Goals of Kitchen Steward Training

If you want to provide the best service for the guests, you have to have a very strong training program for your stewarding department.  You should remember that the stewarding department is the backbone of your restaurant, and without a good training program, it could spell chaos for your restaurant.

Who is responsible for the training program?

The person who is most responsible for the training program is, of course, the department head, the chief steward.  After all, as head of his department, he is the person who carries the whole department on his shoulders.  Aside from the chief steward, the next person responsible for the training program is the training manager.  The two of them should work closely together in ensuring an excellent training program.

Who should participate in the training program?

All kitchen stewards should participate in the training program, particularly the new staff.  They should be given the chance to benefit from the program so as to give better service to the guests.  For this reason, all employees should attend the orientation and training program geared towards their field of responsibility, and they should also give their utmost respect to the general training guidelines.
What are the goals of the kitchen steward training program?

As a respected restaurant and as a responsible Stewarding Department, the goal of the training program is to encourage the staff to be more initiative and more independent especially when it comes to decision-making processes involving the guests.

Its goal is to also provide the staff with excellent qualifications so as to carry out his or her duties and responsibilities accordingly, making sure that they are keeping the objectives of the establishment in sight.
Lastly, the goal of the training program is to develop the skills of the employees, especially when it comes to communication.  After all, without good communication between the employees and the heads of the department, there will be no teamwork; thus, the restaurant service can suffer.

What should the training program contain?

As stated above, it is the department head who makes the plans for the training program, and the training manager is the one who executes the program.

On the first working day, the employees will be given the chance to familiarize themselves with the establishment.  This includes knowing what the company is about, who the company heads are, who the department heads are, the rules and policies of the establishment, the rules and policies of his own department, his or her own duties and responsibilities as part of the stewarding department, etc.

As a kitchen steward, here are the areas that the training program should concentrate on:

1. The hygiene and sanitation of the workplace as well as his own self.  Because the restaurant deals with the health and safety of the guests, these areas are given the utmost importance to assure that the health and safety of the guest are always safeguarded.  This should also include proper cleaning instructions.
2. Equipment operating, handling, and maintenance.  The kitchen makes use of equipments, appliances, units, etc., and it is the responsibility of the kitchen steward to take care of these equipments.  This includes knowing how to properly operate, clean, sanitize, and maintain the equipments.
3. Control of breakage, wastage, and spoilage.  The whole aim of the establishment is to gain profit, aside from providing excellent service.  For this reason, the training program should also concentrate on how to save money through control of breakage as well as wastage and spoilage.
4. Mis en place and clean as you go policies.  The steward should always remember these two cardinal policies so as to make the job a whole lot easier for everybody.
   1. A place for everything and everything in its place.
   2. Clean as you go.

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