Different Types of Chefs: Guide to Kitchen Hierarchy

A restaurant kitchen relies on several types of chefs, each focused on a specific part of the menu or dish type. The types of chefs needed for a restaurant depend on the restaurant’s type and concept; some chef types are assigned only to certain concepts. 

Critical to managing or planning cooking operations is a working knowledge of the brigade system and functional parts of a commercial kitchen. In this article, we break down the different types of chefs you can find in the restaurant industry, along with their titles and responsibilities.

1. Executive Chef

The executive chef is the leader of the kitchen, the person who delegates command across the brigade. The executive chef is responsible for kitchen staff management, ordering products, managing costs, and ensuring the restaurant provides quality, delicious food in a profitable manner. Most cooks aim to attain the executive chef position, the singular leader of kitchen operations, at some point in their careers.

• Responsibilities:
  • Staff management
  • Kitchen upkeep and cleanliness
  • Ordering of product
  • Product prep and cookery
  • Upholding food standards
  • Managing food and labor costs
  • Working with the front-of-house staff
  • Guest satisfaction

• Skills and Qualifications:
  • Experience as a sous chef or other kitchen leadership roles
  • Often requires a food safety certification, such as ServSafe Manager
  • High degree of technical culinary ability
  • Ability to manage costs and a proven track record of kitchen cost and inventory management
  • Ability to work with others and lead by example
  • In-depth knowledge of kitchen equipment and kitchen maintenance
  • Vendor relationship management experience or the ability to bargain with vendors

2. Sous Chef

The sous chef is the second-in-command in the kitchen, often striving to become executive chef. Depending on the size of the kitchen and staff, there can be one or multiple sous chefs. The sous chef is the right-hand person for the executive chef, helping delegate tasks and overseeing kitchen operations. They are integral to managing a kitchen.

• Responsibilities:
  • Scheduling of stations or ensuring specific stations are adequately staffed
  • Writing prep lists for each station
  • Can be responsible for daily produce ordering
  • Training and development of cooks on a more intimate basis than an executive chef
  • Acting as an expeditor or a key role between different stations during service
  • Managing staff; giving commands sent down from the executive chef
  • Kitchen order, equipment, and overall safety/cleanliness maintenance

• Skills and Qualifications:
  • Will often need to have proper food safety training, akin to the executive chef
  • Proven track record of small-scale kitchen management
  • Proficiency at an advanced level in culinary skills
  • Ability to utilize all kitchen equipment and work in all stations
  • Ability to order products, help manage costs, and manage people

2. Line Cook (Chef de Partie)

The line cook is one of the most essential parts of the kitchen. The line cook is under the sous chef in the brigade system. Line cooks often focus on a specific food station or point of cookery.

• Responsibilities:
  • Prepping food items for the station that they are assigned to
  • Executing dishes during a service per the sous chef’s instructions
  • Keeping the kitchen clean
  • Breaking down or setting up the kitchen
  • Working on special projects as needed

• Skills and Qualifications:
  • Ability to follow directions and complete tasks efficiently
  • General ability to keep their workstation clean and organized
  • Teamwork; working with others toward a common goal
  • Line cooks often have physically demanding jobs, such as needing to be on their feet for long periods of time

Types of Line Cooks

These are the different types of line cooks per station:

• Saucier: In charge of sauces
• Fish cook (poissonier): Handles seafood cookery
• Roast cook (rôtissuer): Responsible for roasted or braised meats
• Saute: Responsible for picking up items heated or cooked in a saute pan; generally, main entrees
• Grill cook (grillardin): In charge of cooking all items on the grill
• Fry cook (friturier): Responsible for cooking recipes out of the fryer
• Vegetable chef (entremetier): Responsible for picking up side dishes or side veg
• Pantry cook (garde manger): Responsible for cold prep foods, such as salads or charcuterie boards
• Butcher: Handles butchering whole cuts of meat and fish
• Pastry cook (patissier): Works with the pastry chef, responsible for dessert pick-up

4. Prep Cook (Commis Chef)

A prep cook, or commis chef, can be found in some but not all kitchens. The prep cook will often sit below the line cook in the kitchen hierarchy but can also be equal to them in some regards. If a kitchen does have prep cooks, they often are busier or can afford a larger staff. That being said, below are the roles a prep cook would have in modern kitchens.

