There is no question that the culinary arts have become popularized and glamorized as a result of reality shows, and while it makes for good television, it doesn’t reflect the industry’s reality. Culinary training and determination are useful assets for growing chefs, but it takes years of hard-won experience to earn the title of Executive Chef of a country club.
While not a requirement, having formal culinary training along with a degree is increasingly valued. Working through the kitchen ranks is possible, especially in a hospitality industry that promotes from within and where hard work is rewarded. However, for high-level jobs like Executive Chef, employers prefer candidates with some level of professional education. Hands-on training is a significant part of the job, and traditionally, cooks begin their careers through apprenticeships by learning the fundamentals of cooking under the mentorship and guidance of experienced professionals. Even chefs who have graduated from the top culinary schools in the world can expect to work their way up the kitchen ladder after graduating.
After several years of experience in the kitchen, skilled cooks with the necessary talent and management skills are usually promoted to sous-chef, where they’ll begin supervising their peers and learning kitchen management. The next step in professional advancement is Chef de Cuisine or Executive Sous-Chef, responsible for daily operations in the absence of the Executive Chef. Experienced or talented Chefs de Cuisine become the next generation of Executive Chefs.
Even though an Executive Chef has excellent culinary skills, they may not spend much time actually cooking in the kitchen. Rather, they are dealing with kitchen administration, management, budgeting, food cost control, hiring, expediting and checking in on members. Aside from creating and implementing menus, an Executive Chef is responsible for training their staff to prepare dishes properly and consistently. They must have the ability to lead, motivate and inspire their team to perform at a high level. Communication skills must be strong, both in the kitchen and with members. An Executive Chef must have good judgment, critical thinking skills and a problem-solving skillset that enables a successful chef to quickly put out fires around the kitchen and club.
There’s an extra set of skills that comes with being an Executive Chef of a country club, though. Unlike a restaurant, a country club chef needs to satisfy the same diners, sometimes on a nightly basis. A membership will be made up of a wide variety of likes, dislikes and opinions, and a chef must be able to perform spontaneously to any needs. Maintaining member satisfaction, capital budgets, board meetings and working almost every holiday are also part of the job. However, there is also a level of creative freedom that comes with being an Executive Chef at a club. It takes a different kind of passion and drive to be successful in the private club industry, but for the right person, it can also be a very rewarding career.
