Leadership in every bite: Elevate your chef skills at M&B

Chefs make great leaders. It's just in their DNA. They know how to keep a cool head under pressure, understand what makes great teamwork, always look for a chance to learn something, and take every opportunity to pass this knowledge onto others.

If you're reading this and thinking, 'I'm love my kitchen job, but I would really like to lead a team one day', you're in the right place!

So what is the winning formula? A blend of passion and adaptability, plus a generous pinch of humility. But there will be no more spoiler alerts from us - let's get straight into it.

Fasten your apron strings and let's dive into the quintessential ingredients that'll have you sizzling as a top-notch kitchen leader.

1. Master the basics

'You can get a Michelin star if you serve the best hamburger in the world'

Any guesses which famous chef and TV personality said this? If you guessed David Chang, give yourself a pat on the back. Now, David doesn't have a Michelin star, he has two. So we're going to go out on a limb and say he knows what he's talking about.

For David, it's not about making things complicated. It's about knowing the basics, and taking the time and effort to master them as they’re the important building blocks to cooking great food that guests will love.

2. Think on your feet

Have you ever watched someone performing under the heat of the kitchen and they just know exactly what to do to deliver what’s needed? Chances are, this wasn’t the first time they've faced this situation -it's all about learning from past experiences and using them to help us improve.

We’ve all had that moment where time is ticking away but things aren’t coming together as you needed them to. What do you do? You keep calm, run through your options – does a dish need replating? Or even restarted from scratch? As uncomfortable as these moments can be, this is how you learn to think on your feet and learn how to tackle tough situations in the future.

Aspiring leaders need to be both adaptable and nurture adaptability in others. After all, it's how you'll help your team push through any tricky moments in the kitchen.

3. Show that you know how to lead

Want to be a leader one day in the kitchen? Then think about who were the best kitchen leaders you’ve worked for and then ask yourself what it was that made them so inspiring. Do you think that you give off the same vibes? And would those around you agree? Great leadership is all about bringing a team together and nowhere is that more important than in the close quarters of the kitchen.

It all comes down to leading by example, constantly developing and improving your chefs’ skills and shouting about them when they're doing a great job.

4. Bring everyone together

Did you know that 1 in 4 employees feel like they don't belong?

Nothing says leader better than someone who rallies their crew together. Inclusive leaders show their team that each and every person is valued and respected and has a part to play.

What's more, when people feel included, they want to give their best. Whatever the task, whether it's cleaning the kitchen at the end of a shift or powering through a big order, they're on it. And if everyone’s on it, that’s where kitchen magic happens!

Bringing out the best in people and watching them thrive is just one of the reasons to love being a kitchen leader.

5. Remember that you've always got something to learn

No matter where you're at in your career, there's always someone who knows more about something than you do. If that sentence sent your head spiralling, put it this way - a junior chef might have spent three solid weeks working at a pop-up food van where all they did was slice onions. Still don't think you've got something to learn from them?

They might be the world's fastest onion chopper and could show you a thing or two about prepping for a busy service.

Unearthing the unique talents of individuals is never a bad idea and a great way to share knowledge with the rest of your team of chefs, and who knows maybe you’ll learn something too?

Are you ready to put your chef skills into practice

Looking for a chef vacancy where you can flex your culinary skills and grow into an inspirational leader? Check out all the different kitchen roles at M&B.

Or if you've got the skills and you're ready to head straight into a leadership role, browse our head chef jobs to find what we've got to offer in your area.

So grab your chef's hat and get ready to cook up some kitchen magic with us.