Brigade de cuisine/Staffing is the term used to describe the hierarchy of the apprentice system in a professional kitchen. This concept was created by Chef Auguste Escoffier.
The hierarchy of kitchen depends on the type of star category of the hotel.
CORPORATE CHEF
- He is a chief chef in a chain hotel or cruise.
- Responsible for making policy in the kitchen.
- He directly reports to General Manager.
- Menu planning
- Menu Engineering
EXECUTIVE CHEF
- He is in-charge of all preparations held in the kitchen.
- He is responsible to plan kitchen layouts.
- He is responsible for inspection regarding food quality and standards.
- He is responsible for taking the feedback of all the kitchen operations.
- He is responsible for staff recruitment and training.
- Responsible for maintaining hygiene and cleanliness
- Analyzing costing and budgeting.
- Directly report to top management
- Responsible for allotment of different sections and administrations.
- Making standard recipes, garnishes, accompaniments and service style.
- Creating menus, their planning and designing.
- His personality represents the hotel.
SOUS CHEF
- He is the second chef after Executive Chef.
- He directly assists Executive Chef.
- Responsible for allocation of duties and responsibilities of his team.
- He is overall in-charge of kitchen in absence of Executive Chef.
- Each section has its own Sous Chef.
- He serves as liaison between the customers and line cook.
- Responsible for prompt and efficient services.
- He prepares duty roasters on weekly basis.
- He takes briefing of the staff on daily or weekly basis or/on any special event is organized
LARDER CHEF/CHEF GARDE MANGER
- he is responsible for smooth running of operation in the Larder kitchen.
- He co-ordinates with his staff.
- He takes briefing on daily basis of his team.
- He arranges the training for his staff if necessary.
- Allocates the responsibilities of his employees.
- Responsible for cross checking of requisitions.
- Mainly focus on portion control.
- Responsible to minimize cost.
- Responsible for innovation of new recipes that can be a part of menu later on once approved by the higher dignitaries.
- Responsible to co-ordinate with other departments.
- Directly responsible to maintain the hygiene and sanitation standards in the larder kitchen.
- Maintains registers to record receipts.
COMMIS -I, II, III
- Also called junior chefs or commis chefs.
- Work with station chefs/CDP to learn about the kitchen environment.
- They are responsible for preparing of different sauces, garnishes and accompaniments.
- They help to dissection the joints of meats like pork, beef, fish etc.
- They assist in preparation of salads and their dressings.
- Responsible for mis-en-place and storing of the items at an appropriate temperature.
- Responsible for their station cleaned and hygiene.
- If any problem occurs, they directly report to CDP/Larder chef.
- Commis – III, is a chef, who is new to the kitchen operation, his job is to assist and to gain knowledge from CDP.
KITCHEN PORTERS
- The kitchen porters usually don’t have the same training and experience as the chefs.
- They are in-charge of simple but important tasks involved in the larder kitchen.
- This can include anything from cutting of vegetables, preparing sauces, soups, appetizers and grating cheese, peeling apples etc.