The culinary career field is vast, encouraging passion-driven pursuits with a wealth of different ingredients, flavors, and plating strategies. While many culinary professionals are thrilled to work their magic in the kitchen, there are many ways to make a difference in this far-reaching field. Leadership opportunities are especially compelling because they provide greater autonomy, and ultimately, allow passionate individuals to bring their unique visions to life.
Ambitious culinary professionals tend to seek out one of two main options, including sous chef or chef de cuisine jobs. Both roles are incredibly important, but they tackle different aspects of kitchen leadership.
If you have big ideas for your culinary career but are not quite sure how to navigate this field, know that guidance is available. The right culinary arts program can help you develop industry-relevant skills and may even allow you to uncover your unique role in this dynamic field.
To help you plan for a bright future in the culinary arts, we will explain, what is a chef de cuisine, and what is a sous chef? Get ready for a deep dive into the chef de cuisine vs. sous chef debate, complete with details about chef de cuisine and sous chef responsibilities, plus insight into the unique challenges and opportunities that these distinct roles promise to provide.
The Hierarchy of the Professional Kitchen
Professional kitchens can be chaotic environments, complete with tight deadlines, changing conditions, and a constant whirlwind of activity. Amid this chaos, a strong hierarchy brings some semblance of structure, allowing the kitchen to function seamlessly in all situations.
Key Positions in the Culinary World
The culinary field provides a wealth of opportunities, ranging from the behind-the-scenes kitchen environment to leadership-oriented front-of-house roles and everything in between. What connects these positions is a shared passion for cuisine. We have provided a brief description of each role and its place within a unique hierarchy known as the kitchen brigade.
- Executive chef. As the ultimate kitchen authority, the executive chef handles a variety of concerns, ranging from menu development to inventory management. This role involves broad oversight and coordination of vast culinary operations but also calls for effective delegating and strategic management.
- Chef de cuisine. Acting as a second in command (but the first in command in the actual kitchen), the chef de cuisine also holds considerable authority in the kitchen environment and can help shape strategic decisions. This is more of a hands-on role than an executive chef, but more strategic than that of a sous chef.
- Sous chef. Providing valuable assistance for the chef de cuisine, the sous chef deals with the day-to-day challenges of running a kitchen. Much of this role involves direct staff supervision and guidance, with the sous chef also in charge of quality control.
- Line cook. Diving into the intricacies of food preparation, the line cook (often referred to as the chef de partie) whips up delicious meals but also strives for consistency and maximum efficiency. Some line cooks specialize in specific tasks, such as preparing fried foods or baked goods.
- Commis chef. Novice chefs often enter the field in a ‘commis’ capacity, which involves acting as an apprentice to the chef de partie. Handling basic food prep along with cleaning, this crucial member of the kitchen team helps to boost efficiency while training to take on more advanced roles.
The Importance of Understanding Roles
Each culinary professional must thoroughly understand their role as it relates to the overarching kitchen environment. This means recognizing not only key duties, but also knowing who to report to and how leaders should approach delegation. The kitchen brigade system has long been the industry standard, promoting maximum efficiency while encouraging kitchen professionals to specialize so they can excel in their unique roles.
What Is a Chef de Cuisine?
The chef de cuisine is the second in command within the overarching restaurant or venue, but the first in command within a specific kitchen. While this role is technically distinct from that of the executive chef, some locations may only have an executive chef or a chef de cuisine. This approach is more common in smaller restaurants. Generally, the chef de cuisine enjoys broad oversight and the chance to foster a positive and productive kitchen environment.
Chef de Cuisine Responsibilities
The main responsibility of the chef de cuisine is to support the executive chef. How this is accomplished can vary based on the executive chef’s vision and the day-to-day realities of the complex kitchen setting. Typical responsibilities include:
- Menu Creation. The chef de cuisine enjoys the exciting opportunity to develop or assist in developing enticing menus that reflect the restaurant’s overarching concept. Menus may emphasize seasonal ingredients or innovative recipes, with the chef de cuisine holding considerable sway over which dishes are served and how.
- Kitchen Management. Ensuring an organized, sanitary, and efficient kitchen environment, the chef de cuisine helps coordinate workflows that keep this space functioning seamlessly. This role may also encompass inventory management, ensuring that necessary ingredients and other materials are available at the right time and in the right quantity.
- Financial Management. Often handling supplier negotiations while keeping ingredient expenses manageable, the chef de cuisine must make financial decisions that help the kitchen abide by strict budgets without compromising quality.
- Staff Leadership. This role involves high-level management, including delegating and other strategic staffing decisions. The chef de cuisine may also act as a mentor for the sous chef, providing insight into strategic decision-making.
Required Skills
It takes a unique blend of culinary and management skills to thrive as a chef de cuisine. This involves more of a strategic focus than the sous chef, and while culinary expertise remains valuable, it must be accompanied by high-level management skills:
- Culinary Expertise. Although the chef de cuisine may not be directly responsible for food preparation, this role still calls for a thorough understanding of culinary principles and cooking techniques. These are instrumental to menu planning and vendor selection.
