Your Career as a Sous Chef
A Sous chef is just below the culinary chef in the hierarchy of a kitchen in a restaurant or hotel. The culinary chef reports directly to the executive chef who is responsible for running the kitchen in all respects. As the next in line, the Sous chef has a place of pride in managing the kitchen and is responsible for all the duties that the culinary chef delegates. Hence, the Sous chef is like the executive assistant to the culinary chef and has the necessary responsibilities that go with the role.
To qualify for the post of Sous chef, you need to have basic training as well as sufficient experience in the hospitality industry. Apart from the training and qualifications, you also need to have a passion for food. All things considered, the position of a Sous chef is a stepping stone to becoming the executive chef, which supervises the entire kitchen.
The main responsibilities of the Sous chef include managing the preparation of food in the kitchen and keeping an eye on the staff members to ensure that they are carrying out their duties effectively. A Sous chef also must teach and correct the junior staff when they are not following rules of the kitchen. Therefore, the Sous chef needs to have superior people management skills and must be capable of handling difficult conversations and employee discipline.
The Sous chef also is responsible for ensuring that customers’ orders are filled correctly and that a smooth flow exists between the kitchen and the customers’ tables where the food is being served. Though there is no need for the Sous chef to get involved with the details of customer service, possessing customer-service skills and a positive service-oriented attitude would be beneficial. The Sous chef is responsible for what happens in the kitchen, just as the floor manager is responsible for what happens on the restaurant floor.
When the executive chef is not present, the Sous chef may be asked to fulfil those larger responsibilities of the executive chef and, hence, must be able to multitask and demonstrate a high level of familiarity with the operations of the kitchen so that the total operation runs smoothly.
Since the Sous chef is next to the executive chef and the culinary chef, the pay is usually on par with industry standards. Further, there are chances of overseas travel and travel to exotic destinations. There are other perks that come with the positions in a hotel as well. The job environment and overall experiences for a Sous chef are good, and the pay is among the higher brackets in the hotel and restaurant sector.