Requirements for the personnel of enterprises Catering determines not only the organization itself, they are dictated by GOST. Catering establishments are places where many people come, hoping not only to enjoy delicious food cooked in right conditions but also to get a quality service. Exist state standards to which such enterprises must comply, and these standards also stipulate the requirements for personnel.

It is important to note that for all the exactingness and severity of GOST, catering establishments - canteens, cafes and restaurants - nothing prevents them from maintaining their own style and making additional requirements when hiring staff.

The staff at catering establishments includes not only the cook, waiters and kitchen workers. All workers are divided into three categories:

• administrative staff, which includes the director, accountant and managers;
• service personnel, which include those employees who are in contact with customers and are directly responsible for the quality of service in the institution - administrators, waiters, head waiters, bartenders and bartenders;
• production personnel, this category includes cooks, technologists, sushi chefs, culinary specialists, confectioners, etc., that is, those who are engaged in cooking.

General requirements for employees of all categories

There are such requirements that apply to employees of public catering enterprises when hiring, regardless
which category they belong to.

First of all, a sufficient level of professional training is required, which guarantees the employee's knowledge of all the theoretical and practical features of the profession. So, cooks must have certificates of graduation from educational institutions in the profession of a cook. This characteristic must be strictly observed.

Observance of sanitation is mandatory, which implies the availability of a valid medical book for all staff, including waiters and hall workers. This means that the company obliges the employee to comply with the rules of personal hygiene and cleanliness of the workplace. Personal hygiene is very important. For example, cooks are prohibited from having long fingernails and manicures, and from keeping personal items such as cell phones on work surfaces in the kitchen.

All workers must be made aware that they must comply with health and safety regulations in their workplace. Such training should be carried out by the company itself for its employees.

Requirements for production personnel

The most stringent requirements are imposed on those who work in the kitchen and are engaged in the preparation of food and cooking for the guests of the institution.

In particular, such employees should always wear only sanitary clothing and footwear at their workplace. They cannot work in their home clothes. At the same time, such clothes and shoes should undergo regular dry cleaning in order to always be without traces of any contamination. Accommodation allowed company logos or company badges on such clothing.

At the same time, it is forbidden to go out into the hall in sanitary clothes and communicate with consumers of catering services.

All personal clothing of personnel in which people come to work should be stored during the day in a specially designated room.

If catering workers show signs of any disease, cuts or burns on their hands, the administration of the organization should immediately find out about this and immediately remove this employee from work until he fully recovers.

Service personnel requirements

The service staff of a public catering enterprise - waiters, administrators, bartenders - is constantly in contact with visitors, so the success and profitability of the business largely depends on its literacy and professionalism.

The main characteristics of such workers are the ability to be polite, tactful, friendly even during conflict situations. Such staff should be available to assist guests, for example disabled guests, if necessary.

Waiters must have an impeccable knowledge of the menu, including the ingredients and how each dish is prepared.

Administrators must have the skills to deal with complaints and complaints from guests, as well as be responsible for the correct and coordinated work of all employees.

Requirements for administrative staff

Responsibilities for Human Resource Management in a foodservice establishment administrative staff. The competent organization of the activities of the entire institution depends on it.

Such workers should be able to monitor the effectiveness of the activities of workers and production, know the methods of introducing new, modern technologies, control the quality of service and conduct safety briefings at the workplace.

Administrative personnel must carefully monitor compliance with the requirements of labor protection and sanitary condition of the enterprise and its employees.

One of the most important requirements is knowledge technological process, the order of development and preparation of the menu, the skills to determine the norms of loss of raw materials. Thus, a technologist or process engineer must be able to monitor the quality of products used in the preparation of dishes, semi-finished products and other culinary products made by employees. They are also responsible for grading and organoleptic testing, which is necessary in deadlines produce to all organizations working in the field of providing catering services.

The requirements for the warehouse manager are the ability to properly organize warehousing and equipment storage facilities, as well as supplying the organization material resources which are essential for smooth operation.

