The title ‘chef’ derives from the French term chef de cuisine: the chief, or leader, of the kitchen. All modern professional kitchens run according to a strict hierarchy known as the French Brigade system. The structure will vary slightly depending on the size of a kitchen’s staff, but the system is used to ensure the whole operation runs as smoothly as possible. People usually mistake chef de cuisine and executive chef to be the same position. However, chef de cuisine and executive chef are oftentimes distant roles with opposite responsibilities.
In smaller kitchens, a chef de cuisine is typically the most senior role, but in larger kitchens, a chef de cuisine may be second-in-command to an executive chef. Though chef de cuisine and executive chef both work in a professional kitchen, they function at two different levels. The role of executive chef performs a greater administrative function compared to a chef de cuisine. A chef de cuisine, on the other hand, is in charge of the day-to-day operations of a professional kitchen. As a result, a chef de cuisine makes short-term administrative choices. While an executive chef controls all the affairs that occur within and outside the kitchen, a chef de cuisine only manages staff that operates in a single kitchen. Both the executive chef and the chef de cuisine follow a kitchen hierarchy specific to their duties in the kitchen. Whether it’s establishing a new menu or combining different components, the executive chef oversees everything and gives the ultimate clearance.
The chef de cuisine works directly with the executive chef. But their responsibilities often turn around a hands-on approach for meal service. The responsibilities of a chef de cuisine includes playing a role in menu planning, executing the menu, checking the quality of foods, distributing workloads to subordinate chefs equitably, boosting kitchen efficiency, overseeing all items from cutlery to portion size, monitoring line chefs and ensuring that each item is plated to perfection.
Many tend to equate the title of ‘chef’ with someone who only prepares food. However, there are several chef positions in a professional kitchen that are in charge of many different tasks. Chefs de cuisine are accountable for all the kitchen work, and to be successful, a chef de cuisine must have strong leadership and communication skills to keep the operation running smoothly.