Spotlight on Chef Jobs: Cool and Unusual Cooking Jobs

If you are a foodie or a would-be chef, then you will definitely want to visit JobMonkey’s Guide to Cooking Careers. Today, I wanted to give you just a “taste” of some of the super cool — or at least, highly unusual — chef jobs we have featured over there. Considering this a little appetizer to whet your appetite (sorry, no more bad eating or cooking puns!)

Executive Chef on a Cruise Ship
An executive chef heads the cruise ship galley. He or she must have extensive experience (read: at least eight years) in restaurants or hotel kitchens. Responsibilities include supervising the entire galley staff, planning all food and coordinating beverages, and maintaining quality control. Executive Chefs earn between $4,300 and $5,200 per month. Not bad for sailing the seven seas with a spatula in hand!

Prison Cooks
It’s not exactly working on a cruise ship, but cooking for the prison population presents challenges and opportunities all its own. Prison cooks must make the menu and oversee the kitchen staff. You will need to get creative, since budgets are notoriously low for prison food and you will be working with a very limited palate of ingredients. Salaries don’t compare with five-star restaurants, although they are competitive with the dining industry at large. I’m just not sure how much crossover there is to the “general population” eateries after you’ve “done your time”.

Grocery Store Baker
You know all those lovely fresh bagels, breads, donuts and cakes at your local grocery store? Guess who is responsible for them? The grocery store baker! You can’t be afraid of early hours to be a grocery baker. Most have to arrive before dawn to prepare freshly baked goodies in time for the store to open. In addition to standing over a giant Kitchen Aid, bakers are also responsible for ordering and maintaining ingredient stocks, overseeing hygiene and cleanliness, and supervising staff.

Check out more cool chef jobs at the JobMonkey.