Chef

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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

See also:

 “SAKESkills – Attitude – Knowledge and Experience (an overview of the attributes that make up a commercial chef)

Kitchen Titles - Terminology” Classical Kitchen Titles

When is a chef a chef  The issue facing the industry


George Hill 08:18, 5 April 2012 (EST)