Ever wondered what the life of a sous chef in a five star hotel is like? Here at Three Q we have 19 years of experience in helping sous chef’s and culinary staff to find their dream job. Here at Three Q we’re a hands on recruitment team who work to match our clients with the perfect Sous Chef for the job. How hands on are we? We go out on site on help to train our temps and perms so that they have a great start to their new job. Our consultants are ex hospitality professionals, we undertake training in healthcare and hospitality training and we have served at events. We know what it’s like to be a Sous Chef in a busy Dublin 5 star hotel. so if you’d like to know more, so if you want to know what the life of a sous chef in a five star hotel is like, read on to find out more.
Job Description
A sous chef is an important job within the kitchen’s system. The Sous Chef is ranked just below head chef in order of command, so successful candidates will be directing themselves towards the position of head chef. Sous Chefs have a huge list of tasks which they must undertake as part of their role, you will report directly to the head chef and delegate tasks to other members of the kitchen staff.
What does a Sous Chef do?
The successful candidate to a Sous Chef positions will be responsible for both planning and directing the preparation of food in the kitchen. Supervising staff and is also part of the role and supervisory tasks can make up the bulk of a Sous Chefs work. Any problems spotted within the kitchen must be reported to the head chef immediately or be solved by the Sous Chef themselves. It is also part of the Sous Chef’s role to improve performance of their team and make sure that their work is up to a five star kitchen’s standards.
As a Sous Chef, you will be responsible for Being in charge of the kitchen when the head chef is not around, keeping the kitchen environment safe and hygienic, assisting the head chef when it comes to writing menus and creating new recipes and sometimes being in charge of the purchasing and storage of food.
In some hotels and restaurants, the head chef may not be around that often which means that the Sous Chef will be the head of the kitchen in their absence. This places a lot of responsibility on your shoulders of the candidate, so you must be able to handle stress and pressure well.
Although creating meals for customers is part of the job description, a lot of your time will be spent on administrative duties. A sous chef should have an eye for detail and be a meticulous planner.
Working as a Sous Chef means that ‘normal’ hours such as a nine to five office job is mostly out of the question. A Sous Chef should be expecting to work shifts which means weekends, evenings and holidays. You will also be asked to work overtime during particularly busy spells. If you would prefer to work office hours, it would be best to look for a job in contract catering.
Sous Chef Career Path
The rise to sous chef does not happen in a straight line and there are a number of steps you must take to progress up the career ladder. Some people actually begin as a kitchen porter and discover a love for food before beginning at the bottom rung of the chef ladder. A large proportion of sous chefs get to where they are by training on the job and availing of opportunities for placements in high quality kitchens. However, a candidate can get to there faster if they have some formal qualifications. A degree in Culinary Arts is a good qualification, a prospective candidate may also look for a FETAC certificate in Professional Cookery to help them get ahead of the competition.
If you want to become a senior sous chef, you will need at least 3 years professional experience in a good quality hotel or restaurant. Another requirement for most employers is HAACP training and experience.
This is just a brief outline of the life of a sous chef in a five star hotel. There are a lot of administrative duties that a Sous Chef must undertake, so if you don’t like delegating tasks or paperwork, this is not the right role for you. If you wish to become a head chef, you must first become a sous chef as it is an excellent way to determine if you are ready to run your own kitchen.
If becoming a Sous Chef interests you, or if you are currently a Sous Chef looking for a new position, keep an eye on our listings that we update every day with new job opportunities in the industry. We currently have job vacancies for Sous Chefs in Five Star Hotels in Dublin. If you are an employer and are wishing to advertise your job in our listings, please email sales@3reqruitment.ie or phone +1 +353 1878 3335.
