Chef Positions

Chef Jobs

There are various Chef positions in the kitchen and this page is a brief explanation of each role;

Apprentice Chef

Apprentice Chefs are often students gaining theoretical and practical training in college as well as work experience in the kitchen.

Commis Chef

A Commis Chef is a basic chef in larger kitchens who works under a Chef de Partie to learn the section's responsibilities and operation. This is usually a chef who has recently completed formal culinary training or is still undergoing training.

Demi Chef de Partie

A Demi Chef de Partie is the next stage after being a Commis Chef and gaining experience on all sections. The Demi Chef may also run a section in the absence of the Chef de Partie. The term "Demi" means half in French.

Chef de Partie

A Chef de Partie is in charge of a particular area of production, these are called sections or sometimes known as stations. In large kitchens, each section chef might have several chefs working underneath them. Various names are giving for the section, both in English and French.

Saucier (Sauce), Entremetier (Veg), Poissonnier (Fish), Garde Manger (Larder / Pantry), Grillardin (Grill), Rotisseur (Roast), Patissier (Pastry), Tournant (Roundsman - covers Chef de Parties as and when required).

Sous Chef

The Sous Chef is the second in command and direct assistant of the Executive / Head Chef. This person may be responsible for scheduling and substituting when the Executive / Head Chef is off-duty and will also fill in for or assist the Chef de Parties when needed. Smaller kitchens may not have a Sous Chef, but larger operations may have several, these can include Junior Sous Chef, Senior Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef or Premier Sous Chef. Sometimes in smaller kitchens this position is referred to as Second Chef.

Executive / Head Chef / Chef de Cuisine

This person is in charge of all things related to the kitchen which usually includes menu creation; management of kitchen staff; ordering and purchasing of stock and plating design. Chef de cuisine is the traditional French term from which the English word chef is derived. Head chef is often used to designate someone with the same duties as an executive chef, but there is usually someone in charge of them, possibly making the larger executive decisions such as direction of menu, final authority in staff management decisions, etc. This is often the case for chefs with several restaurants.

What does Brigade mean?

Brigade de cuisine is a system of hierarchy found in restaurants and hotels employing extensive staff, commonly referred to as "kitchen staff" in English speaking countries.

The concept was developed by Auguste Escoffier. This structured team system delegates responsibilities to different individuals who specialise in certain tasks.
 

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