chef

You manage all the kitchen activities as an executive chef. While you don't cook the meals, you taste the dishes before they are served to customers. You also review the plate presentation and develop new menu items.

As a butcher chef, you prepare the meat before it moves to different workstations. You prepare various meat types and cuts based on the menu to ensure the chefs have well-prepared meat for customer orders.

As a pastry chef, you prepare baked goods and desserts. Your job is to mix the batter, prepare dough for various pastries and desserts, and ensure customers receive their desserts on time.

As a commis chef, you are a junior-level worker who assists in meal preparation and works under a chef de partie. Your job is to shadow chefs and assist at various workstations. You prepare ingredients and clean work areas.

Some of the daily tasks of a chef include:

• Creating menus: you research new dishes in the hospitality industry, like the latest desserts, pastry and pasta trends. New ingredients help you enhance your dishes. You create menus for breakfast and dinner, including drink menus. You also develop recipes for various food items to ensure the kitchen achieves the desired outcomes.
• Preparing and cooking dishes: you need culinary skills to prepare and cook various dishes, from starters to desserts. Your job is to ensure the flavours and food presentation meet impeccable standards. All the food leaving your kitchen should be carefully plated to look appetising. Hence, you monitor the presentation and garnishing of all restaurant food.
• Coordinating work activities in the kitchen: you are responsible for all the cooking operations. That involves coordinating the kitchen crew to ensure all food types are prepared according to the desired food safety standards to avoid food poisoning. You also plan work schedules for the cooks and cleaning crew.
• Performing administrative duties: you perform a range of administrative duties, such as ordering ingredients, managing food stock and looking for vendors. You are responsible for food safety and ensure the kitchen crew maintains hygiene standards. You also determine the cost of each dish and set the menu prices.

As a chef, you are employed in various business sectors serving food. You could work in restaurants, hotels, snack bars, canteens and cruise ships. You may also land a job in a catering and banqueting company. Hence, your work environment depends on your employer. You work indoors within a fast-paced kitchen environment, including restaurants, cafes, hotels and cruise ships. Unless you work from a food truck or catering and banqueting services, the role of a chef involves minimal travelling. You are expected to wear a chef's uniform at work, including a white toque blanche (the tall, cylindrical-shaped hat), and have basic expertise in fire safety.

Depending on the industry you work in, you are likely to work with kitchen managers and baristas. You also work alongside café managers, receptionists and event coordinators. Other professionals you may interact with are cashiers and accountants.

As a chef, you work a maximum of 40 hours a week. Sometimes, you work on rotational shifts, especially in busy work environments or on cruise ships. When you work in a pastry shop or a food truck, you likely work regular business hours with an occasional evening shift. Most chefs work full-time schedules, but part-time opportunities are available. Additionally, you can find short-term contracts for working in events catering.

Your career in the kitchen starts with an apprentice, commis chef or chef de partie position. After working under the supervision of chefs, you progress to the station chef role. Then, you can become a sous chef and later a head chef. When you have extensive experience managing kitchens, you can become an executive chef in a high-end restaurant. Alternative career options include becoming a kitchen manager or a restaurant manager. After gaining experience as an employed chef, you may open your own restaurant or pastry shop.

Working with Randstad offers you a range of benefits.

• always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
• a range of jobs in your area

As a chef, you plan menus, prepare food and order supplies. You oversee daily food preparation activities, from cleaning to cooking. You also direct and handle the kitchen staff and address food-related concerns.

Working as a chef can be stressful since the job involves working long hours. You also work in high-pressure environments, like busy restaurant kitchens. The amount of work associated with creating delicious dishes is time-consuming. However, with organisation, you're able to reduce stress levels.

Working as a chef is an exciting career if you enjoy cooking and creating culinary masterpieces. The role builds your culinary skills, and you learn leadership skills by managing kitchen staff. Becoming a chef is also a rewarding career with good salary prospects.

A chef is a professional who's trained to understand flavours and cooking techniques. Hence, they can create recipes from scratch and guide kitchen staff in the preparation of the dishes. On the other hand, cooks follow established recipes to prepare food.

As a chef, you work in a busy kitchen or a restaurant environment. You spend most of your day on your feet, moving around in the kitchen or speaking with customers.

Finding a job near you as a chef is easy. Search our job offers. Have you found what you're looking for? Then submit your application using the ‘Apply’ button top right on the page. No jobs available right now? Then log in or register an account to send us your resume and we'll pass it on to a recruiter who will contact you if an opportunity opens up for you.