The comprehensive guide to the culinary profession

Article index

• Introduction to the profession of cooking
• What do chefs do?
• How to become a chef
• The most important areas of practice of the profession
• The most important advantages of the profession
• The most important disadvantages of the profession
• The most important skills you need to become a chef
• The most important resources for learning / developing the profession
• Top tips from international chefs
  
  

The food service industry is growing rapidly, which makes becoming a chef a lucrative and attractive career path for many people. In addition, the growth of the Food Network and the rise of online celebrity chefs has dazzled the industry.

Chefs are in great demand all over the world. They oversee food production in the places where food is served, and may work in restaurants, private homes, events and hotels. Learn more with us about this profession, which is a unique activity for humans that may have started about two million years ago, and all its pros and cons, in addition to a large number of resources to learn on your own online at the end of the article.

Introduction to the profession of cooking

Cooking is the art, science, and craft of using heat to prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely around the world, from grilling food over a fire to using electric stoves, to baking in different types of ovens, reflecting unique environmental, economic and cultural traditions and trends.

Types of cooking also depend on the skill levels and training of the chefs. Cooking is done by both people in their homes and professional chefs and chefs in restaurants and other food establishments. Cooking can also happen through chemical reactions without the presence of heat.

What do chefs do?

A chef oversees a restaurant kitchen, planning the menu, maintaining a budget, pricing menu items, preparing food, purchasing supplies, ensuring quality of service, ensuring safety, and managing staff. The chefs ensure that the meals are cooked and seasoned properly and are pleasing to the eye. Pay varies greatly depending on the location, and more upscale or nicer restaurants usually pay more.

How to become a chef

A chef can generally have a 4-year college degree, but many employers are now accepting applicants from community colleges, culinary arts schools, or technical schools. But you can still be called a chef without a formal education, but you will have years of experience in the restaurant industry. Culinary education can be vital because being a chef means you can run a restaurant training any cook staff, purchasing the food you will need to cook with, creating the menu, and pricing menu items.

The most important areas of practice of the profession

You know food has the power to create communities and conversations, surprise, delight and even inspire. And if you're willing to put in the time and hard work to get the culinary training and education you need, there are plenty of ways to turn that passion into a career. Here are the top five culinary career choices that chefs pursue.

1. Restaurant Chef

Some chefs specialize in one area such as sauces, fish or grilling. Executive chefs and chefs, on the other hand, focus more on managing kitchen staff, planning menus, creating innovative dishes, controlling inventory, and sourcing fresh ingredients. Whatever position you are in, jobs in a restaurant can be exciting, fast-paced and collaborative.

2. Personal Chef

Rather than serving ever-changing clients, personal or private chefs work one-on-one with repeat clients and families, selecting ingredients and developing menus based on customers' individual tastes and dietary requirements. As a personal chef, you can prepare one meal at a time or prepare multiple meals for clients to eat throughout the week. You can also prepare food for parties at your customers' homes or small event venues.

Personal chefs work either on their own or with a much smaller team than you would find in a restaurant kitchen. Personal chefs are usually self-employed and mostly work in big cities like New York or Los Angeles.

3. Undertaker

If you become a caterer, don't expect to get bored, you will be able to cook a variety of foods in various places for all types of customers. She will prepare food for large events such as fundraisers, weddings, and other celebrations, often working weekends and evenings.

Your job will include meal planning, food preparation, organizing and supervising food preparation, serving and service. As with all culinary roles, you will need to consider your customers' dietary preferences and needs and meet all food safety requirements. To succeed in catering, customer service and business management skills are key.

4. Baking and pastry chef

In this career path, you'll combine your creativity with an eye for detail to supply delicious baked goods and pastries for a restaurant, local bakery, or grocery store. Your daily work may include purchasing supplies, supervising other employees, and making and decorating beautiful pastries and desserts. To prepare for a career in baking and pastry, consider taking a specialized baking and pastry program rather than a general culinary arts program.

5. Food service or restaurant manager

A restaurant manager career may be right for you if you are interested in opening your own restaurant or managing both the front and back end of the business. In this role, you are responsible for the entire dining experience, from hiring staff and overseeing kitchen operations to ensuring perfect food and service ambiance. Outside of restaurants, food service managers may work in hotels, school cafeterias, hospitals, other inpatient care settings, entertainment venues, and anywhere else food is prepared and served.

