Head Cook Job Description

Chefs entice the olfactory like no other perfume can. It is a skill that is honed over years of kitchen experience. A professional chefs can do it under extreme pressure as well. The job of head , is not an easy one.

A head chef needs to be calm and composed under stress of meeting immediate orders and demands. He must have excellent communication skills to maintain his loyal clientele and have an efficient team.

A head chef holds a managerial position that brings a great responsibility. He must be a leader in every situation, who can steer his teammates towards a successful career.

• The primary task of a head chef is to decide the menu and cook. He is responsible for coming up with the right combination of drinks, starters, main course and desserts.

• To prepare the whole menu or get the bare minimum ready, to prepare it when the order comes in, he must have an able staff and a sous-chef. Thus, a head cook must also play the role of a human resource manager and recruit the skilled chefs for his team.

• He must also know the sources of buying the vegetables, meat, alcohol, spices and other required raw materials at wholesale rates, so that the work flow remains within the budget.

• The biggest task of a head chef is that he needs to keep a quality check on food preparations and the surroundings. He must make sure that the food is being cooked as per the predetermined standards and the eating area is clean and hygienic. A slight falter can cost him, his job.

• The storage area, especially the cold storage has to be cleaned completely every twice a week to maintain prescribed sanitary norms.

• The hotel industry records maximum food wastage, which in big ways contributes to global food crisis. A head chef must plan his preparation in a way, that it minimizes food wastage. Expensive spices and condiments have to be used judiciously to work within decided budgets.

• The chef in charge, is also responsible for taking inventories of stock, supplies and makes a list of items that will be required in the coming week.
• He must have the ability to project price rise of certain perishable goods, so that they are ordered in advance.

• A chef's job description includes looking after the food preparations, maintaining equipment in the best conditions, record keeping, budgeting, evaluating new menus, making new preparations and complying with health guidelines.
• The whole functioning of the kitchen is under the control of the chief chef and he must also ensure safety of his teammates.

A head chef must have a basic graduation degree in hotel management. He must have the acumen of handling multiple tasks at one time, such as cooking, managing a team, answering the clients and so forth. He must have the ability to work with a diverse work culture and individuals who come from various cultural backgrounds. Just as any manager has to be efficient at problem solving for his employees, a head chef must also be adept in solving issues for his colleagues.

He must be a constant leader, guide and a team player. Coming up with new concoctions and introducing new cuisines to the menu, to keep the regular clientele interested and add new customers, is also a part of the job description of a head chef.

Many times, cooks have to work for hours and hours. This holds true in case of weekends, when people flock restaurants. Thus, a head chef also needs to have the physical endurance, to put up with the demands of this job.

Communicating with diverse groups of people, working in team, taking criticism constructively, budgeting and setting priorities are summed up duties of a head chef.