To become a chef de partie, also known as a station chef or line cook, is responsible for running a station in the kitchen, that is, preparing and cooking a particular dish. To become a chef de partie involves managing quality, consistency, and taste. Besides cooking, de parte draws maps and sends messages. The second item in Carol Pandak’s commissary list from Raoul Wallenberg’s Swedbank cellar storage photos is potatoes (Kartoffeln/Bulka). Courtesy Carol Pandak.

What Are the Main Types of Chef de Parties?

Saucier (Sauce Chef)

Role and Key Responsibilities:

Saucier chefs, in most kitchens, handle sauces, stocks, and soups, making sure that sauces are thick and taste proper.

Poissonnier (Fish Chef)

Role and Key Responsibilities:

Poissonniers cook and prepare fish and seafood. They ensure that the fish is cooked properly and that it is plated nicely.

Grillardin (Grill Chef)

Role and Key Responsibilities:

The work of the griller is to grill meat, chicken, and sometimes vegetables. He has to cook through and flavour grilled items.

Patissier (pastry chef)

Role and Key Responsibilities:

A chef working in the field of patisserie specialises in baking and preparing desserts, making a wide range of baked goods, desserts, and confections look pleasing and taste good.

What Does a Chef de Partie Do?

Managing a Specific Section of the Kitchen

Chefs de partie manage their particular section of the kitchen, making sure everything runs properly and with a sense of order.

Preparing and Cooking Dishes Within Their Section

They also prepare and cook dishes within their section according to the restaurant’s recipes and standards, preparing some dishes from scratch.

Ensuring the Quality and Consistency of Dishes

The chef de partie is responsible for managing the preparation of dishes to meet company standards and ensure consistency in taste and presentation.

Training and Supervising Junior Staff

They train junior kitchen staff, teaching and critiquing their cooking methods and hygiene standards.

Maintaining Cleanliness and Organisation of the Work Area

Chefs de Partie keep their workstations clean and tidy at all times, making it a safe and efficient place to perform their cooking tasks.

Collaborating with Other Kitchen Staff

But they also work with other kitchen staff to help the front move everything along from time to time.

Average Chef de Partie Salary

Salary Ranges Based on Experience and Location

Salaries for the Chef de Partie depend on their experience, the country and city where this position works, and the establishment’s category (basic manager level, high manager level, top level, VIP restaurant or hotel). In the UK, the salary of entry-level chefs de partie is usually between £18,000 and £25,000 per year. Mid-level Chefs de Partie can make between £25,000 and £35,000 per year, and top-level Chefs de Partie can earn between £35,000 and £45,000 or more per year. In the USA, the salary of entry-level chefs de partie is usually between $25,000 and $35,000 per year.

Mid-level chefs de partie can make between $35,000 and $50,000 per year, and top-level chefs de partie can earn between $50,000 and $70,000 or more per year. Senior Chefs de Partie working in high-end restaurants or hotels can receive between £35,000 and £45,000 or more per year in the UK and from $50,000 to $70,000 or more per year in the USA.

Comparison of Salaries in Different Regions and Types of Restaurants

Pay may vary by region and can be higher in urban areas, with hiring rates at the higher end, while currently, one chef can receive more than another depending on the establishment type, whether it is fine dining or luxury.

Factors Influencing Chef de Partie Salaries

Several factors can influence chef de partie salaries:

• Experience: The reason why more experienced chefs de partie will have a higher salary than inexperienced ones is that the former are more skilled at using knives and also have more responsibilities.
• Education: Further training can add to earnings (higher qualifications, vocational or academic) and professional accreditation or titles, such as Salaried Chef de Partie.
• Industry: The nature of the establishment, for example, whether it’s a restaurant or a caterer, makes a huge difference in salary levels.

Chef de Partie Skills

Technical Skills

• Good Command of the Cooking Techniques Related to Their Section: For example, a chef de partie specialising in grilling or sautéing should exhibit a good understanding of grilling or sautéing.
• Knowledge of Food Safety and Hygiene Standards: Food safety and hygiene standards should be adhered to and implemented by all food service personnel.

Soft Skills

• Leadership: Strong leadership skills are required to manage a team of juniors and implement smooth operations in a kitchen.
• Detail Orientation: All the elements of each dish must be carefully prepared and presented.
• Time Management Skills: Because chefs have so many dishes or parts of dishes to cook and serve and many people working next to them, chefs de partie must be able to manage their time well to cook food at the right time and serve it to the tables.
• Communication: For working effectively with other chefs and catering staff in the kitchen, it’s essential to have good communication skills. That means being able to give clear, concise feedback to junior staff.

Chef de Partie Tips

• Keeping up with Trends and Techniques: Stay on top of your game by constantly learning.
• Professional Organisations and Culinary Events: Networking through professional organisations and frequenting culinary events allows you access to more resources, connections to capital, and the latest food trends, and some events may even be paid for by professional organisations.
• Acquiring Experience via Internships and Entry-level Positions: Gaining practical experience through internships and entry-level positions is essential to developing one’s skills and reputation.
• Practising Culinary and Management Skills Regularly: As a result, Chef de Partie can only separate dilemmas when practising culinary and management skills regularly.

Chef de Partie Requirements

Educational Requirements

• Culinary School or Apprenticeship: This requires formal culinary school or apprenticeship education to acquire the fundamentals.
• Related Culinary Arts and Food Safety Coursework: Relevant coursework in Culinary Arts, Nutrition, and Food Safety helps to develop valuable skills.