The most important pluses of the profession

When you're considering your career options, be sure to consider the 10 Benefits of Cooking in the Kitchen.

1. Many career options

Chefs have the opportunity to hone their skills in restaurants, resorts, country clubs, and private homes. They can find work on cruise lines, convention centers, and many other exciting destinations.

2. Creative License

Chefs are responsible when it comes to deciding what goes on the menu and how to prepare it for guests. This creates plenty of opportunities to get creative and experiment with combinations of recipes and menus that will set the place apart from the competition.

3. Every day is a new experience

Although there are routines in every kitchen, every day creates so many possibilities to break the mold and try something new. Whether it's a special event or a special menu.

4. Bonuses, free food

Chefs are often awarded bonuses based on the restaurant's performance. Many places offer free chef food as part of the compensation.

5. The student becomes the teacher, and the teacher becomes the student

Chefs are responsible for training those in the kitchen to properly prepare meals according to the chef's wishes. From knives control to quality control. Chefs also have the opportunity to learn from other chefs who each bring their unique skills and techniques to the kitchen.

6. Instant (or almost instant) gratification

Whether it's a special occasion or a special recipe, chefs know instantly if their efforts in the kitchen are paying off. A smile on a customer's face, messages carried through to the kitchen, and positive online reviews let chefs know they're on the right track.

7. An opportunity to open your own store

Many chefs have honed their skills in someone else's kitchen for years. This experience and time in the kitchen teaches us everything from inventory management to trusted HR practices. As your skills grow and you learn all aspects of the profession, you can use these skills to open your own business and achieve personal success.

8. Become part of a family

The kitchen is a close-knit family, and the chefs spend hours working with each other and communicating with their colleagues. This creates a close relationship that can lead to strong teams and a positive work environment.

9. A title of respect

Chefs are respected and often find themselves asked for advice on this recipe, that technique, and anything to do with the culinary arts. Sharing this knowledge is a great way to make new friends, impress your neighbors, and create opportunities for socializing.

10. It's a great career

If you love food and cooking, being a chef offers a great career progression from Commis Chef to Demi Chef and then Chef de Partie, Sous chef, Chef de Cuisine and finally Executive Chef.

11. IT IS A FUNCTION OF INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

People will always want to eat out and since the food industry is growing exponentially year after year, there will be many new and challenging jobs on offer.

12. Take your career global

Wherever you choose to live, finding work as a chef will always be an option. Whether you want to prepare sumptuous meals on a cruise ship or take on a chef job at Melbourne's hipster café, being a chef is very mobile!

13. You can specialize

Lots of Opportunities to Specialize If you've discovered a passion for Mexican or Thai desserts, or even as a pastry chef, there are plenty of options to expand and challenge yourself.

14. You make people happy

People love to eat out, so whether you're helping make a special occasion happier or making lunch more delicious, it's good to know your work is appreciated.

15. You don't have to wear a suit

No ties, stilettos, or uncomfortable business suits, Chef's Whites will leave a bigger paycheck in your pockets!

16. Miscellaneous hours

Chefs work a variety of hours depending on where you choose to work. Some restaurants only open at night, others during the day. Set your hours according to your lifestyle!

The main drawbacks of the profession

Being a chef in a busy kitchen is hard work and requires being organized. Reducing errors helps you save time. So here are the most important negatives in the profession.

1- Unpredictable schedule

Chef's schedule depends on the number of customers at a given time. Sometimes, work can extend late into the night. Sometimes, the working hours may be less as well. To be a chef, one must be willing and able to handle either situation.

2. The working conditions may be uncomfortable

There are varying temperatures, either high due to the cooking fire or sometimes low, especially around freezers. The kitchen is also usually a busy place where there are many employees working at the same time. There is a noise from the kitchen equipment and staff, this kind of stuffiness makes it very uncomfortable to work in.

3. Demand action

Cooking is a manual labor and sometimes chefs have to stand for longer periods than others, carrying utensils and ingredients. So they may be quite physically and mentally worn out as they have to respond to all customer needs to their specifications.

5. A risky profession

The kitchen job can be very risky and unsafe as accidents such as fires may occur. Cuts and bruises from knives and burns are among the most common kitchen accidents that can lead to serious health complications.

