A Sous Chef, or Second Chef, is responsible for providing supportive leadership to kitchen staff throughout food service. Their duties include assisting the Head Chef in monitoring kitchen activities, expediting orders to ensure quality taste or presentation and taking on additional responsibilities in the Head Chef’s absence to ensure that kitchen staff has proper direction.
A Sous Chef should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Sous Chef should be able to execute:
- Preparing meals and food to meet the specifications of guests in a timely manner
- Properly measuring kitchen ingredients and food portions
- Ensuring kitchen staff adhere to set standards, procedures, department rules and sanitation requirements
- Using kitchen knives and equipment such as grills, ovens, steamers and warmers in food preparation
- Managing the kitchen inventory and ensuring supplies are fresh and of high quality
- Ensuring proper food temperatures when cooking and proper storage afterward
A competitive Sous Chef will have certain skills and qualifications, including:
- Exceptional cooking skills
- Ability to effectively manage the kitchen staff, motivate them and assign duties fairly
- Familiarity with the best practices in the hotel and catering services industry
- Knowledge of health and safety standards
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, Point of Sale and restaurant management software
- Ability to multitask and work quickly under pressure
