FEATURE
Chefs for Profitable Outlets
Today the role of a chef has toddled much ahead of stirring and blending out palatable cuisine. He, at present, carries more responsibility than ever before and is the key player in making the food outlets profitable. In the present context he is offering more innovative solutions in the form of new products & concepts to his over conscious clients. FBR attempts an insight in chef ’s changing multi-functional role.
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p a rt f ro m fo s te r i n g te a mwo r k in the kitchen, today the role of a chef has been utterly revised. Today the convolution of the chef’s rank has amplified to include the responsibility towards management, customer relations, menu planning, and most prominently, the training and motivation of the production/ service team. The conventional role of the chef has changed dramatically over the years, and now a chef’s duties are consistently being “refocused.”
Changing Times The widening of the scope of the chef’s duties has ensued owing to the brisk changes in food and beverage industry, avant-garde approach and techniques making route into the kitchen, gripping progressive chefs and their workforce to declassify strategies, acknowledge and get a feel for shifting times. No longer locked in the stereotypical roles of high-strung, pot-stirring pariahs, chefs are finding their numbers mounting and roles
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intensifying as food companies deal with mounting competitive pressure to accelerate and improve new product offerings. In restaurants, the traditional bastion of chef-centered culinary activity, the role of the chef is expanding to embrace new tools and technologies to improve consistency, product quality, productivity and hygiene, specifically in today’s context. H e h as to d eve l o p a f res h m e n u , scheduling expertise and has to cultivate a slick flow of merchandise and supplies in the kitchen. He has to also try to improve cost consciousness and profit orientation in the company. The bottom line is – the today’s chef is technologically sound, and performs the role of a purchase manager, cost controller and of course a team leader with elan. He is, so to say, a ‘jack of all trades’.
A Team Leader Incentives and inspiration are what every staff member is looking for and to rise higher in the performance rating in the
Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
working team, a chef has to put on the mantle of an inspiring leader. The chefs are supposed to illustrate a fitting incentive programme outlining explicit objectives and pre-requisites to come up to a level to receive accolades and awards. A well-motivated team is the fundamental forte of an organisation and keeping the hold of worthy staff members is vital for sustaining the excellence the company has acquired after a long time of quality service, as inferior quality service will not only lead to a major exodus of customers but also will damage the name of the company. Hence, chefs are supposed to have inspiring skills, tolerance and brazenness to hold together the performing team. In order to enhance staff performance importance should be on well-defined training and quality upgrading programmes.
Rulers of the Kitchen Kitchens are striving to reduce manpower
Oct-Nov ’21
