List of Things Chefs do on a Regular Basis

List of Things Chefs do on a Regular Basis

Nov 15, 2014 | 11:00 am

The term “chef” can include different specialties and professionals. The definition includes various professionals, from pastry chefs to executive chefs. The broader definition tells us that the chef is a specialist who is more experienced in the culinary arts than the sous chef or the cook. To really understand what a chef really is, we should detail the specific daily duties and responsibilities of this professional.

The Definition

The chef is the professional who manages the kitchen and oversees the other cooks and culinary staff. Besides this, the chef offers instructions with regards to the preparation of the food and will also be in charge with ordering the food supplies. Sometimes, when there is an important client or when the food demand is high, the chef will also participate at the meals’ preparation.

Daily Responsibilities

Professional chefs have numerous specific responsibilities that they have to accomplish every day. The main duty of a chef, as listed by Study.com, is to oversee the kitchen and the staff. This specialist will have to manage the entire staff, including the kitchen preps and the assistant executive chefs. A chef will closely examine the use of ingredients, the meals’ preparation, the final presentation of the dish, the employees’ timeliness and the sanitary issues. A chef is basically the manager of the kitchen.

Another daily duty is planning the menu and creating interesting dishes whenever there is an important event in the dining establishment. From time to time, the chef will have to create new recipes to be included in the menus and for this task; he can choose to work with the assistant chefs. The chef will have to devote numerous hours to inventing new recipes that are going to please the taste buds and the eyes of the customers.

The administrative responsibilities are also performed on a daily basis. Thus, the chef is in charge with addressing the worker’s complaints, placing the food orders, calculating the purchase order costs, carrying out the payroll calculations and making sure that employees carry out their duties.

Regular Duties

Weekly or every two weeks, the chef might also choose to be part of the food preparation process. He can do so when the kitchen is short-staffed or when there is a busy day at the eating establishment. He could also choose to do this in order to maintain his cooking involvement. The chef himself usually prepares the main courses for the important dinners or clients.

When a new worker is employed in the kitchen, the chef is the one who will train the novice. He will show him everything he needs to know about the schedule, the menu items, the ingredients and tools used, etc. The chef will explain the specific duties of every worker and he will also show them how they must be accomplished.

Finally, on a weekly or daily basis, the chef will also have to place the kitchen tool orders and food orders that will keep the meals’ preparation going on. For this, he will have to prepare a daily and weekly budget and stick to it.