Uncommon Threads

Professional Restaurant Apparel

Culinary Job Descriptions

Chef de Cuisine/Executive Chef The executive chef oversees all aspects relating to culinary operations including kitchen supply and food inventory, maintaining government regulations, and monitoring customer satisfaction. They also test recipes and create menus as needed.

Executive Sous Chef (Sub Chef) Located directly below the executive chef in the chain of command, the executive sous chef must take over all functions of the kitchen in the absence of the exec chef. With duties that may include inventory management, employee scheduling, and constant assistance to executive chef, extensive experience is mandatory for these positions.

Sous Chef (Sub Chef) Formal education and immense experience is needed for these management positions. In the event that the executive sous chef is absent or unavailable, the sous chef must fill in. They maintain food and supply inventories as necessary, but specific duties vary depending upon the particular establishment.

Chef Garde Manager Although they work directly under the executive chef, the chef garde managers are responsible for the direction of others on the kitchen staff. They are also responsible for the preparation of many or all of a restaurant’s cold foods. A great deal of training is required for these occupations.

Signature Chef Often distinguished or identified by a particular cooking style or ingredient, a signature chef must have extensive culinary experience. They are responsible for creating new recipes, and will often combine, alter, and/or tweak existing recipes to create an excellent final product. They must create elaborate presentations for each food as well.

Uncommon Threads

Professional Restaurant Apparel

Culinary Job Descriptions

Chef de Cuisine/Executive Chef The executive chef oversees all aspects relating to culinary operations including kitchen supply and food inventory, maintaining government regulations, and monitoring customer satisfaction. They also test recipes and create menus as needed.

Executive Sous Chef (Sub Chef) Located directly below the executive chef in the chain of command, the executive sous chef must take over all functions of the kitchen in the absence of the exec chef. With duties that may include inventory management, employee scheduling, and constant assistance to executive chef, extensive experience is mandatory for these positions.

Sous Chef (Sub Chef) Formal education and immense experience is needed for these management positions. In the event that the executive sous chef is absent or unavailable, the sous chef must fill in. They maintain food and supply inventories as necessary, but specific duties vary depending upon the particular establishment.

Chef Garde Manager Although they work directly under the executive chef, the chef garde managers are responsible for the direction of others on the kitchen staff. They are also responsible for the preparation of many or all of a restaurant’s cold foods. A great deal of training is required for these occupations.

Signature Chef Often distinguished or identified by a particular cooking style or ingredient, a signature chef must have extensive culinary experience. They are responsible for creating new recipes, and will often combine, alter, and/or tweak existing recipes to create an excellent final product. They must create elaborate presentations for each food as well.

Culinary Operations Manager Duties for a culinary operations manager vary greatly. They oversee the functions of food service operations, which generally include the creation and implementation of standards that must be maintained for all products. They also create and develop new recipes and concepts for restaurant usage.

Chef The responsibility of preparing meals in fine dining restaurants belongs to qualified chefs. These careers necessitate knowledge of numerous aspects within the culinary field. Each meal must be prepared according to set standards and recipes.

Assistant Chef Often involved in menu development as well as food preparation, the assistant chef assumes many responsibilities. They are often in charge of preparing accompaniments and sweet dishes to compliment the main dish. They assist with many duties of the executive chef; therefore, they must have a thorough knowledge of culinary activities.

Executive Pastry Chef Thorough knowledge of culinary arts is necessary in order to be a successful executive pastry chef. They direct all activities of the pastry kitchen and will continually create new recipes for baked goods, and prepare the dessert menu.

Pastry Chef By working from existing recipes, pastry chefs create numerous baked goods. They ensure customer satisfaction by producing only high quality baked goods and pastries. Formal education combined with past experience is generally necessary for these positions.

Banquet Chef All aspects of banquet service and preparation are the responsibility of banquet chefs. They follow contractual agreements when developing menus. They are responsible for all members of the banquet staff, so they must have excellent managerial and motivation skills.

Sushi Chef As the creators and adaptors of traditional Japanese dishes, sushi chefs undergo a large amount of training. They work a great deal with raw fish, so health and safety knowledge is a must. They must be creative and precise when making these dishes.

Prep Chef Commonly responsible for the preparation of side dishes or soups, these chefs assist other chefs as necessary. They clean, dice, cut, slice, and arrange foods as needed by the executive chef. A general knowledge of all fields is necessary for these positions

Baker Generally located in retail or wholesale bakeries, bakers assume many responsibilities. When baking, Ingredients must be weighed, measured, and/or mixed, dough must be cut or formed, fillings must be prepared, and batter must be distributed properly. These professionals specialize in creating cookies, cakes, pastries, breads, and pies.

Cake Finisher Once cakes and other sweet goods are finished baking, cake finishers prepare them for presentation to the customer. They decorate and finish the cake using icing, sugars, sauces, and other confections. Tiny utensils are often used to create intricate ornaments to adorn each piece.

Line Cook Little or no formal education is required to become a line cook. They prepare foods according to pre-established guidelines and standards and are responsible for ensuring only quality foods are produced.