56 Part One Introducing the Foodservice Industry
Manager
As leader of the kitchen, the chef’s role is to
manage resources. A resource can be supplies,
money, or staff that a company needs to do
business. The most important resource a chef
manages is the staff. Although the chef may
delegate some authority to sous chefs and chefs
de partie, the chef is ultimately held accountable
for the performance of the kitchen.
Management has been defined as
“getting things done through other people.”
The chef alone cannot perform every task
that needs to be done in the kitchen. Other
people must carry out the chef’s concept of
cuisine and the chef must manage their work.
To be effective, the chef must
•
communicate objectives and how they
will be achieved
•
check work while in progress and test
finished products
•
provide feedback
•
give a clear and fair evaluation of the
staff’s performance
The chef is also charged with managing
the nonlabor resources of the foodservice
operation. These resources include food,
nonfood products, equipment, and facili-
ties. Making sure that these items are used
properly and efficiently is one of the primary
responsibilities of the chef.
Eliminating waste is critical to control-
ling costs. Cost control is essential for a
business to make money. If a foodservice
operation does not make enough money to at
least cover its costs, it will go out of business.
If the business closes, neither the chef nor the
employees will have jobs. The chef’s ability to
manage resources impacts everyone.
Artistic Innovator
Many people are drawn to culinary
arts because it gives them an outlet for their
creativity. A cook has limited opportuni-
ties to be creative. It is the job of cooks to
carry out the creative visions of the chef. The
opportunity to exercise creativity is typically
realized only by culinarians who are more
experienced in the professional kitchen.
Chefs regularly need to create new
dishes for daily specials and market menus.
Occasionally, the chef needs to create an
entirely new menu. Extensive knowledge
of food ingredients and cooking methods
is the starting point for a chef’s creativity.
Additionally, the chef must master the prin-
ciples of presentation in order to create new
items that are attractive as well as tasty.
Finally, the chef must understand customer
preferences for his or her creations to be
successful.
Being in touch with current fashion and
trends in food is essential for being able to
create effective menus. Chefs continually
read food periodicals to keep current. Dining
out to sample the creations of other chefs is
another way that chefs feed their creative
interest.
Teacher and Mentor
Any successful chef is, by necessity, also
a good teacher. A chef’s success is largely
dependent on his or her ability to train their
staff. The chef teaches the staff cooking skills,
management skills, how to deal with people,
and more, 5-1. A chef requires good commu-
nication skills to be an effective trainer.
Aside from the benefit to the business
from training their cooks, many chefs also
feel a personal responsibility for teaching
their staff. Sharing knowledge with the next
“generation” is common among chefs. Many
believe it is a way to repay the debt owed to
those who trained and mentored them. There
is perhaps no greater professional satisfac-
tion than seeing someone who you mentored
succeed in the profession.
Professional Traits of
a Successful Chef
Culinarians are judged for the profes-
sionalism they display. Professionalism