To be the best...

What are the top 3 traits or skills every executive chef must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your executive chef expertise?

Three skills every executive chef must have
1-communication
2-Quality driven
3-Customer service

in order to be a better executive chef you must be a better communicater with team members and guests.

All executive chefs must passion and quality driven in order to excel

Hassan Mahmoudi in San Antonio, Texas said: Three skills every executive chef must have
1-communication
2-Quality driven
3-Customer service

1. staffing
2. staffing
3. staffing

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every executive chef must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your executive chef expertise?

1) Commitment and Communication
2) Sanitation and Quality oriented
3) Responsibility and accountability

Three tips simply does not cover the expanse of responsibility a true Executive Chef must carry on a daily basis.

Without these six traits, you cannot address coming anywhere near exceeding guest expectations or attempting to win on customer service.
I find it odd that no one has previously submitted sanitation as a tip for success. The foodservice is ever increasingly becoming more and more stringent on cleanliness and sanitation. In California, Federal regulations now apply. If you are out of code on the smallest of some of the infractions, you get a B grading. The inspector will come to your jobsite and watch the employees to see if they wash their hands within 15 minutes. If none do, you get a B Grade immediately. I expect these Federal regulations to sweep across the country soon.
To wind up the conversation, "passion" is good but a better word to use is commitment. I have seen to many "Passionate Chefs" get burned out in the first month of a busy season and end up as noncaring Chefs just shoveling the food out in order to get the job done. chefs who have a job commitment will always follow the standards of the job that needs to be done. "Staffing" is another story all together, "Customer Service" comes after you have opened the Restaurant and passed the six traits I have outlined in oder to have a customer to serve in the first place.

Hi Also stay healthy in your attutude with your personal happiness. Every feeling and emotion that is incorporated in an Ex Chef come through your hands and into the food you are working with have staff informed that is one of the rules of your kitchen and also do not whisle in the kitchen TEE Hee good luck

I have to agree with chef david. when it comes to being succesful in anything it takes commitment. dont ever do anything half a-- if being a chef is something you want to do you have to commit. The house wont build itself

You know, Dale Carnagie had his three "c"s for success. As an Executive Chef, I also have my alphabet!

It starts with the The three "A"s
Attitude, Action, Attention to detail

The three "C"s,
Commitment, Communication, Customer service,

The three "D"s
Deliver, Delight, and Dedication

The three "T"s
Taste,Timing and Tenacity,

Be humble, be smart, get the job done, don't slack and watch what you say to your sous chef. FOOD COST!!! And, oh yeah, nobody likes to work for an over- pretentious fire head. (So don't be one), and leave the arrogance at home for your spouse to play with while you are at work 80 hours a week. Take a lot of baby pictures of your children, because it's the last time you'll see them. Bye now, have fun cheffing around.

The 3 that have made me successful are

1) Communicate well
2) Have a sense of humor
3) Handle your financial obligations

The are many more qualities that that make a good cook an excellent chef but I have found that if you consistantly turn out a quality product, keep your food cost in line and develope a loyal crew you've about got the battle won

Chef JoJo CEC, Roanoke VA

interesting discussions

Its not only an art, but it is a business. Its all about control. Control on cost, food cost, labor cost, etc... Control of your team, control in cleanliness and sanitation, control on your inventory. You could put out the best cuisine you want as long it is balance with your cost. Owners and directors meets once a month to talk about the bottom line "REVENUE" ......

In the modern world the executive chef must be highly computer literate and adept an in depth knowledge of cost margin analysis and be adept in the utilisation of state of the art computerised food and beverage costing programmes

patrick@primi-world.com in Cape Town, South Africa said: In the modern world the executive chef must be highly computer literate and adept an in depth knowledge of cost margin analysis and be adept in the utilisation of state of the art computerised food and beverage costing programmes

Patrick how difficult is it tofind a position in S. Africa? I am an executive chef in California and I am looking to make a move some time within the next year. S. Africa is one of the regions on my radar.

Far easier than it would be for me to work in the US with green card etc.

I could put you in touch with various agencies. There are hundreds of high profile jobs on a daily basis.

patrick@primi-world.com in Cape Town, South Africa said: Far easier than it would be for me to work in the US with green card etc.

I could put you in touch with various agencies. There are hundreds of high profile jobs on a daily basis.

Patrick,

That would be great, I appreciate your help. Just out of curiosity aren't there people within S Africa clamoring, or at least interested in the jobs? The situation here in the states, right now is dismal. Anyway any help you could provide would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Anthony

Anthony, why dont you send me your email adress so that we can be in direct contact. This method is a mission!!

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every executive chef must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your executive chef expertise?

