Professional Chef


Professional Chef

This profession is more than just cooking, considered as an artist who uses food as a material. Their principal achieve is to create a nutritious and delicious composition of ingredients, based on their personal style, or influences, or ingredients. However, many modern chefs practice the fusion; which means a mix of ingredients and styles of two or more types in order to create a new and unique flavour.

As a professional chef you will be able to lead any food establishment. The skills can be acquired both, on the job or through vocational schools; however, if you are planning to work in fashionable dining environments is needed a formal training in a Professional Cooking Institutes or College Degree Programs in hospitality or culinary arts.

The most important courses considered are: Correct Use of Kitchen Equipment, Safe Food-Handling Procedures, Knife Techniques, and Restaurant Management Skills.

As a Professional chef you will be able to create recipes, order food supplies, estimate food requirements, and kitchen staff; depending of the size and type of the establishment. According to the experts:
     "As Chef you will oversee all front and back-of-the-house operations. You will have full responsibility for executing consistent high quality menu items by being hands-on and working side by side with the kitchen staff ensuring that each item is prepared to perfection." - Double Diamond.

     "Designs, supervises, coordinates and participates in activities of cooks and other kitchen personnel. Selects and develops recipes, purchases food, establishes production levels and inventory controls, interviews and hires new chefs, manages/controls food cost issues. May cook selected items and plan or price menus." - Sodexho.
There are lot of important requirements at the time to be employed, but the most important defining by the experts are:
     "The candidate must have at least 5+ years experience in a full service high volume kitchen with at least 2-3 years being at the Senior level. Must have hands-on experience with food inventories, be well versed in writing schedules and meeting or beating budgeted labor cost. Must possess strong leadership skills." - The Rainforest Cafe.

     "Ability to understand financial goals and accomplish them. Minimum 2 years banquet Chef Experience preferred. Minimum 5 years cooking experience. Minimum 2 years kitchen management experience. College degree or certification in culinary field/hospitality field preferred. Positive, winning attitude a must!" - Renaissance Hotel.
In order to find experience, most of the professional chefs rather new environments. Some others prefer work in a business as caterers or personal chefs, to become instructors or open their own restaurant.