A sous chef in a professional restaurant or hotel kitchen is the second in command of the kitchen staff, under the Chef de Cuisine, executive chef, or head chef. The French word sous, in this term, means under, while chef means “chief.” The sous chef or “under-chief” is responsible for much of what happens in the kitchen, including direct supervision and coordination of the various station cooks or “chef de parties.” He or she is in command when the head chef is not present.
In the modern kitchen brigade, the executive chef is the person who is ultimately in charge of the kitchen. He or she decides what will be on the menu and how it should be prepared and presented. Most other management responsibilities often fall to the head chef, including ordering inventory and managing the kitchen staff. A smaller restaurant may not have a sous chef at all, but only a head chef who conducts the duties of an executive chef and a sous chef.
However, in larger kitchens, the sous-chef is often the person who is responsible for the day-to-day workings of the kitchen, tasked with carrying out the will of the head chef in every aspect. Some larger restaurants may have more than one sous-chef, perhaps one for the day and another for the night shift. In restaurants where the head chef is the owner of the restaurant, the sous chef may take on many of the responsibilities of an executive chef, since the head chef is busy running the restaurant as a whole.
In some modern restaurants, the executive chef may not run the kitchen on a daily basis but instead appoints a separate “chef de cuisine” to do so. When this occurs, the sous chef may work under the chef de cuisine, making them the third in command instead of the second.
Duties of the Sous Chef
Every restaurant is different, so there are no universal job duties for a sous chef. Some of the duties that a sous chef might perform include:
- working closely with the executive chef in all aspects, including helping to choose menu items and create dishes
- ordering food ingredients and supplies
- ensuring proper storage and rotation of food ingredient items
- training new staff
- review the performance of staff
- discipline staff when needed
- assign station duties
- assign work schedules
- expediting kitchen service
- control inventory and food costs
- make sure staff adhere to safety and sanitation standards
- maintain equipment
- ensure the quality of food prepared
- cooking certain dishes, especially the most complex ones or those with more expensive ingredients
- assist station chefs or line cooks as needed
How much independent authority a sous chef has to make decisions is decided by the executive chef, and the degree of authority will often be specified in a written job description. The life of a sous chef is highly demanding and intense. Ten to fourteen-hour workdays are not uncommon, and while the sous chef may not be the ultimate person in charge of the kitchen, he or she performs most of the daily leadership duties of the kitchen brigade.
Sous Chef Salary
The salary of a sous chef will vary depending on many factors, including the region, type of restaurant, specific responsibilities, education level, experience, and of course, the greater economy.
According to CulinarySchool.org, salaries generally fall between between $30,000 and $40,000 per year, although greater pay is possible for highly skilled and experienced chefs.
While becoming a sous chef is a vital stepping-stone to one day being an executive chef, it should not be thought of as a junior or entry-level position! The responsibilities can be endless, the pay often subpar, and the work grueling and emotionally taxing. Passion and willingness to go the extra mile are a must, and many suffer burnout before they ever get to the highest position in a restaurant kitchen. If a chef can thrive in this job, then he or she will ultimately be ready for the vaunted position of head chef and will one day have the honor of running a kitchen of their own.
