The Chef leads the kitchen to produce consistent, safe and high-quality food. They plan menus and recipes, supervise kitchen staff, control food cost and wastage, and enforce hygiene and food safety standards.
Also known as: Head Chef, Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager, Cook
3-10 years in professional kitchens, depending on level
Work location
Restaurant or commercial kitchen
Job Description (JD)
The responsibilities a Chef owns and the duties they perform.
Responsibilities
1Deliver consistent food quality to standard recipes
2Lead, train and schedule kitchen staff
3Maintain food safety, hygiene and storage standards
4Control food cost, portioning and wastage
5Plan menus and develop new dishes
6Manage ingredient ordering and supplier quality
7Maintain kitchen equipment
Duties
Daily
Check mise en place and prep lists before service
Cook and supervise dishes during service
Taste and check plating against standard recipes
Enforce kitchen hygiene and closing checklists
Record wastage
Weekly
Plan kitchen rosters
Place ingredient orders and check deliveries
Review food cost and wastage with the manager
Deep clean and equipment checks
Monthly
Conduct stock counts
Update recipes, costing and menu items
Train kitchen staff on recipes and safety
Job Specification (JS)
The job information and the skills this role needs.
Job information
Qualification
Culinary or hotel management diploma preferred
Experience
3-10 years in professional kitchens, depending on level
Work location
Restaurant or commercial kitchen
Working hours
Full-time, including evenings, weekends and holidays
Shift
Split or rotational shifts
Employment type
Full-time
Technical skills
Cooking techniques and cuisine expertise
Food safety and hygiene
Recipe costing
Inventory and ordering
Kitchen equipment handling
Soft skills
Leadership in a fast-paced kitchen
Consistency
Creativity
Time management
Stamina
Tools used
Kitchen display or KOT system
Recipe cards and SOPs
Inventory sheets
Temperature logs
Career path
Commis
Chef de Partie
Sous Chef
Head Chef
Executive Chef
KPI
How to measure whether a Chef is succeeding.
KPI
What it measures
Review
Food cost %
Ingredient cost as a share of food sales
Weekly
Wastage
Value of food wasted
Weekly
Ticket time
Average time from order to dish ready
Daily
Food quality complaints
Guest complaints about food
Weekly
Hygiene audit score
Kitchen audit results
Monthly
In Piplhr, KPIs become recurring daily and weekly reports that each person submits - see Reporting & KPI tracking.
Chef FAQs
What does a Chef do?
The Chef leads the kitchen to produce consistent, safe and high-quality food. They plan menus and recipes, supervise kitchen staff, control food cost and wastage, and enforce hygiene and food safety standards.
What are the main responsibilities of a Chef?
Key responsibilities include: deliver consistent food quality to standard recipes; lead, train and schedule kitchen staff; maintain food safety, hygiene and storage standards; control food cost, portioning and wastage; plan menus and develop new dishes.
What skills does a Chef need?
Technical skills: Cooking techniques and cuisine expertise, Food safety and hygiene, Recipe costing, Inventory and ordering, Kitchen equipment handling. Soft skills: Leadership in a fast-paced kitchen, Consistency, Creativity, Time management, Stamina.
Who does a Chef report to?
A Chef typically reports to the Restaurant Manager or Owner.
What qualifications are required to become a Chef?
Culinary or hotel management diploma preferred, with 3-10 years in professional kitchens, depending on level.
A practical method for defining roles and responsibilities in your team - what to include, how to avoid gaps and overlaps, and a template you can use for every position.
A step-by-step guide to writing job descriptions - job title, summary, responsibilities, job specification and more - plus the difference between a JD and a job specification.