becoming a chef

• Chefs are responsible for preparing many dishes which are of high quality, day after day and night after night, and within cost. The duties of Chefs are to plan the menu, determine the price and how much it will cost to make the dish. They order supplies, hire cooks and other kitchen workers and supervise the preparation of food. But being a chef not only means that you have to be able to cook good dishes, it also means that you have to be creative in serving those dishes.


• Chefs, cooks, and food preparing worker work primarily outside, in restaurants or, sometimes, in their own company. Chefs or cooks have to have at least a high school diploma.


• Chefs also have the more difficult cooking duties, prepare the specialties of the restaurant, and develop their own recipes. Large hotels, clubs and restaurant chains hire an Executive Chef who coordinates planning, budgeting and the purchases for all the food operations.


• Cooks and Chefs are on their feet throughout their work day, and during mealtimes must work under pressure. They face such hazards as cuts and burns, and may be exposed to oily mists, dusts, fumes, and smoke.