The warehouse manager must be familiar with all standards and specifications, which stipulate the storage of products and semi-finished products. He must also be able to systematize and properly save all incoming documents to account for raw materials stored and used. The head of the warehouse is responsible for monitoring the correct operation and timely repair work storage and refrigeration equipment. In the event of breakdowns, the warehouse manager must immediately report this to the management and call repair specialists.

The main requirement for the storekeeper is the ability to receive incoming food products, on-site document verification and inventory allocation.

Additional requirements

It is important that all staff know how to properly store the products from which dishes are prepared for the guests of the institution.

First of all, personnel should monitor the presence of labeling on all food products that are stored and used. He must control the quality of these products and their timely write-off.

When receiving packaged products, it is necessary to control the correctness and integrity of the packaging. An important requirement is knowledge of the rules of the commodity neighborhood when storing ready-made dishes, preparations and semi-finished products.

We continue to talk about special categories of workers, when applying for a job, it is necessary to follow not only general, but also special rules. Today we will talk about chefs who can work both in a small summer cafe and in a trendy club. By hiring an unresponsive cook established requirements, the head of the organization risks losing not only money, but also the business ...

The special requirements that the current legislation imposes on employees of public catering organizations can be explained by the intention to ensure the safety of those who eat a variety of culinary delights. Therefore, in addition to the general rules labor law and labor protection when hiring a culinary specialist, the employer is obliged to check:

• the qualification of the employee as a cook (pastry chef and other public catering worker)* must have a state document on special education (qualification requirements are presented in the table on page 26);
• the state of health of an employee to determine his suitability for work, the absence of chronic diseases that can subsequently lead to professional, the absence of diseases that can lead to the spread of various infections.

Cook Qualification Requirements

Job title	Qualifications		Job Responsibilities**
	Education	Special work experience
2nd category	Primary or secondary vocational*	-	Ancillary work
3rd category		-	Simple cooking
4th category		-	Culinary processing of medium complexity
5th category		-	Complex cooking. Preparation of menus, applications for products, accounting and reporting.
6th category	Secondary vocational education**	-	Particularly complex culinary processing. Drawing up a banquet menu, a menu for servicing individual contingents of those who eat, ways to eliminate defects in finished products
Production manager (chef)			Management of the production and economic activities of the unit
6-8 category	Secondary vocational education	3 years	Supervising the work of cooks carrying out culinary processing of medium complexity
9-10 category	Higher professional education	5 years	Supervising the work of chefs performing complex culinary processing
11-12 category			Supervising the work of chefs who carry out particularly complex culinary processing
* OST 28-1-95 “Industry standard. Catering. Requirements to production staff”(approved by the Committee of the Russian Federation on Trade on March 1, 1995), the List of professions of primary vocational education, which are not allowed to receive in the form of an external student (approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of October 26, 2000 No. 823). ** Tariff and qualification characteristics according to industry-wide positions employees (approved by the Decree of the Ministry of Labor of Russia of November 10, 1992 No. 30), the Unified Tariff and Qualification Reference Book of Works and Professions of Workers, Issue 51 (approved by the Decree of the Ministry of Labor of Russia of March 5, 2004 No. 30).

If everything is in order with the qualifications and health of the cook, he must be trained in safe working methods and techniques.

Culinary qualification

Questions from our readers suggest that in many organizations labor relations with workers who are required to have special qualifications are not given sufficient attention. This is especially true for job titles; here there is simply no limit to fantasy, and often this is justified. Just not with a cook. Remember the cook standing at the stove has the right to additional leave for working in hazardous conditions. You can legally grant him this leave only if the name of his position corresponds qualification handbook(Article 57 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). The names of the positions of culinary specialists and the duration of the additional leave they are entitled to are presented in the table on page 28.

