An executive chef must have a degree in culinary arts and at least five years of experience in a commercial kitchen. An executive chef must manage kitchen staff, create different types of menus and meet with vendors and suppliers. In most establishments, the executive chef is more than the head chef. They are primarily managers, who often exercise overall responsibility for the food service operations of the hotel or restaurant.
This includes hiring and scheduling staff, managing the inventory of food and non-food products, and maintaining appropriate employment and tax records. Executive chefs are responsible for the overall style and theme of a restaurant's food and generally design and refine exclusive dishes, and subordinates assume responsibility for the daily supervision of the kitchen. Glassdoor reports that executive chefs should expect to gain at least five years of experience in the field before earning the degree. Determining the experience needed to be a chef and where to start can be difficult.
While many chefs will say that no previous experience is necessary, you'll need to gain some knowledge before applying for your dream job at the restaurant of your dreams. The important thing is to have common sense, says Jimmy Olang, corporate executive chef at 24 Carrots Catering and Events in Costa Mesa. Choosing the right specialty is always an important step when researching how to become an executive chef. Cable television channels have popularized a reality show format in which young chefs have the opportunity to win a position as executive chef in a restaurant.
During this time, new executive chefs learn the skills and techniques needed for their specific job and employer. Getting certified as a Certified Food Manager (CFM) will help you earn more as an executive chef. Once you have all the necessary skills and experience, it takes an average of less than 1 month of job training to become an executive chef. While some executive chefs have a college degree, it's only possible to become one with a high school degree or GED.
The most common certification is the Certified Food Manager (CFM) certification, but the Certified Culinary Manager (CCA) certification also appears frequently in executive chef resumes. Executive chefs, head cooks, and kitchen chefs are primarily responsible for overseeing the operation of a kitchen. Replacing those who retire or leave the profession will create opportunities for a new generation of executive chefs.