- Leadership Skills. Using strategic decisions to foster a positive kitchen environment, the chef de cuisine takes on the big-picture elements of leadership, developing and conveying a clear vision for the kitchen in question, and taking the decisive steps needed to achieve that vision.
- Business Acumen. Given the strategic role of the chef de cuisine, a strong understanding of business practices is a must. This includes financial management, vendor relations, and even branding, as facilitated through menu development.
- Creative Vision. Enjoying the opportunity to shape a restaurant’s culinary identity, the chef de cuisine crafts innovative menus that attract attention. Creative solutions may also be required when navigating complex staffing or budgetary concerns.
What Is a Sous Chef?
The sous chef acts as the kitchen’s middle manager, reporting to the chef de cuisine, who then reports to the executive chef. A typical sous chef job description will reference operational concerns and staff supervision, with line cooks and other staff members looking to the sous chef for oversight and support.
Sous Chef Responsibilities
Although the sous chef seeks guidance from the chef de cuisine, this role still involves a great deal of autonomy. Many sous chefs appreciate their ability to interact closely with various members of the kitchen team. Key responsibilities include:
- Supporting the Chef de Cuisine. When sous chefs do their job well, the chef de cuisine is free to focus on the bigger picture of running a kitchen, which consists of the menu, the budget, and the overall strategy. The chef de cuisine is better equipped to handle these essentials if there is full confidence in the sous chef and daily kitchen operations.
- Supervising Staff. Strong supervision can ensure that staff members feel inspired to do their job well and that they have the actual skills needed to prepare dishes that guests find enticing. Compared to the chef de cuisine, the sous chef’s role in supervision takes on a more focused approach, involving close supervision and targeted feedback to help line cooks and commis chefs excel.
- Training and Development. Many of the sous chef’s interactions with staff involve training, with the intention of elevating staff members’ culinary skills. With new employees, this means providing a thorough introduction to the rules of the kitchen, along with insight into basic preparation techniques or restaurant-specific menu concerns. Over time, these professionals act as mentors, offering ongoing training opportunities to help other kitchen staff members advance in their careers.
- Quality Control. Sous chefs closely monitor every aspect of the cooking process and must demonstrate exceptional attention to detail to ensure that all dishes meet high standards in taste and presentation. They may inspect plating before dishes are allowed to leave the kitchen and may also conduct tastings to verify quality.
Required Skills
While the sous chef and the chef de cuisine often draw on a similar skill set, these competencies may play out differently on the job. The sous chef maintains more of a hands-on approach, involving direct oversight and in-the-moment problem-solving.
- Culinary Proficiency. Without strong culinary skills, it would be impossible for sous chefs to enforce high standards or provide effective mentorship to line cooks and commis chefs. These chefs know how to achieve consistency despite complex kitchen dynamics and can immediately pinpoint (and resolve) any divergence from established standards.
- Organizational Skills. It takes exceptional organization to keep the complex kitchen workflow functioning optimally. Sous chefs organize a myriad of tasks and staff assignments, prioritizing as necessary to ensure that the kitchen continues to run smoothly. Effective kitchen organization can optimize inventory, prepping, and hygiene while helping to support a positive and efficient environment.
- Communication Skills. As the liaison between the chef de cuisine and the rest of the kitchen staff, the sous chef must be capable of communicating effectively with many types of culinary professionals. Communication styles may need to be adjusted when interacting with different people or in different situations. Clear communication ensures that all staff members fully understand kitchen expectations, but sous chefs may also need to take on a more supportive approach when acting as a mentor.
- Problem-solving. In the dynamic kitchen environment, no two days are the same. Challenges like inventory shortages or staffing issues are common. The sous chef may need to find creative solutions to resolve issues in the moment while also adopting proactive strategies to avoid similar problems in the future.
Chef de Cuisine vs. Sous Chef: Key Differences
By now, you should be able to answer, what does a sous chef do and what does a chef de cuisine do? You may struggle to differentiate between these roles even after reading an in-depth description of the sous chef and chef de cuisine jobs. To clarify chef de cuisine and sous chef jobs, we have provided a broader overview of their key distinctions:
Hierarchical Position
The most obvious difference between the sous chef and the chef de cuisine involves the designated rank, with the chef de cuisine acting as the ultimate kitchen authority while the sous chef plays more of a supportive role. The sous chef reports to the chef de cuisine, who, in turn, may report to the executive chef.
Responsibilities and Duties
Other than the chain of command, the main distinction between the chef de cuisine and the sous chef involves strategy versus operations. The chef de cuisine handles big-picture concerns related to the kitchen’s budget and overall staffing, while the sous chef deals with the immediate tasks and oversight required to prepare dishes and serve them to restaurant guests.
Decision-Making Authority
Both the chef de cuisine and sous chef hold extensive decision-making authority, but the nature of those decisions can differ considerably. With the chef de cuisine, decision-making largely centers around finances and menu planning, while the sous chef handles smaller, but still important decisions related to specific staff members or immediate kitchen challenges.
