The average day inthe life of the chefinvolves more than just cooking. Many chefs play an integral role in the inventory, preparation and management of high-end restaurants. Let's go through a typical day in the life of a chef.
Early morning
Start times vary depending on the company. Former Le Cordon Bleu Australia lecturer Dennis Leslie started his workday as executive assistant manager at Adelaide Oval around 9am. Meanwhile, it was seven o'clock the other dayalumnus Matthew Puguh, who interned at the world-famous Noma in 2017.
The first task of the morning is usually inventory, with many of the day's ingredients arriving fresh in the morning. Products must be counted, checked for quality and stored and labeled properly.
Before dinner
Most of the morning will usually be taken up with mise en place. This French expression, which means 'everything in its place', refers to the extensive preparation of ingredients before serving. Mise en placemay include cleaning and cutting vegetables, production of sauces and portions of meat. The intern will be responsible for a large part of this, under the supervision of the deputy manager.
After the mise en place is completed, many kitchen staff can eat together and the chef has the opportunity to try new menu items.
Lunch service
A briefing will take place prior to the service to ensure front of house and kitchen staff are aware of everything. This is the perfect opportunity for chefs to chat with waiters about daily specials and special customer requests. In the meantime, the maître d' can identify important concerns andDietary requirements must be taken into account.
While on duty, a chef supervises the kitchen staff and often helps any part of the team that may be falling behind.
Afternoon to dinner
After lunch, the kitchen staff rolls up their sleeves and gets busy with cleaning and dinner. Dinner service is often the busiest time of the day, so there is a great need to ensure everything is ready to go before it starts. Chefs spend the time before dinner delegating important menu items and overseeing mise en place.
During dinner service, chefs will find that their roles vary considerably as they coordinate kitchen staff, monitor quality and production speed, and assist with food preparation.
Postal service
The service can end as late as 11pm for most restaurants. At this time, staff will deep clean the kitchen prior to the next day's service. Some preparations can be done the next day, such as slow roasting or marinating. A chef often uses this time to review the next day's menu, place drinks and take orders before closing for the evening.
