There are a lot of different jobs being a chef entails but one of the most rewarding is preparing food which is then served to an appreciative audience. Whether you want to be Gordon Ramsay, Jun Tanaka or just own your own café by the seaside, you’ll need a diverse range of skills. But what does a chef actually do?
Well, in the general sense, a chef plans menus and estimates food and labour costs in consultation with the head chef (if there is one). This means that if you have a small kitchen, it is all on your head but if there is a head chef they will be able to help wuth the calculations (as can a sous chef. The job of a chef is also to implement staff rosters and supervises the activities of cooks and assistants. If you happen to be in a larger kitchen a certain kind of chef may have the job of discussing food preparation issues with managers, dieticians and other staff members. Of course, this depends on the size of the kitchen but most chefs find their job to be very dynamic.
As part of their job a chef will requisition food, kitchen supplies and equipment, and depending on the size of the staff the job of a chef may involve demonstrating techniques to cooks and advising them on cooking procedures. The job of a chef will also including the preparation and cooking of food, gravies, sauces and garnishes. As if that were not enough, it is also the job of the chef to explain and enforces hygiene regulations.
As with any job, on-the-job training is important but you will need professional training too. While it is possible in some kitchens to earn NVQs while you are training as a chef, in order to get a job elsewhere you may need to have more formal training. There are one and two year college programs as well as training abroad all of which will be recognised but be careful – if you have a particular chef job in mind look specifically at what that kitchen and head chef require in their job candidates.
It’s a big, busy job being a chef, there’s no doubt about that as you can see above. If you want a job as a chef you have got to be able to work quickly and manage a lot of activity all at the same time. You need to be dynamic, able to learn new skills quickly and work well under pressure.
If you’ve decided to go for a chef job in Birmingham, caterer.com have a range of openings from the lowest level to head chef jobs all over the UK including Birmingham.