brigade system

The 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 Auguste Escoffier (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 or 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.
; (sauce maker or sauté cook): prepares sauces 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.
; (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.
; or ( entrée preparer): prepares soups and other dishes without 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 aspics; prepares salads; organizes large buffet displays; and prepares charcuterie items.
:; (charcuterie specialist): in larger kitchens, reports to the and specializes in making prepared meat products, such as terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, and confits, primarily from pork, although confits are mostly waterfowl and terrines and pâtés often include other types of meat.
; (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.
:; (confectioner): in larger restaurants, prepares candies and instead of the .
:; (glazier): in larger restaurants, prepares frozen and cold desserts instead of the .
:; (decorator): 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 .
:; (chocolate specialist): in larger restaurants, prepares chocolate confections and show pieces instead of the .
:; (cheese specialist): in larger restaurants, prepares meal-end cheese courses instead of the .
; (butcher): butchers meats, poultry, and sometimes fish; may also be in charge of breading meat and fish items.
; ("barker", 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.
; (busser): clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables, refilling

Summary table

See also

* Chef
* List of restaurant terminology
* Waiting staff
** Maître d'hôtel, a front of house head

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.

{{French cuisine

*
Restaurant terminology
Culinary terminology
Hospitality management