The chief cook, or, as he is now most often called, chef, is a special kind of leader. A person holding this position assumes quite a lot of responsibilities, and the main among them is not always cooking. Those who know about such work only from numerous films, series and television programs, probably have a very distorted idea of it. What actually is the job description of a chef, what does he have to do, what to answer for and in what conditions to work? You will learn all these details from this publication.
Gourmet cuisine is not for you ...
The restaurant business is a rather complicated structure, it is considered especially branched and specific among thematic restaurants with a narrow specialization. The job description of the chef, regardless of the type of activity of the institution in which he works, has common features and points, but in any case this document may have its own individual characteristics.
Private restaurants and cafes are characterized by more free working conditions in comparison with state institutions. The job description of the chef in them opens up some scope for activity, without restricting the cook in his skill to strict limits and standards.
At the same time, those who need to work in canteens, pre-school educational institutions, sanatoriums and other public catering facilities subordinate to the state nomenclature or menu specifics in terms of dietetics are limited by harsh conditions in organizing the work process, compiling a map of their dishes, and purchasing equipment, convenience foods and ingredients needed for cooking.
What is the responsibility of the chef?
The kitchen is a kind of enterprise where the chef dominates. The production manager, whose job description always has common features with the standard management of the cook, must meet strict requirements and describes a number of specific functions and tasks.
To get the position of chef, you must have the appropriate education and experience in the culinary business:
- if the diploma was issued by a secondary specialized educational institution, the length of service in the profile cannot be less than five years;
- in the case when the cook has higher professional education, it will be enough to have three years of experience in the specialty.
The list of tasks that the chef's job description reveals includes the following items:
- Knowledge of the regulatory and legislative framework relating to the scope of its activities (catering).
- Understanding and implementing methods and methods of organizing production, the basics of technological processes.
- The chef must understand the types of equipment, know the rules for its operation; obliged to study the range of culinary dishes, to ensure their compliance with standards.
- His responsibilities also include calculating the cost of products sold, so he must have knowledge of the current cost of raw materials, the rules for its issuance, accounting rules, and portion sizes.
- The chef also controls the timing of products, convenience foods and ready meals. He should be able to organize the work of the kitchen in such a way as to avoid surplus production and delay in dishes.
Whatever the scope of the catering establishment, its leader should be aware of the rules and principles of healthy and dietary nutrition.Drawing up a menu is also his task, however, this document is usually approved by a higher management, unless otherwise specified by the job description of the restaurant chef.
Not a single stove
The chief in the kitchen, as a rule, is not directly involved in cooking. The exception is only the so-called dishes from the chef. In the kitchen, he organizes his subordinates in such a way that the cooks do the work, while the process went smoothly, and the employees did not interfere with each other. Also, the chef usually deals with the delivery of dishes, controls what other staff has prepared. If this is a restaurant with a specific cuisine (molecular, for example), then the chef can take over part of the processes, delegating his other powers to the assistant.
At the same time, the work of the kitchen does not begin from the moment the first visitor appeared in the restaurant or dining room. Even before the institution is opened, the chef is faced with the task of providing the kitchen with products, checking them after delivery, and preparing semi-finished products.
Organizational activities
The profitability and effectiveness of the institution depends on how well organized the work of the kitchen is. The job description of the chef of a cafe, restaurant and other places of public catering tells about how to manage the entire catering unit.
The chef's subordinates are cooks, assistants, junior technical staff, sometimes waiters. Depending on the size of the institution, the number of people who need to lead the chief cook may vary. Organizational matters from his jurisdiction include the following items:
- monitoring the implementation by employees of their direct duties;
- ensuring and checking the sanitary and hygienic standards that are presented in relation to the cleanliness of the kitchen and the guest room (dining room);
- organization of the implementation of all safety regulations.
A very important skill and responsibility of the kitchen chief is the coordination of employees, because the delivery of orders in a restaurant or cafe should occur as quickly as possible, while maintaining all the necessary stages of cooking.
Control and order
The fulfillment of all these points is possible only if the production manager in the kitchen has sufficient authority. The job description of the chef (and the dining room, and the restaurant, and the catering unit at the DOW) is a document that guarantees his right to control all employees. The latter, in turn, undertake to strictly comply with his requirements for work.
The chef is obliged to control not only subordinates, but also to audit in the kitchen, in warehouses and utility rooms, monitor compliance with cleaning technology, washing dishes, equipment, cutting tables, as well as pay direct attention to the cleanliness in the dining room.
Strategic planning
Making the menu the next day is also the responsibility of the chef. In the short term, he usually decides what will prepare the kitchen, but he can deal with the development of a new list of dishes or their substantial replacement only if this issue is agreed with the leadership.
Such innovations require the institution to search for suitable suppliers, adjust daily purchases and stock holdings taking into account changes.
In addition, the chef must monitor the condition of the equipment, monitor its serviceability, timely carry out scheduled repairs and debugging, and, if necessary, order a new one.
Area of responsibility
Wherever a chef works, his main task is to produce products of the right quality. In the case of fines or sanctions imposed by regulatory authorities for non-compliance with sanitary standards or other violations for which the chief chef is guilty, he is personally responsible for such failures.
He needs to realize such moments in the organizational activities of his enterprise:
- inform employees about safety regulations and labor protection;
- monitor the sanitary and hygienic safety of food;
- organize fire prevention measures.
The chef is also a financially responsible person; he has obligations regarding equipment and food stocks.
Director himself
A cook hired to work in a private catering establishment reports to its owner or administrator. An employment contract usually spells out all the duties and rights of an employee. It also stipulates the sphere of influence of the main chef, how much he will be involved in the process of direct culinary activity and whether he can afford to deviate from a given menu.
Catering patronage
But the job description of the chef in the DOW has a more mandatory character and a very strict framework. Children's nutrition requires compliance with special standards. Food should meet several parameters, such as portion size, its calorie content. The daily diet should be designed so that it covers the needs of children in vitamins, trace elements, fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
The job description of the chef of a kindergarten, health camp or school usually clearly describes the activity of the chief in the kitchen, all his rights and obligations.