Name of culinary positions and duration of additional leave*

Employee position	Industry, place of work, responsibilities		Item on the list	Vacation, worker. days
caboose	B. Sea transport	Passenger ships, icebreakers, long-range transport self-propelled and tugboats
	.
	Fish industry fleet	Vessels technical, service and auxiliary and other types of fleet
	.	Long-distance ships
Confectioner		Directly employed at pastry ovens and electric ovens
Baker	B. Sea transport	Passenger ships, icebreakers and long-range transport self-propelled and tugboats
		Vessels of small navigation, service and auxiliary, technical and other types
	Fish industry fleet
		Long-distance ships
Cook	D. River transport	Tankers carrying oil products
	Fish industry fleet	Vessels technical, service and auxiliary and other types of fleet
	Fish industry fleet	Long-distance ships
	XLIII. General professions of all branches of the national economy	Working at the stove
	Catering establishments	Working at the stove
	When working on a ship
Chef of all kinds	B. Sea transport	Passenger ships, icebreakers and long-distance transport self-propelled and tugboats
Chef of all kinds		Vessels of small navigation, service and auxiliary, technical and other types of fleet
workers	Catering establishments	Directly employed at pastry ovens and electric ovens
* List of industries, workshops, professions and positions with harmful working conditions, work in which gives the right to additional leave and a shorter working day (approved by the Decree of the USSR State Committee for Labor and the Presidium of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions dated October 25, 1974 No. 298 / P-22).

What about our health?

To determine whether an employee can work for you without harm to himself and others, a mandatory preliminary medical examination will help. The procedure for conducting medical examinations, their frequency and special requirements for the composition of the commissions are regulated by both federal legislation and the laws of the constituent entities of the Federation.

Mandatory at the federal level medical examinations chefs are regulated by the following special regulations:

• Order of the Ministry of Health of the USSR dated September 29, 1989 No. 555 “On improving the system of medical examinations of workers and individual drivers Vehicle»;
• Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia dated August 16, 2004 No. 83 "On approval of the lists of harmful and (or) dangerous production factors and work, during the performance of which preliminary and periodic medical examinations (examinations) are carried out, and the procedure for conducting these examinations (examinations)".

The procedures and frequency of mandatory medical examinations in Moscow are presented in the table on page 30. Samples required documents for the organization of a medical examination, we cited in the last issue of the magazine.

Procedures and frequency of mandatory medical examinations in Moscow*

Professions, industries, enterprises obliged to conduct medical examinations and hygienic certification	Procedures and frequency of passage
	preliminary	Periodic
Employees of catering establishments, buffets, kiosks, catering departments of all institutions and organizations
Employees of cream and confectionery shops, industries, children's dairy kitchens	Examination by a therapist and dermatovenereologist, blood test for syphilis, bacterioscopic examination for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, fluorographic examination of the chest organs. Examination for the intestinal group of infections, examination by a dentist, an otolaryngologist and a smear from the nasopharynx for staphylococcus aureus	Examination by a dermatovenereologist, blood test for syphilis and bacterioscopic examination for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis 2 times a year, examination by a general practitioner and fluorographic examination of the chest once a year
Enterprise employees food industries industry, bases and warehouses for storage and sale food products	Examination by a therapist and dermatovenereologist, blood test for syphilis, bacterioscopic examination for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, fluorographic examination of the chest organs. Examination for intestinal group of infections	Examination by a dermatovenereologist, blood test for syphilis and bacterioscopic examination for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis 2 times a year, examination by a general practitioner and fluorographic examination of the chest once a year
Employees of educational institutions ( comprehensive schools, orphanages, vocational schools, technical schools, boarding schools, lyceums, colleges)	Examination by a therapist and dermatovenereologist, blood test for syphilis, bacterioscopic examination for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, fluorographic examination of the chest, examination by a dentist, otolaryngologist and examination of a smear from the nasopharynx for staphylococcus aureus	Examination by a dermatovenereologist, blood test for syphilis and bacterioscopic examination for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis once a year, examination by a general practitioner and fluorographic examination of the chest once a year
Employees of seasonal children's and teenage health institutions (before starting work)	Examination by a therapist and dermatovenereologist, blood test for syphilis, bacterioscopic examination for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, fluorographic examination of the chest organs	.
Children's workers preschool institutions(nurseries, kindergartens, orphanages, boarding schools, year-round health resorts for children)	Examination by a therapist and dermatovenereologist, blood test for syphilis, bacterioscopic examination for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, fluorographic examination of the chest organs. Examination for intestinal group of infections	Examination by a dermatovenereologist, blood test for syphilis and bacterioscopic examination for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis 4 times a year, examination by a general practitioner and fluorographic examination of the chest once a year
Employees of medical and preventive institutions serving adults and children, as well as sanatoriums, rest homes, boarding houses, boarding schools and homes for the disabled and the elderly, directly related to the nutrition of patients	Examination by a therapist and dermatovenereologist, blood test for syphilis, bacterioscopic examination for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, fluorographic examination of the chest organs. Examination for intestinal group of infections	Examination by a dermatovenereologist, blood test for syphilis and bacterioscopic examination for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis 2 times a year, examination by a general practitioner and fluorographic examination of the chest once a year
* Decree of the Government of Moscow dated December 28, 1999 No. 1228 "On mandatory preventive medical examinations and hygienic certification."