An executive chef must:

1)Place the overall guest experience as the main focus of all endevours. Without customers the whole mission falls flat!
2)Tailor the delivery mentioned in the first point to a sound business strategy. Satisfied guests culminating in a bankrupt operation is poinless.
3)To succeed, the executive chef must not only possess extraordinary culinary skills but must be adept and up to date with state of the art computerized stock control programs and have expertise in Cost Margin Analysis and Menu Engineering. The problem with most is that they dont have a clue outside of their culinary abilities.Ice and butter sculptures are fast fading. Making money is the name of the game!

patrick@primi-world.com in Johannesburg, South Africa said: Anthony, why dont you send me your email adress so that we can be in direct contact. This method is a mission!![/QUOTE

Patrick my email is adv_hcv@yahoo.com. Is yours patrick@primiworld.com?

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every executive chef must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your executive chef expertise?

Top 10 Qualities of a Great Culinary Professional
Competition amongst chefs can be fierce, especially for those vying for top spots in the world's toniest restaurants. The top chefs who are known around the world share a set of qualities that separate them from the others. Some of the top qualities the best chefs have in common include:

• 1. Creativity: A great chef must be very creative and always willing to try something new.
• 2. Passion: A great chef has a tremendous passion for food and cooking.
• 3. Good Business Sense: A great chef has a keen business sense and runs a kitchen that produces quality foods but is also cost-effective and efficient.
• 4. Attention to Detail: A great chef pays close attention to detail. Cooking is a science and every ingredient and measurement has a specific role that a chef must be continually aware of.
• 5. Team Player: A great chef understands that he or she is part of a larger food preparation team and that everyone must work harmoniously to ensure the timely production of quality food.
• 6. Committed to Practice: A great chef knows that preparing food requires technique and skill that must be honed after years of practice.
• 7. Ability to Multitask: A great chef is adept at handling many tasks at once.
• 8. Commited to Quality: They seek out the finest ingredients and use the best techniques to deliver the best product possible.
• 9. Make Quick Decisions: A great chef is able to think quickly and can make good decisions when problems arise.
• 10. Willing to Continue Learning: Once you stop learning you may as well call it a day.

adv_hcv@yahoocom:

Your list of the 10 top qualities an Executive Chef should have is right on point.I'm a Sous Chef working under a chef who poses none of these qualities any pointers on how i cant build on the skills i have already too take it to the next level.

The first thing that I would do is find a better job under a chef who knows what he or she is doing. You cant progress if your mentor is an idiot!

patrick@primi-world.com in Johannesburg, South Africa said: The first thing that I would do is find a better job under a chef who knows what he or she is doing. You cant progress if your mentor is an idiot!

I have to concur with Patrick. Find another job if your Chef is as uninspiring as he sounds. You should be able to constantly learn from a good Chef.

litte sous in Chicago, Illinois said: adv_hcv@yahoocom:

Your list of the 10 top qualities an Executive Chef should have is right on point.I'm a Sous Chef working under a chef who poses none of these qualities any pointers on how i cant build on the skills i have already too take it to the next level.

I concur with Patrick, as well. If your chef is that bad find another one. To paraphrase Daniel Boulud you don't have to work for the most famous chefs in the world but you must work for three or four really great chefs. These are people that know how to run a restaurant as well as a kitchen. They have proven themselves by successfully running a restaurant over time. You are in Chicago, I believe, Chicago has some really great chefs. If you can't get on with a chef then volunteer to do a stage on your days off. That is always a great way to go and often can lead to a position.

There have been many great suggestions made in this forum of what it takes to be a great Executive Chef. Knowledge, great customer service, commitment, team player, multi-tasker, passion, creativity, good business sense, commited to quality, attention to detail, control food costs, etc, etc. Nobody seems to mention experience!!! Now days everyone thinks they are qualified to run a multi million dollar business 6 months after they graduate from Chef's School. You learn all of the above with experience on the line, and in the trenches. Any expectations of an Executive Chefs position immediately after graduation from Chef's School is a pipe dream unless you have very good connections.

Tom in Cape Girardeau, Missouri said: 1. staffing
2. staffing
3. staffing

Having the right people working for you makes all the deference.

HI I AM LOOKING FOR A KITCHEN BASED WORKING EXECUTIVE CHEF FOR A TOP CLASS ESTABLISHED RESTAURANT IN NICOSIA CYPRUS
NEED TO BE AN EXPERIENCED AND CREATIVE EXECUTIVE CHEF WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN BUFFET AND ALA CART
WE HAVE EXTREMELY HIGH STANDARD SO ONLY THE BEST NEED REPLY.
AGE: 35+
SALARY 2500 PER MONTH
THANKS
EMAIL: Aperitivojetsetlounge@gmail.com