Advice for Recruiting and Retaining your Chef

The most important and critical aspect to understand and implement; is that the chef is your business. Without a good client experience, your business is vulnerable.

Extract from one of today’s leading and most successful restaurateurs, “ Gordon Ramsay

My answer to anyone remotely interested in how we run restaurants is that any new restaurant concept must always start with the chef. Not with the location, not with the restaurant designer and not with the smooth talking front-of-house manager. The passion, the focus and drive of the chef are what will make the restaurant work. Ultimately, we believe it will be his menu that people come to taste.”

The full article can be viewed in the Chefs Forums under ‘A must read article’.

Identify and recruit the right chef.

If you are recruiting a ‘Head Chef’, why then advertise,” this would suit a Sous Chef ready for his first role as ‘Head Chef’?

This chef is your business, are you then going to take a chance that he may or may not be ready to drive your profits forward!

Similarly why recruit a Chef for a franchised ‘retail park’ restaurant when what you are looking for is a ‘line cook’ not a Chef.

Remuneration

Recruitment agencies and catering magazines give you industry standard salary guidelines. ChefsWorld looks at the Relief Chef market.

An average Chef De Partie who is working the relief circuit can expect to earn up to £25 000 per annum, compared to the ‘industry standard’ of £16 000.

Why would I offer this?

A large percentage of smaller successful businesses are balancing the salaries offered, with profit related bonuses. Another increasingly popular option is profit related share options.

So how does this work towards retaining my Chef and still running a profitable business?

Your Chef will now spend most of his waking hours in the kitchen, how do you keep the passion and drive crucial to your business?

Spending a week or two weeks a year (not holiday entitlement) in another kitchen similar to your business keeps your Chef up to date with new styles and trends. ChefsWorld networking area can be useful to find available properties; you would also benefit your kitchen by registering and having fresh ideas and talent in your kitchen periodically.

Your kitchen needs to be maintained, apart from being the core of your business, the chef/s need to have the right equipment for the task at hand and that equipment needs to be maintained to ensure a healthy working environment.

Your business model should be worked around your kitchen and what that kitchen is capable of producing, similarly your dining areas should be worked around your kitchen. The kitchen size and design will dictate the size and style of the menu and dining capacity.

Kitchen misconception

The lowly Kitchen porter paid minimum wage and left to get on with it as he/ she sees fit.

You have just entrusted all your business assets to this person. A pot, pan, plate, knife, glass if cleaned, maintained and stored correctly will last indefinatly, reducing your outlay and increase profits.

In most of Europe’s leading kitchens the lowly kitchen porters are paid bonuses based on asset retention.

ChefsWorld is also available to consult on individual business needs. Please use the ‘contact us, page for this service.