Chef

Traditionally most ranks and positions for kitchen staff related to their specific role in bringing together a meal. A grill cook cooked grills and a soup cook cooked soups etc. With the amalgamation of many of the parties and the multi-tasking of a contemporary cook’s role, it is more appropriate to describe kitchen rank and position in terms of influence.

Definitions of a contemporary commercial kitchen corporate ladder and ranks, from an apprentice cook to executive chef describing accurate and truthful commercial kitchen titles.

Foundation Etymology

In professional cookery terms "chef" is derived and abbreviated from the French technical term “chef de cuisine” or kitchen chief (French "chef" English "Chief ') or the person in charge.

As in a commercial kitchen "Chef de cuisine" who is in charge of a single commercial kitchen.

The term “chef” has the same meaning and connotation as “professional cook” regardless of rank.

All chefs are professional cooks and all professional cooks are chefs. Chefs have different ranks based on their experience, responsibility and rigor in their industry role.

To determining the truthful descriptive title of a chef’s role, can be both confusing and difficult.

One can be a Chef de cuisine with 2 staff, or a Sous chef with 20 staff. The former title “Chef de cuisine” implies a higher rank, while the latter title “Sous chef” implies a lower rank; however with 20 staff the Sous chef role probably demands greater experience and more responsibility.

There are five levels of rigor and influence associated with levels of responsibility in a modern commercial kitchen.

“Manage” (Or ultimate responsibility) - as in Executive chef

“Supervise and Monitor” (Or responsibility to a superior food service manager for the operation) as in Chef de cuisine

”Implement” (Or, enforce or action according to the Chef de cuisine policies) as in Sous Chef

“Execute” (Or perform or action according to the Chef de cuisine policies) as in Chef de partie

“Practice as instructed” (or follow all legal directions by a superior chef) as in trainee or apprentice

Definition 1: Executive Chef – Other known and accepted titles: - Group Chef - Group Executive Chef

Preferred title based on common Industry usage: Executive Chef

Reports to: General Manager or administrative equivalent

Authority: The Inherited responsibility is to “Manage”

To justifiable claim the title “Executive Chef” , the chef must have two or more “ chef de cuisines” or Sous chefs reporting to them and be responsible for the operation of two or more full time operating kitchens each with their own supervising chefs or sous chefs and have the following role description:

Principally a management role with full administrative responsibilities

Responsible for the operation of multiple outlets within or external to one business

Major Duties: (not inclusive)

Allocate human resources across multiple outlets

Allocate physical resources across multiple outlets

Allocate budgets across multiple outlets

Set written policies for cleaning and hygiene

Authorise purchase orders

Write job descriptions for positions – Interview and engage staff

Responsible for the financial viability of the business and set budgets across multiple outlets

Set the recipes, methods and styles of food preparation

Set the style of food presentation

Responsible for and manage hygiene practices

Responsible for and manage legislative compliance

Plans and engineers menus

Sets quality control policies

Write job descriptions, interviews and engages senior staff

Selects training programs aimed to develop senior staff

Negotiates with vendors

Normal duties do not include food preparation, however may step into an operational role only in a staffing crisis, training or on special occasions. The role includes all lesser responsibilities

Definition 2: Chef de cuisine - Other known and accepted titles – Head chef – Chef in charge

Preferred title based on common usage: Chef de cuisine

Reports to: Property Manager - Food & Beverage Manager or Executive chef

Authority: The Inherited responsibility is to “Supervise and Monitor”

To justifiable claim the title “Chef de cuisine”, the chef must be responsible for the day to day operation of a single commercial kitchen and have the following role description:

Principally a combination of a supervisory and operational role with some administrative responsibilities

Major Duties (not inclusive)

Responsible for the operation of a single outlet or kitchen

Allocate human resources within one outlet

Allocate physical resources within one outlet

Monitor budgets in a single outlet

Monitor cleaning and hygiene

Authorise purchase orders Interview and select staff

Monitor budget in a single outlet

Set/ monitor the recipes and methods

Set / monitor style of food presentation

Monitor hygiene practices

Monitor legislative compliance

Plan and implement menus

Advise on job description content

Instruct kitchen staff

Monitor vendors

Normal duties usually include food preparation (dependant on the size of the brigade) and especially on special occasions. The role includes all lesser responsibilities.

