Top Catering Jobs for Qualified Career-minded Professionals

Mention catering jobs and you’ll only know how enormous this field is if you’re involved in it or you’ve done some research on the subject. Moreover, for most people working in this challenging but rewarding industry, it is a career, calling or a profession to which they are dedicated.

However, the English language is constantly changing, so therefore many persons refer to virtually any employment opportunity in the broad catering (or other) field as a “job” today, even when they’re committed to and passionate about their occupation, intending to be employed and earning a living in their industry for the rest of their working lives.

He Named Catering Jobs

It was one of the fathers of modern cuisine who developed a model to give a title to all kitchen personnel, describing their jobs and designating their hierarchy in the latter part of the 19th century. This French master chef, Georges Auguste Escoffier, named his concept and system “Brigade de cuisine”, known in English speaking countries as “kitchen staff” or “team”, or “kitchen contingent”.

Because Escoffier’s was a Frenchman, working and speaking in his native tongue, and all subsequent catering training methods and gourmet cuisine principals remain based on classical French techniques, catering jobs and stations are still formally called by their French names, all over the world.

As indicated, the list of catering job descriptions is extensive and long. Not all kitchens employ the full complement of personnel; only the very largest restaurants might do so. We list the most commonly occupied positions.

Typical Catering Positions

• Chef de cuisine – the kitchen’s chef, also known as head or executive chef, who is in charge of the entire kitchen and everyone, plus everything in it and all activities which take place there. He/she has a management function, supervises, trains and mentors others, is responsible for the budget, orders ingredients, helps plan menus, creates new dishes and ensures that hygiene standards are faultless.

• Sous-chef de cuisine – deputy chef, second in command, who stands in for the chief, as and when necessary.

• Saucier – makes sauces, prepares hot hors d’oeuvres and sautés foods, assist with fish dishes and attends to the completion of meats.

• Chef de partie – a senior chef, allocated to and manages a particular station where specific types of dishes are made. A demi-chef performs tasks at a less significant station.

• Cuisinier – a cook who has an independent job. He/she is responsible for cooking certain specified dishes, working under the aforementioned person.

• Commis – junior cook, allocated to a specified station where the incumbent is responsible for looking after the utensils, tools and aid which are used there.

• Apprenti/e – the apprentice, typically a student gathering hands-on, real-time working experience during the course of undergoing formal theoretical and practical tuition. An apprentice is usually also involved with prepping the kitchen, prior to the commencement of each station’s duties, and cleaning.

• Poissonier – this fish cook produces fish and seafood.

• Garde manger – pantry manager/supervisor, whose primary job is making cold dishes, such as salads and cold hors d’oeuvres, and attending to buffet layout.

• Patissier – prepares pastries, desserts and sweet items with which to complete a meal, may also be required to bake breads and cakes, and prepare fresh pasta.

Assistance with Employment Opportunities

Just being a graduate of our highly respected chefs’ academy – the top culinary school in South Africa – gives you an advantage over other applicants when you’re seeking employment opportunities, since many hospitality concerns will only interview people who have qualified through our programmes.

As a service to our graduates and industry associates, our website puts catering job seekers in touch with prospective employers completely free of charge, at the touch of a button, while enabling employers to find a confirmed academy graduate without having to peruse hundreds of applications.