Medical books

Data on mandatory preliminary and periodic medical examinations of culinary specialists must be entered in personal medical books **.

Personal medical books are issued by the employer in the center of hygiene and epidemiology in the following order:

• sends to the Department of Rospotrebnadzor of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation an application for professional hygienic training and certification;
• enters into an agreement;
• registers and receives personal medical books;
• conducts preliminary (when applying for a job) and periodic medical examinations in territorial medical institutions (under contracts) with the results recorded in medical books;
• sends employees for professional hygienic training (training) and certification to the territorial bodies of Rospotrebnadzor (the results of certification are entered into a personal medical book and holograms are put).

A completed personal medical book is issued to the employee, but must be deposited with the employer. In exceptional cases (if the employee fulfills his labor function at remote points) it is allowed to transfer a personal medical book to the hands of an employee. Upon dismissal and transfer to another employer, the personal medical book remains with the employee.

Quite often you can find in the mandatory requirements section of job advertisements “Having a medical book” is mandatory. Be careful if you make a book, miss the deadline for a periodic examination, or lack at least one of necessary analyzes It is the employer organization that suffers in the first place. The medical book is invalid if at least one examination in it is not done with the frequency determined by normative document. Representatives of control and supervisory authorities can not only suspend employees from work and issue a fine, but also suspend your activities.

We advise you to make copies of the medical books of employees and keep them in personal files or in a separate folder. In case of loss of the book, the employee should be immediately suspended from work (Article 76 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation), and then sent to the territorial body of Rospotrebnadzor to restore the book.

We quote the law Individual entrepreneurs and legal entities, in accordance with their activities, are obliged to: comply with the requirements of the sanitary legislation, as well as resolutions, instructions and sanitary and epidemiological conclusions, exercising state sanitary and epidemiological supervision of officials; develop and carry out sanitary and anti-epidemic (preventive) measures; ensure the safety for human health of the work performed and the services provided, as well as industrial and technical products, food products and goods for personal and household needs during their production, transportation, storage, sale to the population; exercise production control, including through laboratory research and testing, over compliance with sanitary rules and sanitary and anti-epidemic (preventive) measures in the performance of work and the provision of services, as well as in the production, transportation, storage and sale of products; have officially issued sanitary rules, methods and techniques for monitoring environmental factors; carry out hygienic training of employees

And what will we do for it?

In order to fulfill all the necessary requirements for the safe work of a culinary specialist, the employer has to invest significant funds, and, of course, there is a great temptation to save. However, the security savings come at a much higher cost.

Violation of the requirements is subject to administrative, criminal and civil liability.