Definition 3: Sous Chef – Other known and accepted titles: - Executive Sous chef-Senior Sous chef

Preferred title based on common usage: Sous Chef or (Senior where more than one Sous chef is employed)

Reports to: Chef de cuisine

Authority: The Inherited responsibility is to “Implement”:

To justifiable claim the title “Sous Chef “, the chef must have and have the following role description:

Principally a second in command and the enforcer of the chef’s policies, fundamentally an operational role with some supervisory responsibilities

Major Duties (not inclusive)

Responsible for the day to day operation of a kitchen ("Executive Sous Chef " in multiple outlets)

Implement budgets policies

Implement chef’s policies

Check deliveries

Implement chefs’ food preparation policies

Implement chefs’ food presentation policies

Monitors hygiene practices

Monitors legislative compliance

Advises on potential menu items

Prepares cooks and presents food

Trains Kitchen Staff <span id="fck_dom_range_temp_1333577100750_727" />

Monitors deliveries

Normal duties always include food preparation This position should be a role model to trainees. The role includes all lesser responsibilities.

Definitions 4: Cook / Chef – Other known and accepted titles: Cook - Cook/Chef - Chef de Partie – Qualified Cook - Station chef – Professional Chef - Short order chef

Preferred title based on common usage: Chef

Reports to: Chef de cuisine – Sous Chef

Authority: The Inherited responsibility is to “Execute as required”:

To justifiable claim the title professional cook or Chef the chef must have and have the following role description:

Major Duties (not inclusive)

Prepares, cooks and presents in a commercial foodservice operation, appetizers, soups, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foodstuffs to:

Comply with budgetary policies

Comply with preparation policies

Comply with presentation policies

Comply with hygiene practices

Comply with legislation

Guide apprentices

Definition 5: Apprentice Cook– Other known titles: - Trainee cook - Apprentice chef (Not recommended)

Preferred title based on common usage: Apprentice cook

Reports to: Chef de cuisine – Sous chef – Chef de partie – Cook/Chef

Authority: The Inherited responsibility is to “Practice as instructed”:

To justifiable claim the title Apprentice cook the cook must have and have the following role description:

Under guidance prepares, cooks and presents in a commercial foodservice operation, appetizers, soups, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foodstuffs to:

Comply with budgetary policies

Comply with preparation policies

Comply with presentation policies

Comply with hygiene practices

Comply with legislation

Attends to a recognised training program

Obeys training instructions

Recommended contemporary usage:

The term “cook” more accurately summarizes in a single word the real value of the person’s role in the kitchen and the commercial cookery industry.

Recommended usage in Curriculum documents - job descriptions - advertisements and media

* Apprentice cook
* Cook/Chef - Chef de Partie – Qualified Cook - Station chef – Professional Chef - Short order chef
* Sous Chef
* Chef de cuisine
* Executive chef

ASSOCIATED CHEF TITLES Cookery teacher - Other accepted and known titles - Chef Instructor - Cookery lecturer

The kitchen title of a chef is never lost. A person who had a former position is a commercial kitchen in a chefs rank is set at the time they moved out of the kitchen into their new career; EG Was a Chef de cuisine, however may now be a commercial cookery instructor or a Food & Beverage Manager.

Other titles that are industry acknowledgements and not role describers

Master Chef. Not a rank as it is achieved after comprehensive examinations of industrial skills, attitude , knowledge and experience.(SAKE)and recognised by chef’s organisations nationally and globally (Australia, USA ,Germany and others ) and acknowledges advanced experience, knowledge and competence in commercial food preparation.

Black Hat. Not a rank as it is bestowed nationally and globally ( Australia - England) and acknowledges a chefs contribution to the development of their local cookery community.

Pioneer Not a rank as it is awarded nationally ( Australia - Les Toques Blanches) and acknowledges a chefs contribution to the industry and its inherited cuisine

Chef

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