A chef de partie is in charge of specific stations in a restaurant kitchen.
A chef de partie is a senior kitchen staff position in a restaurant and reports to a sous chef or executive chef.
The chef de partie is a relatively experienced chef and is responsible for directing and supervising the work of commis chefs on specific menu items.
Chef de parties perform various cooking duties to develop their culinary skills while learning alongside experienced chefs, including butchering meat, chopping, pastries, or sauces.
- What is a Chef de partie?
- Work Opportunities in the Chef de partie Industry
- What It’s Like to be a Chef de Partie
- Chef de partie Salary & Income
- Overview of the Chef de partie Industry
- Requirements, Skills, and Education Required for Chef de parties
- Who Should Consider a Chef de partie Career Path?
- Who Should NOT Consider a Chef de partie Career Path?
- Is it Hard to Become a Chef de partie?
- What Do I Need to Become a Chef de partie?
- Requirements for Becoming a Chef de partie
- What Skills Does a Chef de partie Need?
- What education Does a Chef de partie Need?
- What experience Does a Chef de partie Need?
- Chef de partie Education & Schooling
- Steps to Become a Chef de partie
- Wrapping Up
What is a Chef de partie?
Chef de parties are essential to any commercial restaurant kitchen.
They specialize in one area of food preparation and one station in a commercial kitchen.
A Chef de Partie is a position in the kitchen that oversees the work of a particular station or area.
A Chef de Partie usually has specialized knowledge of their station and has to meet high quality standards on the food they prepare.
The chef de partie is the head of a kitchen station.
The chef de partie’s role is to learn their assigned station while also gaining diverse experience in the culinary industry.
Chef de parties report to a sous chef and chef de cuisine or head chef in the hierarchy of the kitchen brigade.
What is a Chef de partie Called?
A chef de partie is also called station chef, line cook, or line chef.
Depending on their specialty, related job descriptions might include a butcher, saucier, Poissonnier in charge of fish preparation, rotisserie or roast chef, or grillardin or grill chef.
What Does a Chef de partie Do?
A Chef de Partie is a kitchen supervisor who oversees one particular station of preparation and production in a commercial kitchen and prepare high quality food.
They also train and supervise commis chefs who are studying culinary arts.
A chef de partie might have several commis chefs and cooks under them.
Work Opportunities in the Chef de partie Industry
Chef de partie Job Description
The chef de partie job description includes having good communications skills because they are directing commis chefs and taking orders from sous chefs and head chefs.
You can find a related article on commis chefs on this site.
Chef de parties ensure that their part of the meal preparation is performed correctly and on time.
A chef de partie specializes in a specific station in the dish preparation process in a professional restaurant kitchen.
They may only specialize in one particular food item or ingredient like sauces and learn various cooking methods.
They communicate with commis chefs about the quality of culinary dishes to meet the high standard of the executive chef.
Top Chef de partie Jobs and Careers
Chef de parties specialties include:
- Saucier – specializing in sauces
- Garde Manger – pastry chef
- Boucher – butcher of meats
Where Can a Chef de partie Work?
Chef de parties are an integral part of a larger kitchen in a commercial restaurant.
They likely will not be needed in a smaller kitchen but may be able to fill chef jobs in a small restaurant.
They can work in a large commercial kitchen or a small fine dining establishment.
Depending on their specialty, there are a variety of culinary jobs that a chef de partie performs.
Current Career Job Openings
Job openings exist all over the country. In addition, there are openings for chef de parties in all cities with large commercial-grade kitchens.
Catering services also hire chef de parties, so if catering is your gig, there is a lot of money to be made in this specialty.
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What It’s Like to be a Chef de Partie
Is Being a Chef de partie Hard?
Restaurant kitchens are fast-paced environments, so that it can be challenging.
Also, they have to take orders from a sous chef or executive chef, which can be stressful.
Is a Chef de partie Job Stressful?
A commercial kitchen can be a high-stress environment.
Therefore, chef de parties must be organized and focused under pressure.
The average chef de partie is in a high-stress level position.
Therefore, they have to be able to multitask.
Common Chef de partie Work Day
A typical chef de partie day begins with waking up early to begin daily food preparation for their station, preparing the ingredients for the day’s dishes.
They may oversee the kitchen during lunchtime while other chefs take their breaks.
After work, they may continue to help with preparations or clean up.
A chef de parties responsibilities vary depending on their specialty and the size and type of restaurant they work in.
Work Hours & Schedule
Chef de parties work varied shifts depending on the restaurant’s hours of operation.
Their work schedule can be unpredictable, and they often work nights, weekends, and holidays.
Chef de partie Dress Code
Chef de parties typically wear the same attire as other chefs.