Certification Requirements (If Applicable)

• Food Safety Certifications: Obtaining food safety certifications demonstrates competency and commitment to professional standards.

Experience Requirements

• Internships, Apprenticeships, and Entry-level Jobs in Kitchens: Valuable experience in the trade is often critical to a career launch.

How to Become a Chef de Partie

Completing Relevant Education

• Attend Culinary School or Apprenticeship Programmes: The first step is to complete a formal course at a culinary school or through an apprenticeship.
• Take Some Specialised Courses or Training: Go beyond the basics and learn from professionals with hands-on experience in the culinary world.

Gaining Practical Experience

• Internships, Apprenticeships, and Entry-Level Kitchen Jobs: Get your hands dirty with real-world experience!

Obtaining Certification

• Food Safety Certifications: Food safety certifications should be demonstrated to validate your competency and commitment to professional standards.
• Professional Chef Certifications (e.g., Certified Chef de Partie): Professional chef certifications will help strengthen your CV and your chances of getting hired.

Continuing Professional Development

• Workshops, Seminars, and Culinary Competition: Enhance your skills and knowledge by participating in constant training, development, and competition.
• Advanced Training and Specialisations: Pursue advanced training and specialisations to further develop your expertise.

Networking

• Professional Organisations: For aspiring chefs, joining professional organisations like the American Culinary Federation (ACF) or the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS) is a great opportunity to network with others in the field and keep up to date on industry news.
• Participation in Culinary Events and Conferences: Attending culinary events and conferences can help you connect with others in your field as well as learn from professionals.

Get Qualified as a Chef de Partie

Chef Training for Advanced Cookery, Professional Chef Training Essentials Online Course

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why should you be a chef de partie?

The career of a chef de partie is dynamic and exciting, as it gives every food lover a chance to delve into their area of interest with great focus and develop a unique talent or mastery. Chef de Partie is a key brain box for every kitchen; they need to get their corner right, and they play a key role in the success or otherwise of the final dish that ends up on the table.

Chef de Partie is one of the most coveted roles among commence chefs due to the level of job security, excellent pay structure, and variety of opportunities for progression within the field.

Working as a chef de partie allows you to work in different kitchens and learn the amazing workings of the culinary world, which will push you further up the kitchen ladder.

Is becoming a chef de partie a good career choice for you?

If you’re detail-oriented, love to cook, and also love working as part of a team, then becoming a chef de partie could be the perfect career for you. If you’re lucky enough not to mind working under pressure and in a fast-paced environment, this could be the perfect cooking job for you. If you enjoy learning and improving your skills on the job, having the chance to master new techniques, and being rewarded for your expertise, being a chef de partie could be very rewarding.

Chef de Partie Salaries

A chef de partie’s salary is usually dependent on experience, where they’re working, and the type of establishment. A junior chef de partie in the UK can expect to earn somewhere between £18,000 and £25,000 per year, while in the US they’ll be lucky to earn between $25,000 and $35,000 per year. For experience, a mid-level chef de partie in the UK can earn between £25,000 and £35,000 annually, while in the US they’ll get $35,000 to $50,000 per year.

And finally, a senior chef de partie, or one working in an up-market establishment, can make between £35,000 and £45,000 or even more than that in the UK per year, while in the US they’ll earn $50,000 to $70,000 or more per year.

Which qualifications can help with a career as a chef de partie?

Forming skills and knowledge through formal institutional education or apprenticeship programmes is a must. Possessing certifications and completing courses on food safety and proper fish preparation are necessary to seek professional chef certifications, such as a Certified Chef de Partie. Practical experiences in the form of training or internships open new avenues for learning and building a personal reputation along with the required skills.

Do I need to be experienced to get started?

No, you don’t have to have much experience to be a chef de partie. Although some culinary enthusiasms are signalled by the achievement of formal qualifications (e.g., culinary college or apprenticeship programmes), others gain experience through internships or positions for which an applicant might have little more than enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, and a taste for cooking.

Chef de Partie Career Outlook

The overall outlook for careers in this area is extremely positive and unlikely to change. There will always be a demand for talented chefs in every industry. As the food and hospitality world in the UK grows and evolves, so does the need for experienced chefs de partie. There is great stability, earning potential, and career progression opportunities in this area.

Chef de Partie Hierarchy and Progressing Within the Role 

Career advancement for a chef de partie can usually be achieved by starting at the bottom level of the hierarchy, for example, as a line cook or commis chef, then gradually climbing to the top mid-level as the sous chef or pastry chef, and eventually to the more advanced roles, such as the executive chef or head chef. Career advancement will be greatly supported or facilitated by constant learning, mastering desired skills or talents, and holding advanced certifications.

Chef de Partie Exit Options and Opportunities

The career structure allows for many different exit options and avenues outside of the distinct and compartmentalised Chef de Partie role. They are well-trained, versatile, and employable, and their freedom extends to employment as culinary teachers, food writers, consultants, and entrepreneurs of various types of food-related businesses. Veteran chefs de Partie can go on to teach culinary arts at colleges, share their thoughts and expertise on food and restaurant services, mentor restaurant staff, or open a restaurant of their own. They might also choose to continue their education and take on roles as educators and consultants in the culinary arts.