Chef Jobs at Hotels

Each hotel chef job is exciting, yet stressful, as you have a lot to live up to and sometimes hundreds of guests to feed per night. While some hotels offer a set menu, others have various meals to choose from, leaving the chefs with a lot of work to do in very little time. Hotel jobs are also made much more stressful by the fact that you often have celebrity guests staying there, and guests that you have to impress night after night, if they are staying for more than just one night. A hotel chef job is further complicated by tons of hotel management and staff that are constantly checking in on you and liaising with your for various events and functions that the hotel might be hosting such as a wedding. If it sounds too stressful you might look into dude ranch jobs in the American west! Dude ranches hire seasonal chefs every year.

The following are some of the main hotel jobs that you can look forward to.

Hotel Chef de Partie: The chef de partie is also known as the sous chef and will be in charge of the kitchen if the head chef is not there. He or she will be responsible for the running of the kitchen, for the organization of the food preparation, and ensuring that the food is up to the correct standards, as well as maintaining the hygiene and health regulations in the hotel kitchen. The chef de partie is basically second in command, and must know everything about food preparation including how to make all of the different types of dishes on the menu and must have good communication skills.

Demi Chef: The demi chef is also called the demi chef de partie and works directly under the chef de partie. The demi chef must ensure that the food going out of the kitchen is of the highest standards for their section and is responsible for the smooth running of their section of the kitchen. The demi chef will also need to ensure minimum wastage, correct cleanliness and hygiene, and take stock of the relevant and order new stock. You will also have to delegate jobs to your commis chef and do daily temperature checks, among other things.

Commis Chef: The commis chef is an assistant to the demi chef and reports directly to the chef de partie. The commis chef will be responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of the kitchen and minimisign wastage. He or she will need to help the demi chef prepare the mis en place, and collect and provide an accurate inventory of all the food used. You will also be required to do a stock take with the sous chef every week, and prepare all the stations ready for cooking at the beginning and end of every shift. To be a commis chef you have to be very organized and efficient.

Hotel Cook / Head Chef: The head chef is also referred to as the executive chef or head cook in some establishments. As a head chef in a hotel you will be in charge of the kitchen and oversee the preparation and making of all the food that leaves the stations. You will check all of the meals that are made and help with training chefs and passing on tips and hints. The head chef will also control the operations of any banqueting facilities, bars and cafes, the hotel restaurant and any other food areas. As the head chef it is your duty to write and check the recipes that are used on a daily basis so that uniformity is maintained along with consistent high standards. You will cook each day to make sure that the taste and quality of the food is maintained for the rest of the day. A head chef can also be known as a chef manager and will also have the tasks of handling the monetary issues of the hotel kitchen and provide estimated consumption and costs for the hotel management.

Pastry Chef Jobs: The pastry chef will organize and oversee the preparation and making of all the pastries, desserts, and ice-creams. The pastry chef is the head chef of the confectionary department and will provide recipes for the cooks and plan the entire production of the pastry section of the kitchen. You must bake cakes, desserts, make pastry, icings, and sugar decorations, and convey your tips and methods to the rest of the pastry workers. You will have to train new chef in the pastry department and teach them how to use the specific pastry tools like a cream bag, spatula and decorating equipment.

Food Preparers: Food preparers have the jobs of making sure all the food that needs to be prepared before the lunch or dinner seating is done so. This food preparation will include peeling, slicing or cutting of vegetables, pre cooking certain foods, thawing meats, marinating meats, spicing fish, meats or vegetables and soaking certain foods. In the pastry department, this can also include pre making some of the dessert ingredients like ice cream, jelly, or whipping cream. The food preparers have a busy job which will be longer than the other chefs in the kitchen. The food preparers will sometimes also stay later after the other shifts to prepare for the next day.

Sommelier Jobs: The sommelier in a hotel has the job of making sure all the drinks ordered by the guests are prepared and served perfectly. You will be responsible for the correct pouring of wine and other beverages and must know about wines and food. You are also responsible for the mis en place and in charge of the bar equipment and accompaniments for each order. The sommelier is also known as the bar manager, barrister, and can also be a head waitron in some hotels.

Director of Food: The director of food at a hotel has the responsibility of making sure that all the correct foods and beverages are ordered and stocked at all times. The director of food has to keep stock lists and deal with the finances of food and drinks on behalf of the hotel, and ensure that contacts with suppliers remain strong. The director of food will also make sure that any bills regarding food and beverage are paid on time, and you will oversee the handling of food by the chefs.

There are many other kinds of hotel jobs you can get that will allow you to work in the kitchen or in some other kind of hotel management. The head chef, director of food, chef manager, sommelier, pastry chef, demi chef, commis chef and all the food preparers are there to make sure that the kitchen runs smoothly and that food is served on time. When you have guests staying at a hotel, guest house or bed and breakfast, efficiency is the number one priority, as people want to go out and spend as much time as they can exploring. Working together as a team will be one of the things you need to have as a positive personality trait to make sure that customers keep coming back.