The success of each restaurant establishment consists of different components. And the kitchen is not always the determining factor. But still people come to the restaurant to eat - this is its original purpose. Therefore, a lot depends on the right choice of a chef. And since team spirit is important in any business, a perfect understanding between the restaurateur and the chef is necessary. Therefore, every restaurateur should choose not just an employee, but an ideological and creative partner.
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What is the responsibility of the chef
At the initial stage of restaurant development, some of the duties may be performed by the manager or owner. Conversely, if an enterprise grows, additional posts can be established to offload the chief cook. The main responsibilities include:
organizational arrangements for coordinated work of the kitchen; compilation of the menu; own cooking some dishes; control of technological processes of preparation and quality of dishes; purchase of products; accounting and costing; selection, training and quality control of kitchen workers; supervision of compliance with sanitary standards; inventory of residues of products and equipment; record keeping; introduction of progressive measures (development of new recipes and technologies).
Requirements for a candidate
The more responsibilities your chef will fulfill, the higher the requirements should be. But it is necessary to consider the possibility of payment, because the higher the qualification of the applicant, the more reward they will deserve. The list of requirements may include: the presence of specialized education in a specialty; job experience; knowledge of recipes for different cuisines; professionalism; understanding of pricing mechanisms; knowledge of all sanitary standards; high level of responsibility.
Chef: Creator or Administrator
Often, a restaurateur faces a problem: more importantly, the administrative or culinary talents of the prospective employee. As a rule, a high level of one and the other is extremely rare in one specialist. If the problem of choice arises, then the second direction is preferable. Since administrative duties can be delegated to another employee or trained in the process, a cook who prepares poorly and tastelessly will certainly not correspond to his position.
Effective administrative separation
Some restaurateurs use the division of duties of a chef between several chefs. More precisely, they introduce additional posts of sous-chef and brand-chef for more efficient work. This approach is relevant for large restaurants and chains with a large number of visitors and a large staff of kitchen workers.
Sous-chef is an assistant and deputy chef, who completely duplicates his duties and can replace him in any of the directions if necessary. The brand chef is engaged in managerial work, product supply and quality control, participates in conceptual developments and their implementation.
Where to look for a chef
A good chef will be expensive, and you can hire a headhunting specialist to find him. Since all excellent cooks, as a rule, are employed in other restaurants, you can get such a specialist only by offering him more favorable working conditions. For the segment of mid-range restaurants, chefs are looking for ads on the Internet or organizing a competition among applicants. For beginning restaurateurs, the best option is to conduct a selection among successful graduates of vocational schools. In this way, you can educate your own specialist.
Should I invite a chef from abroad
Today, the most fashionable restaurants are restaurants serving national cuisines. It is fashionable and prestigious to invite foreign specialists. However, before looking for a cook abroad, think about whether you can pay him the appropriate salary and at the same time endure his individual characteristics. Such cooks are usually capricious and conceited. Often it is difficult to find a common language with them, because they are used to doing everything in their own way. Perhaps you should just look for a good domestic chef, full of enthusiasm and creative ideas, and entrust him with the development of a menu according to recipes for specific national cuisine.
Promotion
One of the ways to get a good chef in an existing restaurant can be to promote one of the chefs. This is true in the case when your working boss suddenly decides to change his job and will need an urgent replacement. In order not to be in a difficult situation, it is recommended to monitor the professional growth of the kitchen staff. Perhaps, among them there is already an excellent cook with great ambitions, who develops the necessary qualities for the position of chef. If such a person exists, he can become a godsend for your institution, and after promotion, actively contribute to his development and prosperity.