6. Expensive training

In order to be a good chef, it is essential that you acquire some form of training or education to gain knowledge about different skills. However, these training institutions tend to be very expensive. One may decide to hire a coach as well but he also charges exorbitant fees.

7. An open work environment

Everyone can see each other and one has to interact with the rest of the people and be in a position to deal with each and every one of them, unlike in offices where there is a measure of privacy and one does not need to be in direct contact with colleagues.

8. A competitive labor market

Nowadays, competition is high in the field of cooking. It usually takes a lot of time, skills and training for a person to be promoted to the next level. Technology has also negatively affected the culinary industry as people no longer hire chefs in private homes as was the case before. With good access to the internet, one can easily access all the recipes. However, as an expat, you can export the recipes and start teaching people how to cook the cuisine of your country.

9. Double pay

In overtime situations, there is usually little or no possibility of overtime pay.

10. Affirmation

The chef must ensure that the work is done to perfection, ie the chef is under pressure to deliver quality. Sometimes chefs are blamed after complaints of dissatisfied customers despite having done a good job. It's also stressful because they hardly have time to rest and are always on the move.

The most important skills you need to become a chef

It takes a variety of both soft and soft skills to be a great chef who can effectively control the kitchen. If you are passionate about creating new recipes, have an eye for detail, and want to lead a successful kitchen, here are the most important skills you need.

1. Pay attention to details

Cooking is a science, every ingredient and measurement must be accurate including ordering food products or knowing how long to cook certain items so they are all packaged at the same time. The chef needs to pay attention to details like:

• Heat control
• measurement
• serving size
• provisions
• an offer
• Food quality
• Supervision

2. Business intuition

A good chef must also be good at running a business. You should always think about how to make delicious food while also being cost effective. Chefs often deal with the following tasks:

• Administration
• budget
• Commercial savvy
• Commercial intuition
• Computer skills
• theoretical thinking
• Labor cost control
• Cost control
• Reduce costs
• customers service
• Food pricing
• Food Safety
• Dietary regulations
• Food science
• Food service management
• recruitment
• Inventory Management
• Inventory turnover
• Kitchen management
• The food is local
• arrangement
• Processes
• Product selection

3. Hygiene

Chefs need to know how to keep their kitchen healthy. This is very important in a restaurant, as unsanitary conditions can affect the quality of the food, and can force the restaurant to close. Chefs are responsible for following local health code and handling:

• Health and safety
• cleanliness
• health practices
  
  

4. Creativity

Working in the food industry requires creativity. Chefs must be open to incorporating new food items into menus as well as improving old recipes. Creativity and imagination will keep customers coming back for more. Chefs try the following methods:

• cooperation
• experimentation
• menu design
• the offer
• Recipe design
• Trial and error

5. Culinary experience

This broad skill includes a variety of smaller skills, including knife and taste skills. Chefs must be able to cook accurately and effectively. They also need to be skilled at recognizing flavors and judging the balance of spices. Chefs often have experience with:

• the bread
• baking techniques
• consistency
• to cook
• Culinary experience
• food preparation
• barbeque
• Component selection
• Knife control
• Cut the knife
• Knife skills
• pastries
• an offer

6. Fast-paced decision making

The kitchen is a fast-paced environment, and the chef has to make many decisions simultaneously quickly and efficiently. They must be able to:

• Dealing with stress
• solving problems
• Take the initiative

7. Motivational management style

A good chef will motivate the kitchen workers. He must be able to keep everyone working at a fast and efficient pace by demonstrating the following traits:

• Telecommunications
• cooking techniques
• Leadership
• passion

8. Organization

Chefs must be very organized in the kitchen. They have to work on a variety of tasks simultaneously and they must do so while keeping the kitchen clean and safe. They do this in the following ways:

• Commitment to quality
• efficiency
• Kitchen safety
• kitchen tools
• multitasking
• planning
• Safe handling of food
• health practices

9. Team player

The Chef is part of a team and must be able to work well with others. Not only must he work with the other chefs in the kitchen, but he must also be able to work effectively with staff and management. Chefs must be able to:

• Accept feedback
• cooperation
• Show mercy
• emotional smartness
• Give feedback
• Get personal
• Humorous
• construction team
• training
• More chef skills
• dinner
• Catering
• first aid
• Flexibility
• Handling cash
• Hotel kitchen
• nutrition
• Portion control
• spices
• Services
• source components
• Supervision
• Desire to learn

The most important resources for learning/development of the profession

Countless websites offer unique recipes, educational insights into rare produce, and highlight new culinary trends. However, these sites are often dedicated to the home cook. If you're tired of sifting through websites online, check out these 10 resources for professional chefs.

