Chef/Cook

Also known as:

Caterer
Cook

Introduction

Chefs/cooks oversee the preparation and cooking of food and meals for large numbers of people. In large restaurants, chefs are organised into teams with different duties.

As a general rule chefs work in restaurants and hotels while cooks work in schools, hospitals, works canteens and self-service cafeterias.

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Work Activities

Chefs work in all kinds of places, from pubs to cruise liners and from schools to the armed forces. In some places, for example schools, they may be known as cooks. Their job is to prepare and cook meals.

In some kitchens (for example, in a small pub) the chef might work alone or with the help of only one or two staff. But some kitchens (eg, in major hotels) are huge and might have dozens of staff with a number of specialist chefs working under a head chef. Chefs working in the armed forces, or for companies catering for outdoor events, will sometimes work in 'field' or mobile kitchens.

There is so much variety in the catering industry that it is impossible to generalise about a chef's typical working day. For example, some chefs specialise in one type of cooking such as vegetarian, seafood, Indian, Thai or Italian. Also there are different types and levels of chef. In a large kitchen there may be the following: chef patissier (pastry chef); chef saucier (sauce and main meal chef); chef poissonier (fish chef); chef entremettier (vegetable chef). What each chef does depends on what kind of chef he or she is.

A fish chef will order new stock, inspect it on delivery and prepare it for cooking. Meat and fish chefs need to be prepared to gut and clean animals. Vegetable chefs may have to do hours of scraping and chopping of vegetables. However, trainee and assistant chefs tend to do these more basic tasks. Cooking a dish may take a few minutes or a few hours, so timing and teamwork are critical.

Chefs also have ranks. There is the trainee chef; the commis chef (assistant); the chef de partie (section leader); the sous chef (deputy head) and the chef de cuisine (head chef). There are also chefs patron; these are chefs who own their own restaurants.

The higher-ranking chefs supervise the lower ones and may have other duties, including things like book-keeping, organising training and stock control. The head chef will normally be responsible for menu planning and recruitment. The chefs at the lower end, especially the trainees, will do a lot of the food preparation as well as cleaning floors and emptying bins.

In a small kitchen, where there are only one or two chefs, they will tend to do all the preparation and cook a range of dishes, right through from starters to sweets. They will also do more administration. The same can be true of chefs patron, who will need good business skills as well as cooking ability.

Whatever kind of place it is, though, it is the menu and the standard of cooking that will make people want to eat there. So chefs need to be aware of current eating trends, food fashions and nutritional information to put together menus that will attract customers.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

Kitchens are hot, busy and noisy (especially the big ones where lots of people are shouting instructions at once). Head chefs usually demand very high standards of work from their staff.

To do this job you'll need to enjoy cooking, be able to cope with the heat, have a lot of stamina and be able to stay calm under pressure. You'll also need to be well organised and quick thinking. You must be willing to do a long training and wait to do more creative cookery when you have enough experience.

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Pay and Opportunities

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Salaries for chefs/cooks are in the range of £12,000 - £15,000 a year, rising to around £18,500 - £25,000. Higher earners can make around £30,000 - £40,000 a year, and executive chefs can make around £50,000 plus, a year.

Chefs/cooks usually work 37-40 hours a week, which may include shift work, split shifts, early starts, late finishes and weekend work. Chef/cooks are often required to work on public holidays. Overtime is usually available. Part-time, temporary and seasonal employment is possible.

Chefs/cooks work throughout the UK, in hotels, restaurants, works' and schools' canteens, in hospitals and the armed forces. Holiday camps, cruise ships and other leisure centres, both indoors and outdoors, also employ chefs/cooks. Some work in other countries.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

There is a wide range of college courses in cooking and food preparation that can be taken on a part-time (day or evening) basis, at local colleges of further education.

Colleges will usually consider applications from candidates who don't meet their usual entry requirements. You should check the admissions policy of individual colleges.

Modern Apprenticeships, leading to SVQ level 2 may be available in some areas.

Candidates can apply to the Savoy Educational Trust for financial support for study of courses related to the hospitality industry.

• 27% of chefs and cooks work part-time.
• 3% have flexible hours.
• 2% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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