An apron, chef jacket, and chef’s toque or hat are the uniforms a chef de partie would wear.
Food hygiene is important, so chefs should wear proper hair nets.
Also, keep in mind you will be smelling like restaurant food after your shift.
Non-slip shoes are essential for slippery kitchen floors that are usually wet and greasy.
Does This Career Field Embrace Work/Life Balance?
A chef de parties work-life balance can suffer because they work a demanding job in a restaurant.
Chef de parties work long hours, especially in restaurants with bars.
Chef de partie Salary & Income
Their salary varies depending on the chef de partie experience level and specialty.
However, chef de parties with all specialties are in high demand in many kitchens.
How Much Do Chef de partie Make?
The average salary for a chef de partie in the United States is $46,355.
Being a chef de partie is hard work, but it is also gratifying.
Salary for chef de parties varies depending on experience.
Overview of the Chef de partie Industry
Chef de partie Field: Career Progression
Commercial kitchens have an established hierarchy or kitchen brigade system.
The lowest level junior chef is a commis chef.
That is where a chef de partie begins.
Then they move into demi chef de partie, the halfway point in their training and specialization, before becoming a full chef de partie.
To become a sous chef or head chef, you must start as a commis chef and gain enough experience to become a chef de partie.
Working as a chef de partie gets you on track towards becoming a head chef in a commercial kitchen.
Chef de partie Job Outlook
The outlook for a chef’s career path is very positive because the restaurant industry is one of the largest employers in the country.
Demand for Chef de partie
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment projections show that demand for chef de parties appears to be about 9% growth between 2014 and 2024.
Chef de partie Facts
Chef de partie can specialize in any number of stations in a large gourmet kitchen.
For example, they can be stationed on the grill, line, or at a cooking station.
Jobs Related to Chef de partie
Chef de partie or station cook can work in a:
- Pastry shop
- Restaurant
- Catering Service
- Kitchen Porter
- Commis Chef
- Sous Chef
- Head Chef
Requirements, Skills, and Education Required for Chef de parties
Who Should Consider a Chef de partie Career Path?
To be successful as a chef de partie, you must have excellent cooking skills, organizational skills, and a strong desire to work in food service.
Who Should NOT Consider a Chef de partie Career Path?
Do not become a chef if you don’t like food preparation.
Also, chef de parties stay extremely busy and are taking orders from different sous chefs and executive chefs.
Do not become a chef de partie if you can’t handle the stress of a fast-paced kitchen.
Is it Hard to Become a Chef de partie?
Becoming a chef de partie is not hard if you are already in the culinary industry.
A chef de partie is a senior-level chef, so they should have experience in their station as a commis chef before promotion to chef de partie.
What Do I Need to Become a Chef de partie?
Higher education is not required to be a chef de partie, so a high school diploma or GED is the only education needed.
A chef de partie job description may list a requirement for a food handler’s permit to ensure the chef learns proper food safety.
Requirements for Becoming a Chef de partie
Requirements for a chef de partie vary depending on the restaurant or catering company, but generally, they require at least an associate’s degree in culinary arts or equivalent work experience.
What Skills Does a Chef de partie Need?
Chef de parties should have experience working in a restaurant kitchen and have good management and organizational skills.
They also need good interpersonal communication skills.
What education Does a Chef de partie Need?
Specific education is not required for becoming a chef de partie, but culinary school is highly recommended for those who want to learn advanced methods in their specialty.
What experience Does a Chef de partie Need?
Most chef de parties work in their specialty as a commis chef for four years.
Before that, they should have had at least two years of culinary experience or experience working in a restaurant.
In total, a chef de parties need about six years of kitchen and restaurant experience to become a chef de partie.
Chef de partie Education & Schooling
What is Taught in a Chef de partie Course?
Community colleges offer associate’s degrees in culinary arts across the country.
In addition, some specialized culinary schools will train chef de parties in their specialties, such as pastry or gourmet cooking.
Culinary school is classroom work, reading about the art of cooking, studying techniques and methods, and practicing in commercial kitchens.
How Long Does a Chef de partie Course Take?
An associate’s degree in culinary arts takes about two years, but there is one year in rapid-track and professional certificate programs.
Steps to Become a Chef de partie
Station experience as a commis chef is the first step to becoming a chef de partie.
Then, working in a restaurant kitchen, you will choose a station and specialty.
If you can, take culinary classes while you gain work experience in the restaurant.
Learn all you can about your specialty and station.
Wrapping Up
A chef de partie mentors aspiring commis chefs on how to become responsible for food production at a specific station in a restaurant kitchen and supervise their kitchen station.
Chef de parties specialize in one station of food preparation and only perform that job.
They have strong culinary skills and at least four to six years of restaurant experience.
