Kitchen Hierarchy and Job Responsibilities

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering roles, hierarchy, and responsibilities within a professional commercial kitchen as established by Auguste Escoffier.

Auguste Escoffier

The person who established the kitchen hierarchy, also known as the brigade de cuisine.

Main kitchen and Satellite kitchen

The two primary types of commercial kitchens identified in the organizational structure.

Brigade de cuisine

The organizational chart of a kitchen developed for smooth operation, which shows staff positioning and lines of command.

Executive Chef

The top-most position and chief of command in the kitchen, responsible for developing recipes, supervising production, and maintaining food cost standards.

MMM

An acronym used in kitchen management referring to Material, Manpower, and Machine.

Executive sous chef

Also known as the deputy chef or second chef, this is the principal assistant to the chef de cuisine who takes charge in the executive chef's absence.

Sous chef

A position found in large hotels or busy kitchens who is in charge of a given section and ensures proper workflow.

Kitchen executive

The individual responsible for overseeing the entire operation and ensuring the kitchen meets health and safety requirements mandated by law.

Chef de Partie

Also referred to as a 'section chef' or 'line cook', this position controls a specific section of the kitchen and is third in command.

Commis

The basic chef in a large kitchen who works under the chef de partie; categorized as Commis I, II, and III.

Chef garde-manger

The chef responsible for cold hors d’oeuvres, large buffet displays, salads, and charcuterie items.

Chef legume

The vegetable chef who reports to the chef entremetier and prepares vegetables and farinaceous dishes.

Chef patisserie

The pastry chef responsible for preparing desserts and other meals-end sweets.

Chef Boulanger

The bakery chef responsible for preparing bakery items in large kitchens.

Boucher

The butchery chef responsible for butchering meats, poultry, and sometimes fish.

Chef entremetier

The entrée chef who prepares soups, vegetables, and egg dishes, but excludes meat or poultry.

Chef potage

The soup chef who reports to the chef entremetier in larger kitchens.

Confiseur

A kitchen specialist who prepares candy and petit fours instead of the patisserie.

Glacier

A kitchen specialist who prepares ice cream and cold desserts instead of the patisserie.

Chef rotisserie

The roast chef responsible for roasting, broiling, and deep-frying dishes.

Chef gaillardia

The grill chef responsible for preparing grilled food instead of the rotisserie.

Chef friturier

The fry chef responsible for preparing fried food instead of the rotisserie.

Chef poissoiner

The fish chef responsible for preparing fish and seafood dishes.

Chef tournant

The reliever or 'spare hand' who moves throughout the kitchen assisting other positions.

Chef communard

The staff chef responsible for preparing meals served to hotel and restaurant staff.

Aboyeur

The announcer who takes orders from the dining room and distributes them to the various kitchen stations.

Internal Customers

Departments within the hotel such as Engineering, Purchase, Sales, and Front Office that coordinate daily with the kitchen.

External Departments

Outside entities including food inspectors, suppliers, media, and guests that the kitchen coordinates with to maintain standards and goodwill.

Business sense

A quality of a good chef that involves generating profit through cost control and wastage control.

Attention to detail

A chef’s awareness and sense regarding specific ingredients and measurements.