What does this job involve?

• Managing all aspects of the kitchen including the day-to-day operation
• Liaising with suppliers
• Maintaining or raising the profit margins on food
• Creating menus and new dishes
• Supervising staff
• Ensuring health and hygiene and safety rules are adhered to

What skills and attributes do I need?

• Creative skills – a flair for cooking that goes beyond just being able to follow recipes. Qualifications and experience are not enough on their own. Imagination to develop new dishes is essential.
• People-management skills – to be a responsible and effective leader and manage and motivate a team
• Organisation skills – to be able to organise rotas, deliveries and storage
• Planning skills – to be able to plan menus and ensure that dishes are ready at the right time
• Finance skills – to be able to negotiate prices and handle budgets
• Confidence in your ability
• Communication skills
• Hardworking, practical, methodical and able to multi-task
• The ability to stay calm under pressure
• Flexibility

How can I get this job?

A good head chef will have plenty of experience as a chef and have worked in numerous restaurants. Depending on the size and standard of the restaurant, it takes about 10 years to work up to this level.