[realchef]

I've been considering Culinary Arts for a career besides just Sign Language Interpreting for the U.S courts. I want to be a Sous Chef one day and I want to know:

What it takes?
How much stress is there in the kitchen?
How much is the pay?
What things do Sous Chefs do?

From Culinary Schools Center Readers.

[AinV]

Hi Realchef:
Big question.

A Sous chef or Under chef is number 2 in most kitchens. Sometimes referred to as Executive Sous Chef.
Simply state you must know everything and do everthing the number 1 does! In short you must be able to step into each position in the brigade at any time. If the saute cook is sick you must know how to do it and fill in if needed. And all around the kitchen-but not so much in the pastry bakery as there are assistants there. But you should have an interest in learning more about that dept.

If you never want to be in charge then you know more than most people.

There is much stress in all kitchens of every type, whether flipping burgers or working in a 5* hotel or restaurant.
The higher the position the more stress.

Money is money is money.
Monster.com has comparisons.

Main Kitchen
Chef school graduate will land you at
Commis 1
Commis 2-3
Chef de Partie
Demi Chef
Chef Tournant (that's the guy who fills in at each station on a regular basis)
Sous Chef
Executive Sous Chef
Chef de Cuisine
Executive Chef

At least that's my memory....maybe someone else has a different view.

Pastry and Bakery Kitchen
Commis 1-2-3 pastry and/or bakery
CDPartie
Demi Chef de Partie
Chef Tournant not so much here but really BIG places...
Sous Chef Pastry or Bakery
Executive Assistant Pastry Chef
Executive Pastry Chef

Assistant Master Baker
Master Baker (these positions are for big places!)

Where do you fit in and want to work will determine what money!

Anyone else want to share?

[AinV]

Also here in Las Vegas a big Casino will hire experienced Tournant at around 20-25.00 per hour on a temp basis as per project or days needed. Could be 10-20-40 per week-
And a tournant here full time 65-80 hours a week is going for about 45-65,000 per year.

You need to call a few hotels to get your local pay scale.
Union or non union?
Benefits etc...
Where do you work?

[expat]

Hi
AinV
it starts trainee,commis3,commis2,commis1....
the main focus for a sous chef is to maintain his area of responsibility,as if it would be his own property,full responsibility,no excuses and fully support for the exec chef...sounds simple,but isnt,as you are in between your staff and not jet in a full management position
exec sous is a different story,as seldom normal sous chefs get the full departmental knowledge(profit/loss,budgeting strategies etc),but the exec sous need to know them in case of jumping in at vacations etc.
but all in all the rest is fine explained.
one question,if you graduate,why you look for the number two or three position? you should always strive to be one day the number one
best regards
expat

quote name='AinV' timestamp='1341544441' post='173845']
Hi Realchef:
Big question.

A Sous chef or Under chef is number 2 in most kitchens. Sometimes referred to as Executive Sous Chef.
Simply state you must know everything and do everthing the number 1 does! In short you must be able to step into each position in the brigade at any time. If the saute cook is sick you must know how to do it and fill in if needed. And all around the kitchen-but not so much in the pastry bakery as there are assistants there. But you should have an interest in learning more about that dept.

If you never want to be in charge then you know more than most people.

There is much stress in all kitchens of every type, whether flipping burgers or working in a 5* hotel or restaurant.
The higher the position the more stress.

Money is money is money.
Monster.com has comparisons.

Main Kitchen
Chef school graduate will land you at
Commis 1
Commis 2-3
Chef de Partie
Demi Chef
Chef Tournant (that's the guy who fills in at each station on a regular basis)
Sous Chef
Executive Sous Chef
Chef de Cuisine
Executive Chef

At least that's my memory....maybe someone else has a different view.

Pastry and Bakery Kitchen
Commis 1-2-3 pastry and/or bakery
CDPartie
Demi Chef de Partie
Chef Tournant not so much here but really BIG places...
Sous Chef Pastry or Bakery
Executive Assistant Pastry Chef
Executive Pastry Chef

Assistant Master Baker
Master Baker (these positions are for big places!)

Where do you fit in and want to work will determine what money!

Anyone else want to share?




[/quote]

[expat]

Hi
something to lift your spirits before your training. According to reviews 1 out of 10 is still working after ten years in the profession,at least in europe
best regards
expat

[AinV]

A chef school grad in the US starts at commis 1 usually...there is no apprenticeship programs as such...

[expat]

Hi AinV
right,should have talked about europe
we have 3 years dual apprentice system first,before you can talk about commis3
best regards
expat

AinV, on 07 July 2012 - 05:44 PM, said:

A chef school grad in the US starts at commis 1 usually...there is no apprenticeship programs as such...

[AinV]

And it's a really good system! Except when someone wants to change into the professional side of things at a later date-(speaking of CH)

[AinV]

BTW there's a school in the US that's now pretty much demanding students at age 12 choose what they want to do management or technical...I think it's a great idea and hope more public schools follow their lead. There are jobs in the US that are open for a year or more...but no one has the skill sets to fill them! So many manufacturing openings and mining in my State-Nevada...sit waiting for the youngest employees age 16 or so. They know they don't want or need college and are now making 15-25 bucks an hour! (at 16-17-18-THAT'S great).