Administrative responsibility:

• violation of labor protection rules is punishable by a fine for officials up to 5,000 rubles; For legal entities up to 50,000 rubles (Article 5.27 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation);
• violation of existing sanitary rules and hygiene standards, is punishable by a fine for individuals 500-1000 rubles; for legal entities 10,000-20,000 rubles (Article 6.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation);
• Violation of sanitary and epidemiological requirements for the organization of catering for the population in specially equipped places during the preparation of food and drinks, their storage and sale is punishable by a fine for citizens of 1000-1500 rubles, for individual entrepreneurs 2000-3000 rubles, for legal entities 20,000-30,000 rubles (Article 6.6 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation);
• the provision of services to the public that do not meet the requirements of the standards is punishable by a fine for citizens of 1000-1500 rubles, for officials 2000-3000 rubles, for legal entities 20000-30000 rubles (Article 14.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

Criminal Liability:

• Violation of safety regulations or other labor protection rules, if this negligently caused serious harm to human health, is punishable by a fine of up to 200,000 rubles, correctional labor for up to two years, or imprisonment for up to one year (Part 1 of Art. 143 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules, which negligently caused a mass disease or poisoning of people, is punishable by a fine of up to 80,000 rubles, correctional labor for up to one year, or restraint of liberty for up to three years (part 1 of article 236 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• the provision of services that do not meet the requirements for the safety of life or health of consumers is punishable by a fine of up to 300,000 rubles, restriction or imprisonment for up to two years (part 1 of article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Civil responsibility:

• the harm caused is subject to compensation in full by the person who caused the harm (Article 1064 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation);
• the employer compensates for the harm caused by his employee (Article 1068 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation).

All these costs significantly exceed the costs of qualified employee training and medical supervision.

* For more details on the labor market of these workers, see No. 6, 2007.

** Articles 23, 30 federal law dated January 2, 2000 No. 29-FZ "On the quality and safety of food products", art. 34 of the Federal Law of March 30, 1999 No. 52-FZ "On the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population."

A cook is a specialist who prepares food for catering.

The main goal of the cook's work is to prepare food according to the recipe in compliance with the cooking technology, which must have good taste and beautiful appearance.

• Chef- This is, first of all, the head of production. He is engaged in drawing up orders, receives food from the warehouse, monitors the quality of goods and the volume of deliveries. What will be on your menu today - only the chef decides, taking into account the wishes of consumers. Tasks for junior chefs and other employees are also distributed by the chef. This person monitors whether sanitary requirements to cooking, controls the proportions of raw materials for dishes. The chef regulates the employees' output to work according to the schedule drawn up by him, and also keeps a record of products, draws up reports and implements rationalization proposals aimed at improving labor activity.
• Pastry chef. Trains confectionery of all kinds. Cake, roll, cupcake and pastry are the work of a pastry chef. He is able to prepare any filling, beat a delicious cream, roll out the dough. From chocolate, fruits and nuts, such chefs create masterpieces. They are also engaged in the manufacture of semi-finished products, they can skillfully determine the weight of the finished product.
• Chef-technologist. Manages the organization of the entire process of procurement of raw materials. He is responsible for quality control, calorie content of the daily food intake, preparing menus and providing price lists. Distributes tasks between a team of cooks, creates branded recipes for dishes with technological maps. Provides cooks with briefings and maintains documentation. He is responsible for accounting for basic materials, goods and cooked food.

There are different chefs: a chef, a baker, a cook on a ship, a confectioner, a sushi chef.

Cooking profession

The roots of the craft go back to those distant times, when people learned how to make fire and fry raw meat and fish on it. Delicious food was especially appreciated by the noble people of Ancient Rome and Greece.

In the 17th century in Rus', skillful cooks were engaged in cooking, and the 19th century is famous for its cooking schools. In the annals, one can find references to the Magi, who are still considered the first cooks. Say what you like, but cooks have been valued at all times. The need for qualified specialists today dictates the restaurant business, making the profession of a cook even more in demand.

Worldwide The 20th of October chefs celebrate their professional holiday - "Cook's Day".

Advantages and disadvantages

The profession of a cook has a number of advantages:

• there is scope for creativity;
• a qualified cook will not be left without work;
• decent income;
• the opportunity to cook delicious and healthy food for your loved ones, friends, loved ones.

