Every professional kitchen operates under distinct rules and a chain of command. This system of hierarchy found in restaurants and hotels is known as brigade de cuisine (kitchen brigade). 

You’re unlikely to find so many French job titles in any other place than a kitchen. Even if you’re not a chef, knowing what’s the difference between Sous Chef and Chef de Partie or what Commis Chef is in charge – is a way to impress your friends while watching The Chef Show on Netflix. But if you’re planning to start a career as a chef you might want to start by learning about the kitchen’s environment.

As the brigade de cuisine implies, we’ll start from the top of the hierarchy and work our way down the chain, explaining the titles and main duties of different chefs!

Chef de cuisine – Chief of the kitchen. Also known as Executive Chef, Head Chef

This Chef is the CEO of the kitchen and often the restaurant. Hence, they usually don’t have a lot to do with the daily running of the kitchen itself. Instead, they oversee the overall operations of the business, discuss marketing strategies and ensure the quality of the product meets expectations. When a restaurant hires a new executive chef, he typically redesigns the menu to reflect his style, including dishes he’s known for. Not every restaurant has an executive chef; that title normally applies only to large chains or restaurants. 

Sous Chef – Deputy Chef. The second-in-command in the kitchen, Sous Chef translated means ‘under Chef’

Sous chefs act as assistants to the master chef and work under their direction. Sous Chef is a very respected position in the kitchen. He or she is a hands-on person; they do all the day-to-day management of the kitchen. 

This position demands excellent culinary knowledge and people-management skills.

See all available Sous Chef positions.

Chef de Partie – Literally translated means “Chef of Section”, also known as Line Chef, Station Chef

This chef is a specialist in a certain type of menu and teaches the other chefs how to prepare this menu. Some common Chef de Partie stations:

• Sauté Chef (Sauce Chef, Saucier)
• Fish chef (Poisonnier)
• Roast chef (Rotisseur)
• Grill chef (Grillardin)
• Pantry Chef (Garde manager)
• Butcher(Boucher)
• Pastry chef (Patissier)
• Vegetable chef (Entremetier). 

See all available Chef de Partie positions.

Commis Chef – (Junior cook), also known as Apprentice Chef

Commis Chef is usually a junior member of the staff who is still undergoing some form of culinary training or has just completed it. Most chefs begin here as trainees. They typically work as a helper to one of the Chef de Partie when the service gets busy and to absorb their knowledge and techniques.

See all available Commis Chef positions.

Kitchen Porter – Kitchen Assistant, Kitchen Hand

Kitchen Porters assist the chefs with the kitchen’s time-consuming/rudimentary tasks (including basic food preparation such as washing salad and peeling potatoes) and are less likely to have any formal culinary training.

See all available Kitchen Porters positions.

All roles in a professional kitchen are busy, especially when there is the dinner rush orders come flooding in, every dish is different, all dishes have different cooking times, etc. 

So, is a chef career right for you? There are plenty of questions to ask yourself before diving in:

1. Do you have the personal and professional skills necessary for the job?
2. Does it fit in with your lifestyle?
3. Are you willing to put in the hard work?
4. And, most importantly, are you excited by the idea of working with food in a hot, and rushed establishment?

Many chefs have their way through the ranks over the years to reach their desired position. Hope the understanding of the main duties will help you to define, where you stand now and in which direction you wish to grow.