Ever sat in a busy restaurant and wondered how they can possibly keep the food coming out hot and fresh and in such a timely manner? You may be thinking of your own cooking forays – messy, disorganised, and rarely served on time.
Most likely, a head chef (or Chef de Cuisine) stands at the head of the kitchen, and monitors a line of other workers who neatly and systematically work together under the kitchen brigade system, also known as the Chef de partie system. This organisational hierarchy is what allows the culinary magic to happen.
Georges-Auguste Escoffier was born in Southern France in 1846. He became an apprentice chef in his uncle’s restaurant Le Petite Moulin Rough, at the tender age of 13. Before long he was offered a job in Paris and soon found himself as the chef of the general quarters of the Army of the Rhine, at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.
Perhaps this is where he first learned the art of discipline and order, which would soon greatly influence his culinary work and eventually, the world. You see, Escoffier had been initially trained, like many of his contemporaries, in a centuries old system of kitchen organisation – one that was characterized by chaos, disorganisation, and abysmal inefficiency. The kitchens and dishes were split up and served based on the different types of food.
Even as an apprentice Escoffier had a knack for organisation. After the war, Escoffier worked in, and eventually opened, a number of grand hotels in Paris, Switzerland, and London. While at the Savoy in London, Escoffier formally introduced his army-influenced organisational method to the kitchens there. It became known as the Chef de partie system, and the idea was to avoid duplication of tasks, and to make communication between the various staff members easier.
Round of applause for old-mate Georges! (If you haven’t guessed, we use the Chef de partie system here at our very own Impressive Platters kitchen. One look at our extensive menu should tell you that we wouldn’t know what to do without it!).
This method relied chiefly on a strict chain of command based on rank:
Chef de Cuisine: This is the top dog, head honcho, commander general of the kitchen. He/she is in charge of the entire kitchen and will make all the big calls!
Sous Chef: This lucky fella is second-in-command and primarily supervises and coordinates the station chefs (chef de parties).
Chefs de Partie: Yep, you guessed it – these are the various station chefs who have responsibility for a certain part of the meal (or meals). Stations are generally divided up according to the ingredients the chefs specialise in, or methods of cooking. A chef de partie will often have demi chefs and commis chefs at their beck and call (see below).
Demi Chef: These lads and lasses are assistant station chefs. They are primarily in charge of food preparation within their section and will take charge in the absence of the chef de partie.
Commis Chef: A commis is an attendant assigned to a station, usually in charge of the lower-skilled work. They are often in training to climb the ladder to a demi chef position!
Apprentice: This poor guy is lowest on the food chain given the heavy lifting work while he/she studies and trains to become a commis chef and then begin the climb up the culinary ladder. An apprentice will work at all different stations to learn the various tricks of the trade.
In larger, commercial-grade kitchens, you will also find positions such as saucier (sauté chef), friturier (fry chef), boucher (butcher), and other similar positions. However, the introduction of modern electrical appliances means many of these lesser positions are now no longer needed.
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