Now that you know the different chefs you may need in your kitchen, your main concern should be hiring them. When hiring a cook, the main key points that you should never ignore are listed below. Follow these while hiring and make your restaurant kitchen functioning perfect Meal delivery.
- Hire a chef who can work under pressure
The restaurant kitchen is completely equivalent to a pressure cooker. It is a place where everything happens simultaneously at maximum speed, so one must be alert every second. Therefore, you need people who have an even temperament and who can work patiently during the rush hours.
For example, there may be days when fish burns or the kitchen runs out of stock; In such a situation, you need someone who is calm and collected and quick to think of a crisis management technique.
- Hire leaders in your restaurant kitchen
As already said, in a kitchen, things can get out of control at any time, so you need to hire a cook who is willing to take charge of your job and can lead those working under him in the right direction. . Hire chefs who are excellent teachers and are well versed in all kitchen equipment and who can train new employees and mold them to be future kitchen leaders. Outstanding leadership and mentorship in the kitchen will reflect on the quality of your restaurant’s food and will also reduce the turnover rate of kitchen staff, reducing costs and losses in the long run. - Hire a chef who never compromises on quality
You should always hire those who have a keen eye on the quality of the food that goes to the table. No matter how long it takes to prepare a dish, if it is not up to par, it should not be presented to customers. You must remember that despite having a fantastic atmosphere and fantastic customer service, if your food is not up to par, it can be a big turn-off for your guests. - Hire a chef who takes food costs into account
Your cooks should know that your restaurant has a budget and cannot spend out of your league. The job of a chef is one that carries a lot of responsibility. Hence the importance of being well advanced with all technological innovations. They should be well familiar with Excel sheets, Google sheets and Microsoft Word, and this will help chefs track cost recipes and check menu profits. This will help in the restaurant’s cost control techniques. - Hire a cook who has an eye for detail
You should know that it is your Chef’s job to write your restaurant’s menu and order the inventory. Therefore, they must know the customers’ interests well so that they can make all the desired changes to the menu. In addition to this, they must have a detailed record of the stock available in the inventory. At no time are they over-ordered or out of stock. - Look for professional people in Time Management
Time management is a skill that is exceptionally important for all chefs working in your kitchen. They must have the ability to allocate their time behind each dish, and this will ensure that your customers do not run out of food on the table. In addition to this, executive chefs and pastry chefs must take out some time from their schedule to analyze the market and incorporate some innovative items into the menu. - Remember to taste your food
Before hiring a cook for your restaurant, be sure to taste your food. Ask them to come to your kitchen after work hours and prepare a dish they are good at. Once you taste your food, you will have a clear understanding of how long it takes to make a dish, the consistency of the dish, how you present the dish and maintain the kitchen. - Check applicants’ references
Do not hire a cook without checking their references. Here you will receive an unadulterated opinion on how the person worked in his previous job, if he worked well in the team , why did he leave his last job. Such information will help you obtain information about the cook you plan to hire. A good way to find out the value the person had in their previous job is to ask: “Will you hire this person again if you have another opportunity?”
Hiring restaurant staff is a difficult task, indeed. You should have a clear human resources structure, with specific tasks designated for each team member. Of these, the Chef or Cook is the most important in the restaurant kitchen, since he is the one who directs all the kitchen operations. We hope that after reading this article, you have obtained the necessary knowledge to hire a cook for your restaurant.