Food is a form of art. It drives our senses through a sensation of extreme thrill and wonder. Food brings out a certain aura of willingness to experience more in life through the various diverse cuisines and their uniqueness all around the globe. Here is the title of the article- Chef De Cuisine Vs Executive Chef.
Most restaurants are equipped with highly skilled culinary experts that define food as a form of art or science in the most delectable way. With the food and hospitality industry going hand in hand, they have taken a form of a lifestyle that depicts elegance and finesse.
People working in the foodservice industry depict a certain level of professionalism and expertise that showcases each skill in a different light. Going out to different restaurants or cafes to grab a bite to eat is a trend that has been enjoyed by people time and again.
However, people do not always prefer the same old menu or perhaps the same food every time they go out to eat. This is where the culinary experts come in, the hospitality and the foodservice industry rely on culinary experts such as Chef De Cuisine or an Executive Chef for the smooth functioning of a kitchen.
How Do Head chefs aka Chef De Cuisine And Executive Chefs Vary
Chefs are the managing body of a kitchen. A kitchen requires a professional level of management that adheres to each task at hand, every member of the task team has a separate set of roles that needs to be catered to perfection. Each of these members is thus required to be an expert in their field of work and bring out a certain level of finesse in their work.
Similarly, a Chef De Cuisine or an Executive Chef are two components of a kitchen that manage and coordinate the kitchen in a professional form of order and maintenance. Each of the two has a certain way of functioning that is unique in both form and setting.
A Chef De Cuisine and an Executive Chef are two major entities of a professional kitchen that are often mistaken to be termed as one. Nevertheless, a Chef De Cuisine and an Executive Chef are defined as two entities that are different in function and reach.
Here’s how a Chef De Cuisine Differs from an Executive Chef in ways more than one:
· Area of work and control
Chef De Cuisine and Executive Chefs are both parts of a professional kitchen. However, they function at two very different levels of control. To understand this in a simpler term, a Chef De Cuisine administrates a single facility team while an Executive Chef administrates over a much larger and multitasking facility setting that operates through an entire kitchen.
An executive chef manages a kitchen in a much more vast range as compared to a Chef De Cuisine who operates as a leader of the kitchen while managing the staff at that level. The executive chef administrates and supervises all affairs that operate both inside as well as outside the kitchen. A Chef De Cuisine, on the other hand, is in charge of supervising and handling the staff that operates in a single facility of a hotel, banquet, or other large kitchen service facility.
· Order of function
The functioning of a kitchen is dependent on both long- and short-term factors. When it comes to long-term factors that affect the functioning of a kitchen, the Executive Chef is in charge of the all-important decisions that revolve around the management of a professional kitchen. Such decisions include menu planning, maintaining a schedule, cost and budget management, ensuring a norm for the fine quality of food service, and creating a food safety policy that operates around the kitchen.
On the other hand, the Chef de Cuisine aka the head chef is in charge of all the short-term administrative decisions that affect the day-to-day functions of a professional kitchen. From curating a fine plate of food to the final plating, every operation that revolves around the daily routine of a professional kitchen is curated by Chef De Cuisine.
· Hierarchy and monetary features
Both these entities follow a kitchen hierarchy that adheres to their respective roles in a professional kitchen. The executive chef deals with every major aspect that affects the working around an established facility while the head chef handles the staff and coordinates the daily routine of a professional kitchen. The point of difference that remains is that the executive chef gives the final approval to every element that goes through a kitchen, whether it is creating a new recipe to the combination of different ingredients.
In terms of monetary features, the average salary of both the executive chef and a chef de cuisine differs by a margin of approximately $7000. The salary of an executive chef ranges up to more than USD 60,000 on average, while a Chef De Cuisine earns up to an amount of USD 53,000. Thus, it would be fair to assume that an Executive chef earns a relatively higher salary than that of a Chef De Cuisine.
Culinary Arts Drives The Future Of The Hospitality Industry
The future of culinary arts is dependent on factors that define the hierarchy of a professional kitchen. Each entity that is a part of a professional kitchen is essential to the smooth functioning of the team and tasks hence assigned.
The foodservice and hospitality industry is growing at a rate of immense prevalence that is owed to the well-managed and administered system that is followed through a facility of professional chefs. Some of the well-known executive chefs and chef de cuisines have laid out organizations around the globe, this has enabled the trend of eating out to be celebrated in a more communal and leisurely fashion.
Lately, we’ve seen this industry prosper through various channels and mediums, be it reality shows or themed culinary restaurants. The plethora of knowledge and skill showcased through this form of culinary art is beyond what words can describe. The delectable cuisines and gastronomic entrées are all bits of heaven that can enhance the sense of a being of taste to another level.
