Understanding the Job of a Head Chef

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The work of a head chef is far from being easy.  It is not just about directing people or barking orders for more garlic.  It is not just about delivering gastronomic delights.  In order to become an effective and successful head chef, you need to be able to take on a lot of responsibilities.

A Head Chef is a Good Leader

First of all, you need to be able to create memorable dishes.  This is actually the number one requirement.  Practically all head chefs are culinary geniuses.  Secondly, he also needs to know how to properly manage a kitchen including all his or her staff.  Finally, these chefs need to know how to provide the best customer service.  Basically, taking this responsibility means that one is a good leader.

Being a leader does not just involve telling people what food to prepare and how to prepare it.  As a leader, he is required to plan the menu.  He needs to supervise all the areas of the kitchen.  He needs to manage the budget and check inventories regularly.  He also needs to know how to change menus quickly if needed.  He has to ensure excellent food quality and food service.  He is in-charge of time management and task delegation.  He also needs to work closely with other restaurant managers to ensure smooth work flow.  He also needs to build industry relationships.

Acquiring the Skills of a Head Chef

With all the things that a head chef needs to do, he needs to possess leadership skills.  It will help if he as completed a course in culinary arts or hotel restaurant management.  These courses can teach a person how to properly manage a kitchen or a restaurant.  These courses involve menu preparation, meal planning, food presentation, staff management, inventory valuation, customer relations, employee communication and other things as well.

There are so many things involved in running a kitchen successfully.  A head chef needs to be able to rely on his staff, so he needs to make sure that he has in his team people he can work with.  This is very important.  Everyone in that kitchen is his partner.  It is impossible to prepare meals for 200 people in one night, so he should make sure that he will be able to handle his staff properly.

A head chef needs to possess varied skills.  He needs to know how to cook sumptuous meals and he also needs to know how to manage the kitchen successfully.  Creating this balance will allow him to run his kitchen well.

Understanding a Chef’s Outfit

Chefs are often known for their attire especially their “funny hats”.  In truth, a chef’s outfit is quite notable and distinctive.  They have worn it for years, and their outfits have always been associated with them.  Typical attire includes a toque (chef’s hat), a double-breasted jacket and a checkered pair of pants.  It is this combination that has made them easily recognizable over the years.  Curiously, however, the origins of this outfit have never been really established.

The Chef’s Outfit

Perhaps, you have never considered this but there are practical reasons why a chef’s attire is the way it is.  For instance, the double-breasted jacket has its practical purpose.  It is usually made of thick cotton which is designed to protect the chef from heat.  It is double-breasted, so that chefs can easily reverse them in case of stains.  The checkered pants also serve the same purpose.  The pattern helps hide stains and splashes.  Of course, there are many chefs who prefer to wear aprons to cover them waist down.

With all the practical reasons for the shirt and pants, the toque is completely another matter.  There have been many theories about the tall hat.  Some people believe that this hat has been around since the 16^th century.  At that time, fats would build up on the ceiling, and the hats protect the chefs from the drips.  There are some people who believe that these hats are meant to conceal chefs from persecutors.  At that time, chefs were considered artisans; and like other free thinkers, they were persecuted.  These hats were meant to deceive the persecutors into thinking that the chefs were priests.

A Chef’s Outfit – What Does It Tells You?

Today, a chef’s attire is one way to distinguish kitchen ranks and statuses.  The height and the pleats of the toque identify the rank of a chef in the kitchen.  The higher the height, the higher is a chef’s rank.  The pleats represent the number of ways a chef is able to prepare an egg dish.  This may sound impossible for some people, but a really good chef can prepare at least 100 egg dishes.  That’s actually the highest number of pleats a chef can have on his hat.  It is very important that ranks be shown in the kitchen.  With several chefs working in the kitchen – and everyone wearing identical outfits – the hat tells the difference.  With orders coming in quickly, being able to identify the head chef quickly makes a lot of sense.