In the culinary field, chefs face certain difficulties:

• it’s hard to be on your feet throughout the day, and even perform physical activity, lifting weights;
• lost vigilance, as a result - received a cut or burn;
• the need to cook several dishes in parallel leads to fatigue of the whole organism by the end of the work shift.

Requirements for the profession of a cook

• When hiring a culinary specialist, a recruiter, first of all, the education of a specialist is of interest. People with secondary education have every chance of getting a job.
• The employer wants to take on his team a person who would understand the recipe for cooking, own the technology for the production of culinary products and semi-finished products.
• The applicant must understand the compatibility of products, their shelf life and the results of cooking.
• The cook is obliged to navigate the labeling of the raw materials used, to possess merchandising skills.
• Know the Basics proper nutrition and methods of preparing dietary meals.
• A qualified specialist should be able to determine the quality of products by smell.

People who follow innovations in the field of cooking are appreciated.

Job Responsibilities

Wherever your work activity takes place, but if your profession is a cook, then you must:

• receive products;
• observe the general technology of cooking;
• use kitchen utensils correctly;
• ensure proper accounting and storage of raw materials;
• cook a dish prescribed in the menu;
• know the caloric features of products and monitor their expiration date;
• maintain cleanliness and order in the workplace.

The main task of the cook- prepare various dishes, decorate them, develop new own recipes.

Responsibility of the cook

The Culinary Specialist is responsible for:

• compliance with safety standards;
• the quality of the prepared products;
• cooking sequence;
• output portion weight.

The scope of responsibility of the cook is determined by the employer of the organization, who has the right to make the necessary amendments to the job description.

Powers of the cook

The qualified person is authorized to:

• interact with related organizations and their subdivisions;
• make decisions and give orders in the event of force majeure circumstances by the nature of their activities;
• take part in the inventory.

The chef has the right to act within his competence.

Features of the profession of a cook

Becoming a good qualified specialist is not given to everyone. First of all, a chef must love his job, have imagination and creativity. Talented, organized, accurate and attentive to details people become chefs.

The main feature of the profession of a cook- a very developed taste perception and a subtle sense of smell, as well as a good memory.

Professional skills and abilities of the cook

A qualified person must learn:

• properly handle kitchen utensils;
• cook strictly according to the recipe;
• perform food processing;
• determine the quality of raw materials and additional components provided for work;
• skillfully arrange a ready-to-eat product;
• determine the value of the prepared dish.

Preference is given to cooks who know how to use production inventory and equipment, as well as comply with the technology for the preparation of flour, confectionery and other types of products.

Personal qualities

A good cook has the following character traits:

• the presence of olfactory and tactile sensitivity, a developed eye, rich imagination;
• activity, responsibility, endurance, well-developed hand motor skills.

A chef who is guided by courage and ingenuity can already be called a professional, because not everyone is able to create something worthwhile and present their dishes to the judgment of strict connoisseurs.

Chef career

You can get a job as an assistant cook in your student years. You have to do a lot of dirty work: clean, clean, cut, wash. The main thing is to present yourself well. Then everything will go by itself: simple dishes will gradually not be of interest to you, your knowledge and experience will improve every day. Over time, you will be able to increase your qualifying category, and when you reach the sixth, you will become a contender for the position of the chef.

Having studied all the subtleties of the craft, you can safely open your own restaurant business.

Cook's work places

• The service sector is gaining momentum today, which means that chefs are needed in restaurants and bars, cafes and shopping and entertainment establishments.
• You need to cook food in kindergartens and schools, workers' canteens, hospitals.
• Working as a personal chef in a family of wealthy people is no less prestigious than cooking for a chic restaurant.

A good chef is in demand in any industry and will never be out of work.

earnings

How much you will earn as a chef depends on many factors.

The owners of popular establishments, in order to entice the best professionals, do not offend chefs and are ready to pay good money for their work. Also, a lot depends on the location of the institution and the pricing policy of the kitchen.

Of course, if you are cooking for budget organizations, schools or canteens, then you should not count on a large income. Lots of work, lots of responsibility, but little pay. Well, if you get $500 in your hands. In large cities, income is usually $200 higher.

