7 Key Skills to Become an Executive Chef

An executive chef is a person who has a lot more to the role than simply plating up hot and cold food. Many people would think an executive chef might have lesser responsibilities because of the high rank they have been given but the situation is entirely otherwise. Of course, being an executive chef, you need to prepare and display food. But you’re also going to have to organize and manage the work of the entire work. Another name of an executive chef is the head chef.

Being a head chef might be a tough job but worth the hard work. The working hours are long and uncountable and if still, you wish to become an executive chef, then this article is what you need to read because we are here with all the necessary details about being an executive chef. You might be also interested in Best Chef Courses Training Tutorial.

We will talk about the job description of the executive in detail plus the key skills to become an executive chef.

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The Job Description of an Executive Chef:

An executive chef is close to a superhero in the kitchen. He has to make sure everything is running smoothly. Even the waiters and the kitchen porters also depend on the executive chef for all types of orders. Of course, it is up to you to handle all these things without losing your mind. You need to stay focus and be on your own with the front of the house team. And know that your description is not just some tasks that you have to do. Instead, it would be a long list of the things you either need to do or overlook. It includes

• Menu planning.
• Making sure that the food is priced fairly.
• Similarly, it is your job to make sure that the quality of the food that you’re serving is according to the caliber of the restaurant.
• Then you need to manage stock and order food beforehand from various suppliers.
• Similarly, you also need to manage and control the budget.
• Maintaining good health and hygiene standards is also a part of your job.
• Then you need to organize the staff rota. Know one thing, restaurant working hours vary a lot and that is why you have to make sure that the restaurant is never understaffed.
• It is your job to make sure that everyone knows what they’re doing and when they have to do it.
• Recruiting new staff and making sure they get proper training is also a part of your job.
• Lastly, you need to also make sure that the existing team members are also working well.

Skills Required to Become an Executive Chef:

Now you know who an executive chef is, executive chef skills, and what the executive chef job description is. Next, you need to know the skills to become an executive chef which is the most informative part of today’s discussion.

Great Cooking Skills:

You need to have great cooking skills. This might look mainstream to some readers but trust us, many chefs while trying to pursue this career doesn’t pay attention to develop great cooking skills. Instead, they try to rely on the recipes. So, keep this in mind to work hard enough to develop great cooking skills. Try to do experiments, add different ingredients and try unique dishes so as to expand your horizon.

Focusing on Tiny Details:

What attracts a person to eat something is its appearance as well. Though taste matters the most yet appearance is what forces a person to want to eat a particular dish. And that is why a chef must-have the skills to even focus on tiny details. The appearance of the food also matters a lot. You might also be interested in Best Online Baking classes.

Must have leadership and Management Skills:

Being an executive chef means you have a lot of responsibilities. And that is why you should be vigilant enough to manage all the work. You must act as a good leader and make sure your team trusts you and your decisions.

Managing Budget and Keeping Accurate Records:

Being an executive chef, you have to take care of all the expenses. You need to manage your expenses according to your budget. With that, you must have the ability to keep accurate records. This includes managing your inventory effectively.

Working under Pressure:

What makes an executive chef different from others is his ability to perform well even when under pressure. It is okay to become a little tensed or even get under pressure, but this should never affect your ability to perform well. So you should have a sound mind and body and the ability to perform well even when there is a strict deadline or when there are too many clients at the same time. Whatever the circumstances are, you have to give your best.

Ability to Inspire Others:

A team is only as good as its leader right? If you are acting as a good leader then your team would also perform well. But if you act as a lousy one then so would be your team. So what you should be doing here is inspire them. You must have the skills to inspire your team and polish their skills. Engage them in different challenges and tasks and inventing new dishes. This would not only help them but take off your workload as well. You can also Check best EIT Food courses.

Be Creative and Innovative:

As an executive chef, customers always have an eye on you. They keep expecting something different from you. And meeting up to their expectations is what matters the most. So, you need to think out of the box and be innovative.

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Final Thoughts:

In the end, all these things can only be done if one is passionate enough to become a chef. And becoming an executive chef is a very long and tiring road. But if you are determined enough to reach the ending point, then you need to have the above-mentioned skills, patience, and passion to become the best. So, read this article carefully and learn everything you need to become an head chef and never stop learning.