• Responsibilities:
  • Prepping food for the kitchen at large
  • Helping set up or clean and break down essential parts of the kitchen
  • Helping with garnish prep or other meticulous yet necessary tasks

• Skills and Qualifications:
  • Ability to follow directions and complete tasks efficiently
  • General ability to keep their workstation clean and organized
  • Focus on teamwork and working with others toward a common goal

Other Types of Chefs to Consider

• Pastry chef: The pastry chef is often akin to the executive chef but focuses just on desserts and baked goods. Not every kitchen may have a pastry chef, but when they do, the pastry chef is either under the executive chef or equal to them if the pastry department is big enough.
• Sushi chef: The sushi chef is one who focuses on precise fish butchery and the art of sushi making. They often have their own station and team, and their unique skillset sets them apart from the rest of the team. They will often report to the executive chef.
• Pasta chef: Restaurants with homemade pasta may hire a cook or chef to focus solely on pasta production. This role reports to the executive chef but will often maintain their own station and workload.
• Dishwasher: Not technically chefs as they do not cook, dishwashers are still a vital part of the restaurant hierarchy. Dishwashers are crucial, as they keep key equipment available throughout service in order to serve guests in a sanitary manner. Without dishwashers on the team, it would be incredibly challenging to operate a kitchen in the clean state it needs to be in. 

Chef vs Cook

The idea of calling someone a “chef” vs a “cook” is debated across the industry. For example, the executive chef of a kitchen would be referred to as “chef.” Furthermore, some in the industry do not believe you can actually ever be called a chef until you are in an executive chef role. That being said, “chef” can be used as a term of respect to those you report to or look up to in a kitchen. “Chef” can also be used as a callback to someone giving you direction, such as using the term, “Yes, Chef.” 

I personally think too many get tied up in titles across the industry. As a general rule, it is probably a good idea to call your executive chef, “chef.” In the brigade system, a cook is someone below executive chefs and sous chefs. Modern kitchens do not stress the taboo of calling anyone a chef as bad, but it is best always to acknowledge your leadership with this title. A chef is often a leader in the kitchen; a cook is someone who follows this leadership.

Chef-owners

A chef-owner owns the restaurant and acts as the standing executive chef. Chef-owners often have much heavier workloads, taking care of the financial aspects of the business. This means that they often rely on their sous chefs for day-to-day management and focus on consistent food quality and chef satisfaction. 

Chef-owners are in a unique but also advantageous position, as they control the direction of their business. But they also have more responsibility, causing them to lean more on the kitchen team they have around them.

Moving Up The Line

In the kitchen, the “line” refers to two things: the actual physical line of stoves and prep areas where kitchen workers perform their jobs, or the symbolic “line” of the kitchen, where cooks discuss their rank and how they will move up in their jobs. Moving up the “line” generally refers to your ability to move up from prep cook to line cook, then to sous chef, and to the eventual coveted role of executive chef. 

Every cook has an inherent drive to prove themselves, take on more, and eventually create their own dishes for customers. They do this by working through the lower tiers of the brigade, honing their skills, and gaining the much-needed experience to get higher up the kitchen ladder. 

To retain talent, restaurants need to offer cooks not only the opportunity to work but also to move up in their careers. Learning their job roles, becoming proficient in their job, showing expertise in their craft, and working as a team player is how cooks show they are ready to move up the line. By working hard, remaining consistent, and being reliable, you can move up the ranks of a kitchen in a timely manner.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

It can be confusing to know all the types of chefs a kitchen can have. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the different types of chefs in a professional kitchen.

Last Bite

The types of chefs you find in a restaurant may differ but every kitchen has a hierarchy or brigade system. The point of having different types of chefs is to ensure the many difficult tasks in a kitchen are done in an organized manner. Furthermore, this system defines the roles of each staff member and what they are accountable for. If you are building a chef team, use the article above as a guide for the different types of chefs you need in your kitchen.