Average wage chef is 800 dollars. The higher the rank, the higher the income.

Cook education

To become a chef you need to study, study and study again.

• If there is no education, you will have to work hard at the hardest jobs.
• More ambitious candidates may start by learning from the assistant chef of a well-known restaurant. You will need to do all the same dirty work, but there is a bonus - at the same time you will acquire skills and work experience. If you are lucky, you may be offered to study abroad or at a good culinary school.
• You can learn how to cook professionally after completing culinary or chef courses, where you will learn Italian cuisine or become a sushi master.
• Good knowledge is provided by specialized secondary special educational establishments, but aerobatics is a complete Institute Food Industry specializing in chef-technologist.

The secrets of haute cuisine can be mastered by learning from the chefs of Michelin restaurants from world-famous international culinary schools. Special training programs have been developed here that will be useful for both a novice and an experienced chef.

Alexander Yurievich

Director of recruitment agency

Many chefs, when trying to get a job in a restaurant, do not even pass interviews, and all because they are not ready for most of the questions that managers can ask. Of course, no one will ask what the LED strip above the stove should be, but even questions on the topic are sometimes confusing. Why is this happening? This is because you should prepare for the interview and not only study the recipes, but also familiarize yourself with the requirements that managers of catering establishments impose on chefs. What should a chef be able to know?

Responsibilities of the cook

Many establishments trust the purchase of products to cooks. This has its advantages, so the chef must know firsthand about the features of choosing and purchasing the necessary products to ensure the preparation of any dish from the menu. In addition, it is important to know the exact layout and master the main menu (first, second, compote). Cooking is a matter of course, and the presentation of dishes and table setting are also important. In addition, knowledge of the basics of menu preparation and its adjustment may be required.

Primary requirements

The cook must have a special education, experience in this field (even if it was just practice). Knowledge of different cuisines will be an indisputable plus, and knowledge of food systems (dietary, vegetarian) will become a trump card in your pocket. It is also very important that the chef has the skills to use modern appliances and kitchen equipment. In addition, the candidate may have such a requirement as the ability to work in a team or sociability, but these are optional characteristics. Having answered the question for yourself: do I meet all these requirements and can I perform all the assigned duties with high quality, you can go for an interview. If knowledge or skills are not enough, you can try to work as an assistant cook for the first time and master the necessary skills.

A cook is one of the few professions that is relevant at all times. There are quite a lot of applicants and employers in all areas of cooking - in restaurant business, in canteens and even bistros. At the same time, not just cooks are often required to work, but representatives of this profession with a certain rank. That's what it is, what significance the discharge has on the specifics of the work of the cook and how it can be increased, we'll talk in this article.

Features of the classification

If we talk about almost all existing professions, each specialty has several levels that show the professionalism of a person and his skills in work. The profession of a cook is no exception. Here is the talent professional quality a potential employer can pre-evaluate only after knowing the rank of the cook.

This indicator is not just a numerical prefix to the profession itself. This is an abbreviated digital designation of the skills and abilities of a person who has received this specialty. Wherein getting the highest - 6th category - is immediately impossible. For this, in addition to secondary vocational education, it is necessary to take special advanced training courses.

The person who has the highest professional grade, is not just a cook, it is also a technologist and a professional waiter. These people are true experts in their field. The form of discharges was created back in the USSR, but even today it has not lost its relevance. The category determines not only skills, but also a certain range of things that a person can perform. To understand this in more detail, it is necessary to study this system in detail.

Cook qualifications

Currently, the state classification contains information about the 5 main categories of cooks. Unofficially, there is one more. It is automatically assigned to those people who have just enrolled in courses or studies in government agencies for this profession. Owners of the so-called first category in the kitchen can only be observers, in extreme cases they are allowed to perform rough work - washing dishes, peeling vegetables and fruits.

The first official category is 2. Its holders perform the same functions without fail as cooks of the 1st category. In addition, they must do the following work:

• gutting poultry, game and fish;
• cutting meat;
• defrosting frozen foods under the right conditions;
• sorting and washing berries, mushrooms, vegetables and fruits;
• sliced ​​bread.

