In addition to administrative tasks, a chef spends most of the working day moving around the kitchen and the club. Long and, in most cases, fast days are a common requirement for chefs. Executive club chefs can work up to 12 hours or more a day, often standing or on the move all the time. Modern chefs face many challenges, such as high levels of competition, a well-informed customer base, and high staff turnover, to name just a few.
We will discuss these issues and others in more detail. Part of maintaining high staff morale is the need to keep chefs happy, which can sometimes be a big challenge. Just as chefs are measured by their ability to prepare consistently within the expected deadline and they do so with the energy of a long-distance runner and the delicacy of a painter, chefs are measured by their ability to keep customers happy and return, and by the restaurant's ability to meet certain specific financial parameters. While this is an advantage for chefs who move on, it's a big challenge for the head chef trying to manage a busy kitchen.
With too much on the plate, a chef may be faced with the need to make concessions, something that chefs abhor.
