Chef Hierarchy: Types, Skills Required, Job Profiles, Scope 2023

Chef Hierarchy

Chef Hierarchy also known as Kitchen Hierarchy implies to the various bifurcations that are made to identify the various positions and their list of duties and functions. The hierarchy in a Chef’s profession usually begins with a Junior Chef and goes up to an Executive Chef. The sections below will discuss the various hierarchical stratifications for your reference. Read More: Bachelor in Hotel Management

Executive Chef

• This title is normally applied and appointed in the big hotels and restaurants where they have large chains of their brand in the national or international markets. The executive chef’s primary duty is to manage the kitchen staff of all the chain restaurants, not for cooking food. 
• In his duty, he oversaw and trained the personnel, preparing a new menu, budgeting, and purchasing of kitchen needs. Here you have understood that for the position of executive chef you have prior experience in cooking as well as good management that helps you to run the kitchen smoothly.

Head Chef

• Every restaurant has a head chef who controls all the aspects of the kitchen and is responsible for managing the kitchen and their staff, budgeting, and creating menus. If there is no executive chef then the head chef is at the top of the kitchen hierarchy.
• Head chefs have been involved in the day-to-day kitchen activities but in many cases, the head chefs leave the cooking for the sous chef and others.

Deputy Chef

• Deputy chef also known as the sous chef overlaps with the head chef but has a crucial role in the kitchen. The Sous Chef is in charge of the kitchen who cooks food and oversees day-to-day activities.
• He has a second position in commanding the kitchen but it’s not necessary that in a kitchen there is only one sous chef appointed; it all depends on the size and staff of the kitchen.

Station Chef

• The station chef has a crucial role in the kitchen. There are two or more station chefs working in the kitchen and have different stations such as the station for salad, vegetables, starters, fish, meat, barbeque, etc. have a different station in the kitchen and for management, all these food categories have a separate station chef.
• These chefs cook the food that is served to the customers. To serve the best dish, each station chef is responsible for each station of the food category.