What A Sous Chef Job Involves, And How To Work Towards Becoming One
A sous chef is the second most important person in a kitchen, answerable only to the executive chef. In certain circumstances, such as when the executive chef is ill or called away because of a sudden emergency, the sous chef may find himself in charge of everything for a short time. This is why the sous chef really needs to have experience of just about every facet of the kitchen's operations. Depending on the size of the kitchen and the style of the operation, there may be one sous chef or a whole team of them.
Sous chef jobs are not easy to obtain, but they are part of a career path which can be followed by just about anyone. The cookery schools which provide the qualifications for chef jobs are able to accommodate the vast majority of people who need to fit in their study around a day job to bring in money to live on. If you have a genuine desire for a culinary career, there are really no barriers which can stop you. The only note of caution is that you must have a high enough standard of fitness to cope with the lifting and the long shifts.
Sous chefs will not just walk straight into a position as a sous chef as soon as they have finished their training. It will be necessary to go through years of study, and then an entry position as a chef de partie. Employers will always have plenty of applicants for jobs as sous chefs, so you will need to stand out from the crowd. If you are serious about a successful career in the culinary arts, you should begin thinking of progress right at the start. Chefs who go to the top of their profession are nearly always the ones who take the time to study and develop their own individual style in their own home kitchen.
The sous chef definition is really “under-chef”, which describes the sous chef's relationship with the executive chef. He still holds a position of authority over all of the other chefs in the kitchen. Although the sous chef is still a chef, and will still get involved in the preparation of food, there are other parts of the role which are more administrative. The sous chef is often responsible for moving people into the right places at the right time, and deciding who will have each role in the preparations for the day.
The sous chef will need to have people skills as well as the ability to prepare food, and a deep knowledge of cuisine. In a busy restaurant, there is no time for extended thinking or debate. Choices need to be made quickly to ensure the smooth running of the operation. If you are the sort of chef whose passion is food rather than dealing with people, you may find it difficult to adjust to this part of the job, but it worth persevering, as it is a definite career advancement to become a sous chef.
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