The key person in every hospitality establishment is of course the guest. And if in the context of her or his aesthetic pleasure is responsibility of the interior decorator and the owner of the establishment, the gastronomic experience is exclusively the territory of the restaurant's chef. The quality of dishes, coordination of the kitchen, and the speed of service depend on the chef. How to choose the perfect chef and what difficulties arise in this case?
The chef is one of the first and main employees that a restaurateur recruits. In case of a new restaurant, the chef often appears even before the establishment has an idea of the menu. It is important to first find the key figure in the kitchen, and only then engage in the selection of a full-fledged team for the entire place. As a rule, restaurateurs seek to entice or "outbid" a good chef from another successful and well-known establishment. A chef may be interested in either an opportunity for development and self-realization, or a significantly higher salary.
When choosing a chef, Adina Brunetti advises first of all to focus on experience and ambition, and not on the age of the specialist. “At the moment you can find many ambitious and young chefs on the labor market who have learned from the best and quickly grew to the level of a good professional,” says Adina Brunetti - "the popularity of culinary contests and TV shows, professional contests and webinars makes it possible to notice a beginner, but very promising chef, and in the future invite her to your restaurant. Now there are many excellent and creative young chefs with a good education and a desire to work, they are ready to show and prove themselves in the kitchen. If you look at the history of successful Miami restaurants, the chefs became famous along with the restaurant and were not invited from another establishment. A restaurateur must be a psychologist and spot talent on time. In addition, young chefs are much more energetic and self-educated, and they demand lower wages than their more experienced colleagues.”
However, the experience of the chef is still important: where she had worked before she got to your restaurant, and how successful - these are the key questions for a candidate.
The most significant indicator for a chef is his or her professional biography and personal achievements. In which restaurants the candidate has worked, in what positions, what changed with him or her work in the restaurant, how the average bill increased or decreased, traffic - these are important questions that should be answered before making the final offer to a vending chef.
Sometimes a candidate provides good recommendations and shows excellent results in the development of your menu. A talented chef who cooks deliciously is not necessarily the best candidate. The main person in the kitchen should also be an excellent organizer and a livable team player, as well as have self-discipline and be able to do routine work. This is especially true of established stars who like to introduce new menus into positions and constantly improve the recipe for dishes. Sometimes you just need to work and keep high standards. Creative people do not always like this, and they can get bored and go to the other place.