Interaction With Staff
While both chefs de cuisine and sous chefs are involved in staffing, the chef de cuisine may not interact as extensively with line cooks and other staff members. Rather, the chef de cuisine handles broad delegation and kitchen planning. That said, the sous chef provides direct oversight and may act as a mentor.
Culinary Career Progression
It takes years of training and experience to advance into top roles such as chef de cuisine or sous chef. The right culinary degree program can expedite this process, but there is still value in working in varied kitchen positions to understand the nuances of this environment.
Typical Pathway to Sous Chef
Some culinary enthusiasts naturally feel drawn to the dynamic kitchen environment and are eager to support other culinary professionals by taking on the role of sous chef. The pathway to becoming a sous chef can be fairly straightforward:
- Entry-Level Positions. Upon realizing their passion for the culinary industry, aspiring sous chefs should seek out entry-level roles that encourage hands-on skill development. Working as a dishwasher or kitchen assistant can provide valuable exposure to this dynamic environment, with prep cooks or commis chefs building fundamental skills.
- Advancement to Chef de Partie. Additional training or education may be needed to become a line cook or chef de partie, with culinary education proving especially beneficial. With a few years of kitchen experience, however, aspiring line cooks should have the food prep skills and overall understanding necessary to take over a specific kitchen station.
- Promotion to Sous Chef. After acquiring a few years of experience as a line cook (and ideally, after gaining familiarity with several kitchen stations), culinary professionals may be ready to step into the role of sous chef. Some may prepare by training under existing sous chefs or chefs de cuisine. They may build leadership skills by overseeing commis chefs or kitchen assistants.
Progression to Chef de Cuisine
Because sous chefs act as second in command to chefs de cuisine, this role can provide valuable preparation for higher-level opportunities. Sous chefs may begin to take on a greater role in staffing and inventory, even stepping into the chef de cuisine role on occasion if the typical head chef needs to be away. What’s most crucial here is developing business acumen, which can be accomplished while enrolled in a culinary program. It is typical for chefs de cuisine to work in the industry for at least five years before taking on this advanced role.
The Demand for Skilled Chefs
The culinary field is experiencing rapid growth, sparked by an elevated appreciation for fine dining. Beyond this, there is an increased recognition that strategic management and efficient kitchens support the long-term growth and success of individual restaurants and the industry as a whole. As such, executive chefs and other leaders are increasingly committed to finding well-trained chefs de cuisine and sous chefs.
Skills Enhancement Through Education
While it is possible to work your way up in the culinary industry, a targeted education can expedite this process while equipping you with advanced skills. Through diverse coursework (covering not only food preparation, but also menu planning and vendor selection), these programs improve confidence and enhance resumes.
How a Culinary Arts Program Prepares You
As you prepare for an exciting future in the culinary field, you can benefit greatly from the structure and support of a tailored culinary arts program. Along the way, you’ll gain many valuable skills, including:
- Technical Skills. From scaling ingredients to temperature control, culinary arts degree programs provide a wealth of opportunities to develop numerous technical competencies that can be more stressful to acquire in a potentially chaotic kitchen environment. Labs provide the chance to gain hands-on skills that will be valuable across the full scope of the culinary industry.
- Theoretical Knowledge. Culinary professionals benefit greatly from exploring the theoretical basis of cuisine, including food science, nutrition, and cultural influences. Later, culinary leaders can draw on this knowledge while developing menus or mentoring kitchen staff.
- Management Training. Personnel management is a priority within culinary arts programs, with students exploring leadership styles and the nuances of management in front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house situations.
Soft Skills Development
Soft skills determine how culinary leaders develop and execute their innovative ideas and how they convey these ideas to others. Through class discussions and projects, culinary art programs provide ample opportunities to develop these key competencies:
- Communication. No kitchen can run optimally without effective communication, which is heavily emphasized in culinary arts programs. This begins with understanding the unique terminology of the modern kitchen but must also involve adapting communication to relate to different types of professionals.
- Time Management. There is no denying the time-sensitive nature of the kitchen environment, especially for hands-on sous chefs. Lab experiences help aspiring culinary professionals understand the fast pace of the modern kitchen and adapt their approach accordingly.
- Leadership. In addition to covering the theoretical components of leadership, culinary arts students get the chance to practice these skills in labs and through experiential learning opportunities. They come to understand their natural leadership qualities and style and are encouraged to address their weaknesses.
Baker College’s Culinary Arts Degree
Ready to make your mark as a sous chef or a chef de cuisine? The Culinary Institute of Michigan provides the opportunity to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts and get your career off to a strong start. This career-focused program spans two years and 60 credit hours, delving into everything from cooking techniques to kitchen safety, menu planning, and vendor selection. Reach out today to learn more about the culinary arts degree and how it can prepare you for a bright future as a sous chef or a chef de cuisine.