Every role in a professional kitchen is important and it is vital that everyone works together to keep service running smoothly and on time. This does, however, require careful organisation and planning. A way to guarantee that everything runs smoothly is the assignment of roles in the kitchen. This way, everyone knows exactly who is doing what which ensures everything is done efficiently.
It is important to understand each role fully to determine which role you would be best suited for. Below, the typical kitchen roles are discussed:
Head Chef
The Head Chef manages the kitchen generally. This includes the management of the kitchen staff, ordering the food needed each week, and crafting the menus.
For this role, individuals must be highly skilled and be able to thrive under the pressure of a busy restaurant kitchen environment. A flair for creativity will produce unique recipes and exciting menus which can drive customers to your eatery.
Sous Chef
The Sous Chef is the second chef. Whilst there is a lot of cross-over with the Head Chef, the Sous Chef takes a more practical approach in the general kitchen operations.
A Sous Chef must be a confident and well-organised leader. The role is often referred to as ‘second-in-command’ so managerial skills are vital in this role. The Sous Chef would also fill in for the Head Chef when they are away so Sous Chefs must also be highly skilled.
Chef de Partie
The role of a Chef de Partie is to run a certain area of the kitchen, whether this be meat, vegetables, pastry, frying, etc., which is why they are often given the name Station Chef or Line Chef. There are often assistants to these chefs employed in larger kitchens.
A Chef de Partie must be experienced in their field with good qualifications and culinary knowledge. They must make good use of a variety of ingredients and cooking methods also.
Commis Chef
This is a junior member of staff who is often still under professional chef training. In a lot of kitchens your role will be focused on food preparations and basic supervised cooking.
Commis Chefs must be able to withstand the pressures of a busy kitchen environment. They must also have a willingness to learn and to try their hand at several different sectors before they choose their speciality.
Kitchen Porter
This is a member of staff, often with little professional skill, whose role is to help with the basic preparations and cleaning duties.
This, much like other jobs in a busy kitchen, is a fast-paced role and requires commitment as well as the ability to stay calm under pressure. A willingness to learn could also spark your interest and lead you to begin progressing up the kitchen hierarchy – experience is everything.
Dishwasher
This role is fairly self-explanatory, but it is vital to keep a kitchen running smoothly.
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