[expat]

Hi AinV
you can work without the routine system. If you work over ten years as a chef without the former usual education,you can apply for a formal test and can get the state licence through this test. I think,both in switzerland as well as in Germany
best regards
expat

AinV, on 08 July 2012 - 04:39 AM, said:

And it's a really good system! Except when someone wants to change into the professional side of things at a later date-(speaking of CH)

[expat]

Hi AinV
you have industrial prior training in most of our middle schools as well as external trainings through the school time
best regards
expat

AinV, on 08 July 2012 - 04:45 AM, said:

BTW there's a school in the US that's now pretty much demanding students at age 12 choose what they want to do management or technical...I think it's a great idea and hope more public schools follow their lead. There are jobs in the US that are open for a year or more...but no one has the skill sets to fill them! So many manufacturing openings and mining in my State-Nevada...sit waiting for the youngest employees age 16 or so. They know they don't want or need college and are now making 15-25 bucks an hour! (at 16-17-18-THAT'S great).

[AinV]

Unfortunately here in the US the funding for those programs are just about dried up! Only a handfull of schools still have a culinary program. And most schools have shut down orchestras bands sports clubs/teams etc. The US is at the BRINK of collapse and most people don't know it.
There is nothing left or the "extras" anymore...you would be lucky to find a classroom with less than 50 kids in the inner city-

[expat]

Hi
sounds not good
well,our training system in the middle schools is two ways and mostly to identify the strenghts of the youths as well as to place them early through external trainings in the last classes within comps.
Culinary training starts then in earnest,when the trainee contract is signed,which is split in actual work training and dual school education,mostly theoretical.
but even here the system can have f..k ups,i.e late shift and next morning school...
best regards
expat

AinV, on 09 July 2012 - 01:38 AM, said:

Unfortunately here in the US the funding for those programs are just about dried up! Only a handfull of schools still have a culinary program. And most schools have shut down orchestras bands sports clubs/teams etc. The US is at the BRINK of collapse and most people don't know it.
There is nothing left or the "extras" anymore...you would be lucky to find a classroom with less than 50 kids in the inner city-

[AinV]

"Here" in Egypt or Germany?

[expat]

Hi
"here" meant in the system
but as you ask,i have a nearly identical system in place in my property,which was working out fine,untill that revolution started and everybdy cut down the staff roles
best regards
expat

AinV, on 09 July 2012 - 03:48 PM, said:

"Here" in Egypt or Germany?

[AinV]

That's what I thought-

[expat]

Hi
70% of my commis are now,in my forth year here, ex-trainees
best regards
expat

AinV, on 10 July 2012 - 04:35 AM, said:

That's what I thought-

[MYJiko]

realchef,
"Ain't you getting on this bandwagon no more?"
Hoteliers are not all as "complicated" as most of us here.

It is a rewarding career.
You get to meet interesting people all day long.
(BTW you get that as well after a day in court)
Always start off on the right footing and schooling.

Don't know what an interpreter earns, but many Chefs get paid handsomely. Whatever the currency.
Prepare for long hours. Nevertheless we "hoteliers" do have our fair share of leisure and fun time (mostly on the job)

[confiseur]

AinV, on 06 July 2012 - 03:14 AM, said:

Hi Realchef:
Big question.

A Sous chef or Under chef is number 2 in most kitchens. Sometimes referred to as Executive Sous Chef.
Simply state you must know everything and do everthing the number 1 does! In short you must be able to step into each position in the brigade at any time. If the saute cook is sick you must know how to do it and fill in if needed. And all around the kitchen-but not so much in the pastry bakery as there are assistants there. But you should have an interest in learning more about that dept.

If you never want to be in charge then you know more than most people.

There is much stress in all kitchens of every type, whether flipping burgers or working in a 5* hotel or restaurant.
The higher the position the more stress.

Money is money is money.
Monster.com has comparisons.

Main Kitchen
Chef school graduate will land you at
Commis 1
Commis 2-3
Chef de Partie
Demi Chef
Chef Tournant (that's the guy who fills in at each station on a regular basis)
Sous Chef
Executive Sous Chef
Chef de Cuisine
Executive Chef

At least that's my memory....maybe someone else has a different view.

Pastry and Bakery Kitchen
Commis 1-2-3 pastry and/or bakery
CDPartie
Demi Chef de Partie
Chef Tournant not so much here but really BIG places...
Sous Chef Pastry or Bakery
Executive Assistant Pastry Chef
Executive Pastry Chef

Assistant Master Baker
Master Baker (these positions are for big places!)

Where do you fit in and want to work will determine what money!

Anyone else want to share?

sure
the chef de cuisine dosen t go in between exec sous and executive chef
this is the chef of a restaurant ad he have his own brigade
he his at the same management level than exec sous and report to the exec chef