If you love to cook, and you have talent, you may have considered a career in commercial cookery. It’s a demanding career but one that can be extremely rewarding. The one thing you have to be aware of is that you are unlikely to be a success overnight; you will need to work hard to develop your career over several years.
You can start by gaining experience working in a professional kitchen and/or by studying for a qualification such as the Certificate 3 in commercial cookery. When you start out on a commercial cookery career, you will join a kitchen where there is a recognised hierarchy. As you progress in your career, you will move through the different roles.
Commis chef
Many of the most famous chefs in Australia started out as commis chefs. This is the most likely first role to have in a professional kitchen, when you start out on a cookery career. In this role you will report to the chef de partie, and will often move to different areas of the kitchen, depending on need. This means that you can gain experience in areas such as pastry and sauce making.
Chef de partie
A chef de partie may have experience in all aspects of the kitchen, but is in charge of one particular station. They are responsible for overseeing all aspects of the production of meals on that station. They may also be required to train commis chefs.
Sous chef
A sous chef is normally the second in command in the kitchen. This is a role which requires a combination of experience and talent. Sous chefs also need to be good communicators in order to deal with the members of the team and liaise between them and the head chef. They have responsibility for making sure that the different stations operate as they should.
Head chef
The head chef, or chef de cuisine, is ultimately in charge of the kitchen. In most cases, this role is more supervisory, although any chef who reaches this level has excellent cookery skills. The head chef plays an important role in the running of a business and reports directly to the owner or manager. They also liaise with other areas of the business, such as the front of house team.
Executive chef
This is a title that is normally given to a chef with a specific high level role. This often involves being responsible for overseeing activities in several different locations. This is a role that is focused more on business than it is on cookery.
You can see that there are many different levels to a career in commercial cookery. You need to work hard, and have talent, in order to progress. You may one day be in charge of the kitchens in one of Australia’s best restaurants if you have the aptitude, high motivation levels and dedication that are required to reach the very pinnacle of the cooking world.
