Janet Baraclough wrote:
>
> The message >
> from Arri London > contains these words:
>
> > Janet Baraclough wrote:
> > >
> > > The message >
> > > from Serene Vannoy > contains these words:
> > >
> > > > On 07/04/2010 11:34 AM, Peter wrote:
> > > > > Hi,
> > > > >
> > > > > I am not sure if this is the appropriate newsgroup to which I should
> > > > > post, so please excuse me if it is not.
> > > > >
> > > > > My question is simply whether one has to go to "cooking school" to
> > > > > become a cook in a restaurant. I ask this question because I am
> > > > > considering making a career change. I am a middle age mathematician
> > > > > and I have the opportunity to cook at a small establishment a friend
> > > > > of mine is opening. I am a good cook, very passionate about food, and
> > > > > love to cook. He knows it, and is willing to put me on. Done the road
> > > > > though, I would like to perhaps move on and I am wondering if anyone
> > > > > will hire me without a proper degree? I don't have any pretensions of
> > > > > trying to become a great chef or of being at a fancy French
> > > > > restaurant: I mostly like to cook simple food well using fresh
> > > > > ingredients.
> > >
> > > > Just do a great job cooking, and take some classes if you have the
> > > > desire. Classes might help you become more proficient at the basics,
> > > > etc., but lots of chefs became successful without cooking school.
> > >
> > > True, but they usually did it by starting at the bottom and working
> > > their way up. Few start at the top.
> > >
> > > There is a gigantic difference, between being able to cook well on
> > > the domestic front for people you know, and being able to organise and
> > > manage a commercial kitchen team
> > > which supplies dozens of dishes to order, simultaneously. ( devise
> > > menus, organise suppliers, order and store the ingredients, balance the
> > > books, *and* manage a complex team of workers
> > > in a high pressure environment while keeping ahead of commercial food
> > > hygiene legislation). Cooking, is only a small part of a chef's
> > > responsibility.
> > >
> > >
> > > Janet
>
> > Some of those responsibilites can be taken over by the restaurant
> > manager as such. In a large establishment, the chef wouldn't necessarily
> > be the accountant or even order the basic supplies. Not every chef has
> > time to go round the farmer's markets every day and do all the shopping
> >
>
> Large establishments usually get their supplies delivered to order.
> IME, in places that cook a different menu daily from scratch, the
> person who devises the menus
> is usually the chef.
>
> Janet


I didn't mention who devises the menus. Other than in a chain place,
that is always within the purview of the chef.