Who is the chef de cuisine?
The chef de cuisine is in charge of all production functions in the kitchens and the kitchen staff.
Duties and Responsibilities of Chef de Cuisine
1. Planning various types of menus.
2. Standardizing recipes.
3. Preparing purchase specifications for all foundation ingredients.
4. forecasting the volume of sales and scheduling the production process accordingly.
5. Purchasing kitchen equipment and tools.
6. Identifying staff requirements and employing enough staff.
7. Assigning the right job to the right person to achieve the desired results.
8. Controlling food, labor, and overhead costs.
9. Maintaining the required gross profit percentage (kitchen profit) level.
10. Verifying stocks and preventing wastage.
11. Ensuring proper storage of ingredients, especially highly perishable ones such as fish, meat, poultry, cream, ice cream, and so on.
12. Preparing the budget and operating within the budget.
13. Authorizing the indent prepared by subordinates.
14. Supervising the production process in all kitchens.
15. Ensuring consistency in quality and portion size when moving dishes.
16. Ensuring kitchen, personal, and food hygiene.
17. Identifying training needs for staff and arranging the training.
18. Maintaining discipline amongst the staff.
Know more: What is Mise En Place in Hotel and Restaurant?
Who is Sous Chef?
The sous chef is the immediate assistant to the chef de cuisine. In a large establishment, a sous chef will have no sectional or party responsibility but will assist the chef in administration and supervising activities at the hotplate, other sections of the kitchen, and the satellite kitchen. There may be more than one sous chef if the volume of kitchen work is greater.
The position of the sous chef is considered an intermediate level between the control of sections and overall control of the kitchen. In a smaller kitchen, one of the main chefs de partie will act as the sous chef.
The sous chef also takes care of kitchen operations during the day off of the chef de cuisine.
The Main Duties and Responsibilities of the Sous Chef
1. Relieving the chef de cuisine during his day off or holiday.
2. Assisting the chef de cuisine during his day off or holiday.
3. Assisting the chef in his or her day-to-day administration work.
4. Approving the store requisition.
5. Taking charge of the banquet kitchen.
6. preparing duty rotas and assigning days off and leaves.
7. Maintaining coordination among staff.
8. Ensuring discipline in the kitchen.