Important resources for learning and developing the cooking profession at Look in MENA

Your way to learn to cook: Through the various websites, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, you will find everything that is delicious and varied; There are many influencers in the field of cooking, some of whom are famous, with a rich history and a large audience, and some of them are people who share their experiences with cooking, and each of them has his own way of making his own content. Therefore, all the sites and resources through which you can learn and develop the cooking profession have been compiled.

2. The most important course platforms for learning to cook: It is possible to find cooking lessons online that focus on desserts, dinners, or how to make pastries. But if you would like a general cooking course, these classes are also available. Flexibility allows students to improve their cooking skills and learn how to cook new meals. In this article, you will find the most important and best online cooking sites that have been compiled to help you learn and develop the profession that you must visit.

Chef resources for business and career

Chef's Resources: Chef's Resources is an excellent site for industry professionals interested in kitchen management, basic ingredient knowledge, accounting, and more. Although some content is reserved for subscribers only, there are many excellent recipe templates, food costing templates, prep sheet charts, and other digital tools available entirely for free.

The Staff Canteen: Provides job information, career advice, suppliers and recipes for chefs for a decade. Curated and contributor-driven content encourages communication. The site's YouTube channel also regularly features demos from Michelin-starred chefs.

Chef Resources for Education

Escoffier On Line: EOL has spent the past 30 years compiling an enormous amount of information on all things related to working as a professional chef, including topics like restaurant design, food business, front of house, and more.

Chef2Chef: If you are just starting out on your career as a professional chef, or if you are looking for additional training, Chef2Chef is an excellent place to start. They have a database of culinary schools that can be searched by region, program, degree, and even campus type, so you can find the best options. Additionally, Chef2Chef compiles useful industry stats, a student blog, job guides, and more.

Chef resources for social networking communities

Chef’s Roll: With over 300,000 fans and followers on Facebook, Chef’s Roll has made great strides toward its goal of “building the world’s largest chef network,” where culinary professionals promote their talents and professional achievements, and tell the entire culinary story. Lots of educational videos provide educational fun. The site is updated almost daily and attracts a lot of participation from the international community.

World Association of Chefs Societies Not to be outdone, the World Association of Chefs Societies website brings together world-class culinary experts for clubs, challenges, charities, certifications, and other forms of education and networking. They have their own magazines, job boards, and even host events around the world to meet and participate in person, like WorldChefs Congress & Expo 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They've created their own online social network just for chefs called myCHEFSPACE.

Chef's resources for inspiration from the best in the world

StarChefs: Since 1995, StarChefs magazine has chronicled and supported restaurant professionals. While it started as a glossy print publication, it also has a stylish and functional website to match. If you enjoy beautiful photos and staying up-to-date with the latest industry information, you'll want to keep tabs on StarChefs.

Culinary Trends: Get the creative ideas flowing and check out Culinary Trends, a print and online publication offering "inspiration for executive chefs." Founded 18 years ago as a subscription-only magazine, it was originally intended for executive chefs to "get inspired by each other's recipes". Now, you can browse these recipes and other content on their website.

Remember, you must gain experience by enrolling in specialized centers for training in the profession of cooking, or by working in one of the restaurants in your area.

Top tips from international chefs

Before you start your career, you should think about all the bad points and balance them with the benefits for you personally. Make sure you are passionate and dedicated to cooking, as it will become a major part of your life.

-What is your personal passion? Because you won't have time to do any of it. Will your personal passions and hobbies compete with your professional passion, and will this be a determining factor in choosing your career? If you are interested in working in the restaurant industry, you should also get a job in the kitchen for 6 months and try it. 6 months is long enough for any conflicts to arise, and you can decide whether or not you enjoy doing it. You can only find out if it's right for you by doing this.

Choosing the career you wish to pursue is a difficult decision, and one that should not be taken lightly. Becoming a chef is a sister