Executive chefs oversee all food-related matters in a restaurant setting.
Executive chefs oversee and supervise food preparation, food service and restaurant operations on a daily basis. Executive chefs are responsible for dealing with all food-related issues, providing leadership and supervising all other cooks. Becoming an executive chef requires extensive knowledge in several different areas, and specific training is essential before taking your first executive chef job.
Experience
Experience is the best training for a career as an executive chef. Most executive chefs start at the bottom in the food industry, either as fast food or casual dining cooks, servers or cashiers. Executive chefs often immerse themselves in the restaurant world, developing a passion for food and the dynamic of the atmosphere. Those who are truly driven to make a career in the industry frequently advance wherever they are and look for the next opportunity.
Education
Many executive chefs, especially the ones in high profile restaurants, attend a two- or four-year university for hospitality, learning the ins and outs of the restaurant and management business. Additionally, executive chef openings at some restaurants require a culinary arts degree from a well-respected culinary institute. At a culinary institute, prospective executive chefs learn about food preparation and how being a chef is an art form.
Apprenticeship
Individuals who want to build a career in culinary arts often participate in an association-approved apprenticeship with an experienced chef. Organizations such as the American Culinary Federation offer apprenticeships administered by either an educational institution, a restaurant or a local ACF chapter. These endeavors can last from a year to three years and give new chefs valuable experience in the business, shadowing successful professional chefs and learning the tricks of the trade.
ACF Certification
While not all restaurants require ACF certification before being hired, affiliation with and certification through the ACF can benefit your career in culinary arts. The organization is the industry standard for culinary certification, and most culinary arts and undergraduate programs are ACF-certified. Attending a program certified by the ACF can prepare you with the necessary tools to work anywhere, whether you want to be a pastry chef, personal chef, restaurant administrator or executive chef.
Tags: culinary arts, executive chef, career culinary, career culinary arts, chefs oversee, culinary institute