SUPPORT SYSTEM

Chefs don’t just have to deal with matters in the kitchen, rather they are increasingly getting involved in the business elements of the F&B operations they work for.

Magagna said it was important for chefs to learn more about financial issues especially if they have problems with the management, so it will be easier to plead their case. He explained: “The financial part is essential to understand for a chef. They need to understand the business reasons before speaking to their boss about anything.”

Understanding more about the business does lead to steps up the career ladder, but then eventually leads to less time in the kitchen.

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Micheel said: “Does an executive chef actually spend time in the kitchen? They mostly deal with PR, HR or marketing & sales.” Gradnitzer pointed out that the problem with the new breed of chefs is that they try to climb up the ladder faster, and that “the higher they get, the more they think they don’t need to cook anymore”. Triemer added: “People like to delegate tasks but at the end they don’t even know how to do it themselves.”

This brought the advisory panel back to the issue of training, and how there need to be better standards in the industry. In addition, a governing body to oversee chefs’ training was called for, as this was a gap in the market.

Sood said empowerment was also related. “There is a problem with missing ownership in the industry. If you don’t give ownership to the person taking care of the operation, then that’s a problem. The owners aren’t properly involved. If chefs own the restaurants, they care for it from top to bottom.”

Segura said through previous experiences in hotels, not many chefs can choose their ingredients without other departments getting involved. Sood agreed and said that as a chef, when he creates a menu, “why does the sales department have to decide the price of that menu? That is my food and I know what’s going in it. They need the recipe for the cost control but when the sales department price it, they don’t see the costing”.

Gradnitzer said relationships between different departments was of utmost importance, and pointed out there is a difference between standalone and hotel outlets. He said: “Independent outlets work more as a team than hotel ones; it’s like a family operation.”