Cook Your Way To The Top! – Chef Job Description
This Chef Job Description guide was updated on February 2020
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Interested in a career as a chef? You can find out, all you need to know here from typical responsibilities to salary and career progression opportunities in this detail chef job description.
Typical Responsibilities of a Chef
As a chef, you will work in a variety of settings where you prepare, cook and present food. Your typical duties will depend on your role.
Commis Chef
In this entry-level position, you are expected to:
- Learn basic cutting techniques and learn more about ingredients.
- Basic food preparation and cooking.
- Learning details about appropriate portion size.
View and apply for Commis Chef Jobs
Chef de Partie
Also known as a section chef, this role involves:
- Preparing, cooking and assembling meals and ensure they are sent to customers on time.
- Taking charge of a specific area of the kitchen. This could mean being in charge of sauces, pastry, meat or fish.
- Helping the sous chef and head chef create menus.
- Delegating tasks to lower ranking members of kitchen staff.
View and apply for Chef de Parties Jobs
Sous Chef
As the #2, your role includes:
- Taking charge of the day-to-day affairs in the kitchen including handling deliveries.
- Overseeing training and hygiene in the kitchen.
- Preparing dishes and assisting the head chef in designing the menu.
View and apply for Sous Chef Jobs
Head Chef
As the boss of the kitchen, your role includes:
- Delegating tasks.
- Hiring and firing staff
- Designing the menu
- Managing the kitchen’s budget and ordering supplies
View and apply for Head Chef Jobs
Chef Salary
The average salary for a chef in 2020 is £ 17,633 per year in Northern Ireland. Although it depends on your specific role, you could earn:
- Commis Chef: £17,000 per annum or an hourly wage starting at £8 an hour.
- Chef de Partie: £18,000 – £23,000 a year.
- Sous Chef: Average salary of £22,000 – £26,000 per annum./li>
- Head Chef: Average annual salary is ranging from £22,000 to £40,000+ per annum.
Qualifications
While there are no specific entry requirements (you can pretty much walk into a commis chef job), having GSCEs in English and Maths might help your chances. While there is on-the-job training available, your best chance to climb the career ladder is to gain a qualification in Professional Cookery, Culinary Arts Management, Food Processing & Cooking, Hospitality, and Catering Principles. There are NVQ/SVQ, ASET, City & Guilds, ETI, and many more qualifications available. Then again, you could always go to college and gain a degree in one of the courses mentioned above. It is also essential for you to gain the requisite certificates in health & safety and food hygiene.
What Kind of Skills Do I Need to Succeed?
As well as having a genuine love of food, successful chefs must display the following traits:
- Technical culinary expertise such as knowledge of different cooking techniques, storing, serving and presenting food.
- Creativity
- Multitasking
- Teamwork and communication skills.
- The ability to work well under pressure.
- The capacity to work without supervision.
- Excellent understanding of food hygiene and health & safety.
- Attention to detail and pride in your work.
Employers
You can work as a chef in the following organisations:
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Bars
- Nursing homes
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Universities
- Cruise ships
- NHS
- Armed forces
If you work for a small company, you may be in charge of all areas. In larger organisations, you will probably be asked to specialize in one area such as pastry where you will be under the supervision of the head chef.
Career Progression
Assuming you begin your career as a commis chef, you will need to show talent, hard work and commitment to get promoted to the level of chef de partie. At this stage, you will take charge of a specific area, such as desserts, and report to the senior chef.
Once you have gained the trust of the head chef and an opening becomes available, you can rise to the rank of sous chef. This is a very important role in any kitchen because it means you’re the boss when the head chef is away. The obvious next step is the title of head chef. It is a role with great responsibility, but it is an opportunity to express yourself.
If you are so inclined, there is a possibility of moving into the business side of the industry by earning a degree in hospitality management. If you are the head chef in a large chain of restaurants or hotels, you could rise to the role of executive chef. This job would mean you are in charge of every one of the firm’s chains. The downside of this role is that you would get to do very little cooking.
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- View and apply for Chef Jobs
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- Read this Chef Common Questions
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- Read this Chef Interview Questions
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