(, "kitchen brigade") is a system of hierarchy found in restaurants and hotels employing extensive staff, commonly referred to as "kitchen staff" in English-speaking countries. The concept was developed by

Georges Auguste Escoffier Georges Auguste Escoffier (; 28 October 1846 – 12 February 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. Much of Escoffier's technique was based on that of Marie-Antoi ...

(1846–1935). This structured team system delegates responsibilities to different individuals who specialize in certain tasks in the kitchen or in the dining room.

List of positions

This is a comprehensive list of the members of a full kitchen brigade. Only the largest of establishments would have a staff of this size. As noted under some titles, certain positions are combined into other positions when such a large staff is unnecessary. Note: Despite the use of ' in English as the title for a cook, the word actually means "chief" or "head" in French. Similarly, ' means "kitchen", but also refers to food or cooking generally, or a type of food or cooking. ; (kitchen chef; "chief of the kitchen"): is responsible for overall management of kitchen; supervises staff, creates menus and new recipes with the assistance of the restaurant manager, makes purchases of raw food items, trains apprentices, and maintains a sanitary and hygienic environment for the preparation of food.Dominé, 32. ; (deputy/second kitchen chef; "under-chief"): receives orders directly from the for the management of the kitchen, and often serves as the representative when the is not present. ; (saucemaker/sauté cook): prepares

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...

s and warm , completes meat dishes, and in smaller restaurants, may work on fish dishes and prepare sautéed items. This is one of the most respected positions in the kitchen brigade. ; (senior chef; "chief of the group"): is responsible for managing a given station in the kitchen, specializing in preparing particular dishes there. Those who work in a lesser station are commonly referred to as a . ; (cook): is an independent position, usually preparing specific dishes in a station; may also be referred to as a . ; (junior cook / assistant cook): also works in a specific station, but reports directly to the and takes care of the tools for the station. A woman is a . ; (apprentice): are often students gaining theoretical and practical training in school and work experience in the kitchen. They perform preparatory work and/or cleaning work. An is a male, and female. ; (dishwasher or kitchen porter): cleans dishes and utensils, and may be entrusted with basic preparatory jobs. :; (pot and pan washer; kitchen porter): in larger restaurants, takes care of all the pots and pans instead of the .Dominé, 33. ; (roast cook): manages a team of cooks that roasts, broils, and deep fries dishes. :; (grill cook): in larger kitchens, prepares grilled foods instead of the .The Culinary Institute of America, 8. :; (fry cook): in larger kitchens, prepares fried foods instead of the . ; (fish cook): prepares fish and seafood dishes. ; / (

entrée An entrée (, ; ) in modern French table service and that of much of the English-speaking world (apart from the United States and parts of Canada) is a dish served before the main course of a meal. Outside North America, it is generally synonym ...

preparer): prepares soups and other dishes not involving meat or fish, including vegetable dishes and egg dishes. Originally the entremets preparer. :; (soup cook): in larger kitchens, reports to the and prepares the soups. (Cf. ) :; (vegetable cook): in larger kitchens, also reports to the and prepares the vegetable dishes. ; (pantry supervisor; "food keeper"): is responsible for preparation of cold , pâtés, terrines and

aspic Aspic or meat jelly () is a savory gelatin made with a meat stock or broth, set in a mold to encase other ingredients. These often include pieces of meat, seafood, vegetable, or eggs. Aspic is also sometimes referred to as ''aspic gelée'' or ' ...

s; prepares salads; organizes large buffet displays; and prepares

charcuterie Charcuterie ( , also ; ; from french: chair, , flesh, label=none, and french: cuit, , cooked, label=none) is a French term for a branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, ''galantines'', ''ballo ...

items. ; (spare hand/roundsman): moves throughout the kitchen, assisting other positions in kitchen. ; (pastry cook): prepares desserts and other meal-end sweets, and for locations without a , also prepares breads and other baked items; may also prepare pasta. :; : in larger restaurants, prepares candies and instead of the . :; : in larger restaurants, prepares frozen and cold desserts instead of the . :; : in larger restaurants, prepares show pieces and specialty cakes instead of the . :; (baker): in larger restaurants, prepares bread, cakes, and breakfast pastries instead of the . ; (butcher): butchers meats, poultry, and sometimes fish; may also be in charge of breading meat and fish items. ; (announcer/expediter): takes orders from the dining room and distributes them to the various stations; may also be performed by the . ; (staff cook): prepares the meal for the restaurant staff. ; ("kitchen boy"): in larger restaurants, performs preparatory and auxiliary work for support.

Summary table

Notes

References

* Dominé, André (ed.). ''Culinaria France''. Cologne: Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbh, 1998. * * Patrick Rambourg, ''Histoire de la cuisine et de la gastronomie françaises'', Paris, Ed. Perrin (coll. tempus n° 359), 2010, 381 pages. {{Restaurant workers * Restaurant terminology Culinary terminology

List of positions

Summary table

See also

Notes

References