Advice for Recruiting and Retaining your Chef

The most important and critical aspect to understand and
implement; is that the chef is your business. Without a good client
experience, your business is vulnerable. Extract from one of today's
leading and most successful restaurateurs, Gordon Ramsay "My answer to
anyone remotely interested in how we run restaurants is that any new
restaurant concept must always start with the chef. Not with the location,
not with the restaurant designer and not with the smooth talking
front-of-house manager. The passion, the focus and drive of the chef are
what will make the restaurant work. Ultimately, we believe it will be his
menu that people come to taste". The full article can be viewed in the
Chefs Forums under "must read article's".Identify and recruit the right
chef.If you are recruiting a "Head Chef", why then advertise, this would
suit a Sous Chef ready for his first role as "Head Chef"? This chef is
your business, are you then going to take a chance that he may or may not
be ready to drive your profits forward! Similarly why recruit a Chef for a
franchised "retail park" restaurant when what you are looking for is a
"line cook" not a Chef. Remuneration Recruitment agencies and catering
magazines give you industry standard salary guidelines. ChefsWorld looks
at the Relief Chef market.An average Chef De Partie who is working the
relief circuit can expect to earn up to £25 000 per annum, compared to
the "industry standard" of £16,000. Why would I offer this? A large
percentage of smaller successful businesses are balancing the salaries
offered, with profit related bonuses. Another increasingly popular option
is profit related share options.So how does this work towards retaining my
Chef and still running a profitable business?Your Chef will now spend most
of his waking hours in the kitchen, how do you keep the passion and drive
crucial to your business?Spending a week or two weeks a year (not holiday
entitlement) in another kitchen similar to your business keeps your Chef
up to date with new styles and trends. ChefsWorld networking area can be
useful to find available properties; you would also benefit your kitchen
by registering and having fresh ideas and talent in your kitchen
periodically.Your kitchen needs to be maintained, apart from being the
core of your business, the chef/s need to have the right equipment for the
task at hand and that equipment needs to be maintained to ensure a healthy
working environment. Your business model should be worked around your
kitchen and what that kitchen is capable of producing, similarly your
dining areas should be worked around your kitchen. The kitchen size and
design will dictate the size and style of the menu and dining
capacity.Kitchen misconceptionThe lowly Kitchen porter paid minimum wage
and left to get on with it as he/ she sees fit.You have just entrusted all
your business assets to this person. A pot, pan, plate, knife, glass if
cleaned, maintained and stored correctly will last indefinatly, reducing
your outlay and increase profits.In most of Europe's leading kitchens the
lowly kitchen porters are paid bonuses based on asset retention.ChefsWorld
is also available to consult on individual business needs. Please use the
contact us, page for this service.

Article Source: http://www.christiannotepad.com

Tim Capper - ChefsWorld www.chefsworld.net