Chef

Being a chef is not just about cooking food in a kitchen for your customers, It also involves tidying recipes, setting up menus and preparing high-quality dishes. You work will vary depending on the type of organisation you work for but as a chef there are many industries you can work in such as, restaurants, pubs, hotel restaurants, cruise ships, the Defence Forces and in contract catering.

Due to the time and pressure demands of the job, a level of personal and professional commitment will be needed in order for you to learn, develop and succeed.

There are levels in becoming chef which are:

• commis (junior) chef
• chef de partie
• sous chef
• head chef

Work Activities

Your responsibilities will change depending on the level you are at but some of the most common responsibilities are:

• Prep, cook and assemble dishes and make sure that they go out on time
• Delegate responsibilities to commis chefs or other assistants
• Oversee the day-to-day running of the kitchen, order food and undertake the kitchen inventory
• Be in charge of training and oversee hygiene and cleanliness in the kitchen
• Prepare and plate dishes and have an input into menu design
• Create a vision for the cuisine, inspire your team and delegate tasks effectively
• Be responsible for quality control and tasting the dishes; making sure they are at the right standard and are presented correctly before they go out to the customer