With programs like Hell’s Kitchen, Iron Chef and others, many people have felt the desire to enter the catering world – but is it right for you? The world of catering, and specifically of being a chef, is a difficult and stressful one. From the long hours to the constant movement and pressure to deliver food quickly, the role of the chef is both important and stressful.
Many people find that it is impossible to become a chef unless you are passionate about food. Whether they are put off by the hours or the stress or the conditions in the kitchen, it is important to know and understand what you are getting in to when you choose to become a chef. Not every chef has trained at Le Cordon Bleu and yet many go on to become quite famous. But before they were famous, they were under pressure in the kitchen.
Head Chefs Mean Business
When you are in the kitchen, it is easy to become used to taking orders. The head chef has a vision for how things need to run efficiently and as such they are used to ordering people aroumd. As a commis chef or sous chef, you take orders but once you have arisin to this status you also start giving orders. As a commis chef or a sous chef you are at a level where the management of people and timetables as well as menus becomes more and more a priority. Like the head chef, you have to make sure the delicate balance in the kitchen is kept.
Getting Promoted or Moving Jobs
Once you are ready to take the next step up to be a head chef, the number of hours you will have logged as a commis and/or sous chef will be significant, and all this will prepare you for being a head chef. It is impossible to go from being a chef to head chef without learning about how the kitchen works, the menu balance, understanding the strengths of your team and playing to them as well as understanding your customers.
Being a head chef requires many skills – patience, command, management, counsellor, and more. This balance in a head chef ensures the kitchen has a god balance as well, as the chef plays to everyones strengths and ensures that the kitchen is well run and orderly. While Hell’s Kitchen may make working in the kitchen seem terrible, when a team is used to each other and work well together, the work in a kitchen floes effortlessly.
Once you have helped your head chef create this environment and yet you feel the pull to go higher, it may be time to search for a new position. There are restaurants, hotels, bvars, pubs and more all needing head chefs across the country so in addition to getting a promotion, now may be the time to consider a move.
Places like Manchester, Edinburgh and Brighton are places outside the capitol which are always looking for head chefs for prestigious and not-so-prestigious establishment. When you are looking for a new job is the perfect time to look at rebalancing lifestyle with the right kitchen.
If you are looking to make the change to a new kitchen in a new city, there are a number of specialist websites which list these jobs. One of the best is caterer.com where you will find Head Chef jobs in Manchester, Edinburgh, Brighton and beyond.