefs work in the trade of cookery; therefore both are fundamentally cooks. All genuine chefs are foremost cooks. Not all cooks are chefs. This is determined by their position and responsibility or may be a bestowed title by ones colleagues as a mark of respect and accolade in conversation. 


'''There are four components: Skills - Attitude - Knowledge - Experience. This is called the “SAKE” philosophy.'''


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A cook/chef who has the “'''SKILLS'''” will consistently demonstrate confidence to technically procure, prepare, and present wholesome food within the cost and time constrains applicable to their work environment utilizing:

• Basic classic preparations

• Knife Skills

• Technical skills


'''Attributes that lead to success:'''

• Able to function under pressure
 
• Alert
 
• Ambitious

• Cautious
 
• Creative

• Good Communicator

• Physically fit
 
• Self assured
 

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A cook/chef who has the “'''ATTITUDE'''” will automatically demonstrate they are eager to:

• Accept accountability for own actions
 
• Be courteous

• Be ethical in practice
 
• Be honest, reliable and loyal
 
• Defend industry standards

• Follow a code of practices
 
• Follow cookery conventions
 
• Mentor the futures industry

• Networks through associations
 
• Operate with integrity and honour

• Promote trade education

• Proudly wear a chef’s uniform

• Self- discipline themselves

• Shares knowledge with others

• Show a positive outlook
 
• Show respects for cookery history
 
• Values continuous self development
	 

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 A person who has the '''Knowledge''' to be titled a cook/chef is able to describe: foundation culinary preparations, fundamental commercial cookery techniques, culinary terminology, the reaction of ingredients in preparation and cooking, where to commercially procure products, quality in a wide variety of products and ingredients, be familiar with, the laws of the land as applied to a working chef and where applicable, commercial insight in the following topics.

There are four stages of competence and commercial knowledge in a cookery career. Normally stage 1 and 2 constitute a cook/chef. Stage 3 develops  a Chef de Cuisine and stage 4 is normally required for an Executive Chef.

'''• Stage 1'''• Basic Food Preparation:

• Canapés
 
• Culinary Terminology 

• Eggs and Farinaceous
 
• Equipment and Tools

• Fish and Shellfish
 
• Food Presentation
 
• Fruit

• Herbs

• Hors d'oeuvres

• Hot and Cold Desserts
 
• Hygiene and HACCP
 
• Larder and Buffet
 
• Meat Cookery and Primary Cuts

• Methods of Cookery
 
• Mise-en-place
 
• Occupational Health and Safety
 
• Pastry
 
• Potato and Starch

• Poultry and Game
 
• Salads and Dressings

• Sandwiches
 
• Spices
 
• Stock Soups and Sauces
 
• Sweets
 
• Vegetables and Fungi

• Yeast products	

'''• Stage 2'''

• Butchery secondary cuts

• Cakes and pastries

• Environment and Sustainability
 
• First Aid
 
• Fish and Shellfish ( Recognition)
 
• Global Preparations
 
• International Dishes

• Legal Compliance
 
• Menu planning
 
• Nutrition 

• Portion Control -Yield Testing
 
• Product Knowledge 

• Standard Recipes

'''• Stage 3'''

• Accounting-Costing- Budgeting

• Coaching - Staff Development - Training

• Current General Industry News

• Leadership

• Operational - Organizational

• Purchasing
• Quality control

• Rosters

• Stores Control
 
'''• Stage  4'''

• Business Model Planning

• Ethics and Conventions

• Food and art

• Food Science

• Foodservice

• Time Management

• Human Resource Management 

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A person who has had the "'''EXPERIENCE'''" to be titled a cook/chef:
 
Earns a livelihood from a commercial cookery career 
 
Has experienced the responsibility that goes with of the levels below:

- Trainee or apprentice cook

- Chef de partie- Station cook/ chef
 
- Sous chef

- Chef de Cuisine

- Executive chef
 
Or titled with one of the many alternative equivalent designations that normally require the following approximate years of experience:

- Trainee  / apprentice cook = 1- 4 years

- Chef de partie-Station cook/chef = 5–7 years

- Sous Chef = 7 years plus

- Chef de Cuisine = 9 – 12 years plus

- Executive Chef = 12 – 15 years plus
 
 --[[User:GeorgeHill|George Hill]] 09:35, 30 August 2013 (MIST)