Sous Chef? What is a Sous Chef?

A sous chef is a culinary professional who assists the chef de cuisine or the executive chef in supervising food production for all events and locations. Basic duties of a sous chef include but are definitely not limited to the following: food preparation, food production, supervising personnel, and ensuring quality and cost standards are consistently attained. They also assist the executive chef with inventory, supplies, pricing, menu planning, safety, and sanitation issues that arise in the restaurant business.

School - is culinary education necessary?

Aspiring culinary professionals are advised to earn a degree from a culinary arts school and work up to becoming a sous chef. This gives a culinary professional more knowledge, better preparation, and a little more clout with potential employers. It is also an incredible way to make some contacts in the business and possibly work under them as an assistant (which is priceless in the experiences a budding sous chef will receive).

Some skills that are needed for the cooking industry in general include: knowledge of food preparation and the overall structure and work flow of a kitchen, knowledge of culinary facilities and safety guidelines, knowledge of soups and sauces to be prepared, knowledge of supplies and equipment, the ability to follow instructions and very specific procedures, and the ability to lead and train others.

A day in the life of a sous chef

Life in the kitchen is hectic, and not just sometimes. Hectic all the time. It's hot and crowded in the kitchen, and there are things going on at all times. The dinner rush begins before the people even arrive due to preparation of some basics like soups and sauces and other things that can be prepped ahead of time. A sous chef must be flexible and able to think on his or her feet. Creativity is something that can make or break a chef in this business. The more creative the food solutions and presentation, the better off the sous chef will be and the more impressed the customers will be.

Odds and ends of the job

Working in a kitchen involves exposure to some unusual elements such as extreme temperatures, fumes, dirt, smoke, loud noise, and unpleasant odors. There is moderate physical activity required. A sous chef should be able to lift 25 pounds and be fit enough to stand and/or walk for most of the work day.

Click on any of the school links below to learn about how you can earn a culinary arts degree. Follow your dreams and become a sous chef!