2 answers
Isaiah
Student
3
Questions
Updated
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What does a typical day look like working in a kitchen?
how long does it take to prep everything in a kitchen? what are some dishes that you make? do you get normal breaks?
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2 answers
Craig Stevens
Culinary Labor
12
Answers
Tiffin, Ohio
Updated
Craig’s Answer
It depends on the type of kitchen (commercial chain restaurant, healthcare, privately-owned, etc.) . In the chain restaurant I work in, the prep people show up a few hours before the restaurant opens. Each prep person has a specific list of production items that must be completed (chopping vegetables, making sauces, creating trays of items that can be brought to the line cooks at need, as well as putting away deliveries).
How long a prep person works depends on the length of the list. During slow seasons or days of the week you may be there only 3 to 4 hours. During peak business, it may take you several hours.
To be clear, preparing production items is critical to the success of any business day. Being a line cook or chef may seem prestigious, but they can't do anything if the prep people are poor at their job. So if you want to impress the management, be good a prep worker.
Evenings is the dinner rush. If it is slow, and you are not a designated closer, you may be there 3-4 hours. If it is busy (like weekends or holidays) it could be 5-7 hours. About 2 hours before close the dinner crew start breaking down the lines and cleaning. No one likes to hang around long after the doors are locked! If you want to impress the management, be a good cleaner and organizer. Because the next shift needs things to be very clean, stations stocked and organized.
How does it feel to do this? It's physically challenging, mentally demanding (unless you don't care about your work. Don't be like that!), and you will be tired. But not bored! Every day is a little different. Every day is a moment to show your best and get better.
How do you survive! Empathy. Care about your coworkers, even if you don't like them, they drive you nuts, why can't they do the simplest thing?? Say please, thank you, I appreciate your help/work/time. Show the love to your dishwashers, because you can't do anything without clean dishes.
There are very few reasons to lose your temper, you just have to realize that. Seriously, if you watch seasoned managers, they've learned to just roll with problems and focus on getting things done rather than slinging negativity around. Be like that. Save the griping for the breakroom and not the workspace.
If you are new, try working in the kitchen at a sit-down chain restaraunt and see how you feel.
How long a prep person works depends on the length of the list. During slow seasons or days of the week you may be there only 3 to 4 hours. During peak business, it may take you several hours.
To be clear, preparing production items is critical to the success of any business day. Being a line cook or chef may seem prestigious, but they can't do anything if the prep people are poor at their job. So if you want to impress the management, be good a prep worker.
Evenings is the dinner rush. If it is slow, and you are not a designated closer, you may be there 3-4 hours. If it is busy (like weekends or holidays) it could be 5-7 hours. About 2 hours before close the dinner crew start breaking down the lines and cleaning. No one likes to hang around long after the doors are locked! If you want to impress the management, be a good cleaner and organizer. Because the next shift needs things to be very clean, stations stocked and organized.
How does it feel to do this? It's physically challenging, mentally demanding (unless you don't care about your work. Don't be like that!), and you will be tired. But not bored! Every day is a little different. Every day is a moment to show your best and get better.
How do you survive! Empathy. Care about your coworkers, even if you don't like them, they drive you nuts, why can't they do the simplest thing?? Say please, thank you, I appreciate your help/work/time. Show the love to your dishwashers, because you can't do anything without clean dishes.
There are very few reasons to lose your temper, you just have to realize that. Seriously, if you watch seasoned managers, they've learned to just roll with problems and focus on getting things done rather than slinging negativity around. Be like that. Save the griping for the breakroom and not the workspace.
If you are new, try working in the kitchen at a sit-down chain restaraunt and see how you feel.
Peter McCaffrey
Chef/GM
15
Answers
Napa, California
Updated
Peter’s Answer
Hi Isaiah,
A typical day for a chef starts by checking in with his kitchen team to make sure they know what they have to prepared for their work station.
We check the quality of our food deliveries and make sure all our supplies have come in.
Depending what day of the week it is, chefs do schedules for their team, order food and dry goods supplies and manage the kitchen team. Chefs also come up with daily specials and seasonal menus.
Business skills are also a key ingredient in being a chef. You have to monitor your food and labor cost to insure the restaurant, hotel or catering operation is profitable.
Working as chef can be long hours, weekends and holidays but very rewarding if this is your passion and you love being a chef.
Best of luck!
Chef Peter
A typical day for a chef starts by checking in with his kitchen team to make sure they know what they have to prepared for their work station.
We check the quality of our food deliveries and make sure all our supplies have come in.
Depending what day of the week it is, chefs do schedules for their team, order food and dry goods supplies and manage the kitchen team. Chefs also come up with daily specials and seasonal menus.
Business skills are also a key ingredient in being a chef. You have to monitor your food and labor cost to insure the restaurant, hotel or catering operation is profitable.
Working as chef can be long hours, weekends and holidays but very rewarding if this is your passion and you love being a chef.
Best of luck!
Chef Peter