Such workers must know not only the basic requirements for the quality of products, but also the basics of their processing, the rules for cutting carcasses, half carcasses of beef and pork, butchering poultry and fish for preparing a wide variety of dishes.

They are not allowed to directly prepare even the simplest dishes.

Cooks of the 3rd category have the right to perform the same functions in the kitchen as a specialist of the previous level. But his main responsibilities are:

• boiling cereals, vegetables, meat and fish;
• preparation of soups of various types;
• production and bringing to readiness cutlets, meatballs and meatballs;
• baking fritters and pancakes;
• making dishes from eggs.

Such a cook has the right to cook only the simplest dishes that do not require specific knowledge or the use of complex devices. A specialist of this level should also know not only the requirements for food quality, but also the rules for cutting meat, poultry and fish, the forms of cutting various products for preparing various dishes.

A cook of 4 ranks is a higher level of training. In his official duties includes the preparation of dishes such as:

• complex and multi-component salads of meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables with fruits;
• snack bars and stuffed dishes;
• exotic soups;
• jellies and jellies.

Also, this specialist prepares the simplest pastries, dumplings and dumplings, nutria and rabbit dishes. A 4th grade cook must know how the hardness and acidity of the water affects the time and preparation of a particular product and its taste. Know the organoleptic properties of products, terms and rules of their storage.

Most importantly, he must know the correct technology for preparing all dishes.

The cook of the 5th category is a professional in his field. In addition to cooking almost any dish, he must be able to compose new recipes and write technological maps for them. Their main difference from the masters with the 4th category is that they know how to cook medical, dietary or the most exquisite dishes:

• aspic dishes of meat, fish or their assorted;
• stuffed poultry or game;
• steam dishes;
• various sauces and fillings;
• complex pastries.

You can get the fifth category of a cook by successively taking special courses at specialized educational institutions.

The cook of the 6th category is the master chef. Such specialists are in great demand at any time, including today. They know how to cook absolutely all kinds of dishes, they know the intricacies and secrets of cooking complex dishes, in particular pates, mousses, cakes, whole young pigs and profiteroles with various fillings.

Masters of this level also know the technology of cooking some national dishes of other countries. Only a person who already has a specialized secondary culinary education can become the owner of the 6th category.

How to increase the level?

Quite often, chefs, for various reasons, need to increase their rank, with the exception of those who already have it 6. Currently, there are two ways to do this.

Take special courses

This option is only suitable in cases where a person already has a specialized secondary specialized education. If the previous 5th category was obtained by taking courses, then it is necessary to enroll in a culinary college.

At the end of your studies, you will need to pass difficult exam tests., based on the results of which a decision will be made on the assignment of the next category and, accordingly, a special certificate - a diploma - will be issued.

Passing tests directly at the enterprise

In this case the chef makes a statement to the management of his company. He is sent as an apprentice to a more experienced master and the period of his study is determined. As in the previous version, upon graduation, a decision will be made to increase the category and, accordingly, to increase the workload and increase wages.

It is important to note here that such an unofficial rank increase will only be valid when working at this enterprise, since no diploma will be issued after graduation.

In the Soviet Union, cooks with a category above the average had to be able to perform all types of work equally well and cook absolutely all products with the same quality and variety.

IN currently there is no such requirement. On the contrary, most highly skilled chefs prefer to choose some kind of narrow focus in cooking, for example, to cook only pastries, meat, fish, or even only one dish - pizza. This specialization allows you to develop as much as possible and cook or create new culinary masterpieces.

And even today, even those who have the lowest second rank are hired as a cook. In elite catering establishments, again, this was not the case during the Soviet era. Only cooks with a category of at least 5 were allowed to directly cook food. Only a cook who knew how to cook at least all the national dishes of the Union republics could get the 6th category. Today this rule is conditional.

Those with a rank of 3 or 4 had to work as apprentices in the kitchen for 3 years for each increase in their level. Today, many elite establishments are returning to this practice again.