Cooking is an essential skill for some people and a hobby for others. For chefs, it’s a skill that defines their career no matter their level of expertise. They cater to specific individuals as per their needs or a large group of people. The school chef job involves working on school premises, performing various roles as requested. They are under the school’s management, to which they report. Their job entails roles indicated by the school heads and other additional duties. This blog highlights several responsibilities below.
Responsibilities of a school chef
The school chef job is like any other chef job, just that the person is based in a school. It’s pretty rare for the chef to prepare special meals. They mainly prepare large quantities of food to cater to all students and staff at particular times during the day.
Preparing menus relevant to the school
Schools use different menus based on their student population and fee payments. So, the school chef creates a menu depending on the set budget. The menu determines the kind of foodstuffs to buy for the different meals. Additionally, it should cater to the kids’ nutritional needs to help developmental growth. On top of menu development, the school chef prepares the food or is assisted by other junior cooks. In the latter case, he oversees the cleaning and cutting or chopping of the ingredients.
Maintaining a clean kitchen
A clean and tidy kitchen means the foods made are also safe to consume. It prevents the infestation of bacteria or insects that may affect the children’s immunity. The chef may not necessarily do the cleaning but instead assign other kitchen staff to do it. The school chef ensures the job is well done per the health regulatory bodies’ health guidelines. The tidying process entails proper storage and disposal of foodstuffs. Correct storage prevents unnecessary contamination or food spoilage. Discarding bad or expired foods ensures none is consumed wrongly, causing infections.
Head of the kitchen staff
The school chef job gives the appropriate chef authority over all kitchen staff. They are in charge of everything happening in the kitchen and the people working in it. They guide the staff on what to do at any given time. The chef develops a roaster, indicating everyone’s role and the time for each. As mentioned earlier, they make sure all health guidelines are adhered to.
Planning and organizing
Under the school management, the school head cook plans cooking events or training for the staff. They also must participate in the training and better themselves as a department. Both the chef and junior cook better their skills which they apply in the kitchen and food preparation.
Kitchen maintenance
The chef ensures all kitchen equipment is in good condition and functions as desired. A school kitchen functions like a commercial kitchen considering the amount of food prepared in it. This means that the gadgets are bigger than a standard kitchen and are pretty costly. The chef is answerable for any equipment breakdown since the school management cannot always be in and out of the kitchen.
Record keeping
Record management is necessary for all kitchens. The chefs often turn in these records to the school department for budget planning and other essential things. Record keeping is important not only for current use but also for the future. Anyone can view and understand what has been happening even after the chef leaves. The record also indicates the performance of each kitchen staff in their roles.
Final words
School chefs pretty much prepare and cook food for kids and school staff. However, the job comes with other duties that they personally do or delegate to others. They head to the kitchen premises but report to the school management. The school chef job entails multiple duties, some common to chefs but others given by the school itself.
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