What does a sous chef do?
What does a sous chef do?
“Sous chef” literally means “under-chief”. But enough with the language lesson. Let's get to the juicy stuff.
Being a Sous Chef is all about keeping the kitchen humming and the food steadily flowing. It's a role that's as vital as a well-sharpened knife in a chef's toolkit. Picture them as the Head Chef's right-hand person, helping out with everything from leading and training the team to keeping the kitchen supplies stocked up.
Let's roll up our sleeves and tuck into what it takes to be a Sous Chef.
An overview of the role
You might have decoded the job title, but you’re probably still wondering, ‘What is a Sous Chef?’, or ‘What can I expect from the role?’ So we’ve got a breakdown of the main responsibilities.
Executing dishes to perfection
Only perfection leaves the kitchen - after all, your guests deserve nothing less than a delicious feast! You’ve got a keen eye for detail and top-notch standards. It’s your mission to make sure that every dish leaves guests wanting to come back for more.
Supporting the team
As a senior member of the kitchen team, you’re also keeping an eye out for your chefs. When the heat is on and orders are flying in, you're right there in the thick of it, lending a hand to your teammates.
Leadership
Which leads us to your management skills. Your Head Chef counts on you to step in and help train the Chefs and Sous Chefs of tomorrow. This might look like guiding an apprentice in the art of veggie prep. Or, and here’s a little more French coming your way, it’s teaching a Kitchen Assistant the importance of “Mise en Place”. In other words, having your workspace set up before the shift begins.
Stock control
Your knack for managing kitchen supply levels will earn you the nickname "Stockmaster.” With your outstanding organisation skills and knowledge of your menu, you make sure the kitchen team is always equipped for success.
FAQs
Is a sous chef a manager?
Yes! As a kitchen team leader, you'll take charge of the kitchen when the Head Chef isn’t on shift, leading your team to deliver culinary greatness. It's the perfect springboard for anyone wanting to become a Head Chef.
How many Sous Chefs work in the kitchen at one time?
It depends on the size of the kitchen. But it’s not uncommon to find one or two Sous Chefs working alongside the Head Chef.
What does it take to be a Sous Chef?
It goes without saying that you need a passion for cooking. Beyond this, you need to be a first-class team player, have the ability to bring order to the kitchen and have a keen eye for detail.
How can you be a good Sous Chef?
Sharpen your culinary expertise and leadership skills. These are only some of the top skills you need to be a good sous chef. To really stand out, show your team that you’re the ultimate champion of brand standards as well as stock and labour management
How long does it take to become a Sous Chef?
There’s no strict limit. You don’t need to be a food expert to kick off a kitchen career. With the right drive and determination, you could go from Kitchen Assistant to Sous Chef in just two to three years. It's all about finding a company that will support you and working to achieve the goals set by your Kitchen Manager.
Why should you choose a Sous Chef job at Mitchells & Butlers?
Well, this is an easy one for us to answer. Our Sous Chefs get to join the best kitchen teams. What makes them brilliant? They've got each other's backs, jumping in to lend a hand whenever it's needed. With diverse talents and personalities, they bring flavour and flair to the kitchen, all while having a good laugh along the way.
If you think an M&B kitchen might be for you, why not take a look at our open Sous Chef jobs? We've got options for everyone, from junior sous chef positions to part-time roles that fit your schedule.
And if you're craving something a bit different, head to our kitchen jobs page and see all the culinary roles that we have on offer.
Receive articles like this
Looking for more related content to feast on?
If you like what you're reading but you're hungry for more, we've got a little something for you.
Some articles you might like
Teaser
ManagementContent Type
BlogPublish date
11/28/2024
Summary
Temporary Christmas jobs are a great way to earn extra cash for the holidays while gaining valuable work experience. They offer the chance to build new skills and try out roles like bar, waiting
by
Rebecca Skeet
Teaser
ManagementContent Type
BlogPublish date
11/06/2024
Summary
At Mitchells & Butlers, we pride ourselves on the growth and development opportunities we provide to our employees. We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Christian, General Manager of th
by
Rebecca Houseago
Teaser
KitchenContent Type
BlogPublish date
07/11/2024
Summary
What is a Team Leader job? Are you a natural-born leader with a passion for food? Then we’ve got a place for you as one of our Kitchen Team Leaders at Mitchells and Butlers. As a Team Leader in
by
Rebecca Houseago
Teaser
GeneralContent Type
BlogPublish date
07/04/2024
Summary
Whether you’re a school leaver, a student, or a parent looking to put some extra cash in the bank, a summer pub job can be the perfect solution. But how do you find that ideal summer job that’s fun, a
by
Rebecca Skeet
Teaser
KitchenContent Type
BlogPublish date
01/29/2024
Summary
So you want to dive into the world of head chefs and unravel what goes on behind the scenes? Gone are the days when Ratatouille was our go-to kitchen reference. Nowadays, with a smorgasbord of films
by
Amandeep Chahal
Teaser
ManagementContent Type
BlogPublish date
06/29/2023
Summary
<!-- Hotjar Tracking Code for https://www.mbcareersandjobs.com/ --> (function(h,o,t,j,a,r){ h.hj=h.hj||function(){(h.hj.q=h.hj.q||[]).push(arguments)}; h._hjSettings={hjid:2713474,hjsv:6}; a=o.ge
by
Steph Baker
Teaser
KitchenContent Type
BlogPublish date
03/31/2023
Summary
Alright, let's cut to the chase. Being a chef or a manager requires a specific set of skills. That said, there are certain skills that overlap, and if you have a good dose of these, you've got wh
by
Jess Birch
Teaser
KitchenContent Type
BlogPublish date
01/16/2023
Summary
Are you looking for a new restaurant to showcase your Head Chef skills? Or maybe you're working as one of the most senior chefs in the kitchen, and it's time to find a business that will give you
by
Carly Clark
Teaser
KitchenContent Type
BlogPublish date
11/18/2022
Summary
Whether you relish the thought of covering yourself in tinsel or consider yourself to have more scrooge-like tendencies, we think a chef job is the ideal Christmas job. In fact, we've select
by
Felicity Winsley
Teaser
KitchenContent Type
BlogPublish date
06/27/2022
Summary
Every year we host MABsterchef. Yes, you read that right. Think Masterchef, but better. The cook-off competition is a chance for any chef apprentice to create and cook a dish that will blow our
by
Rebecca Houseago
Jobs you might like...
Salary
Competitive Salary
Location
Harvester - White Hart, Hockliffe, LU7 9NB
Departments
Chef
Hours
Full Time
Vacancy Type
Other role
Brand
Harvester
Location
Hockliffe
Description
No CV to hand? No problem! We've made our application process mobile friendly and removed the need for a CV. Our form takes 2 minutes to complete and tells us all we need about you! As a Chef at the W
Reference
2351468
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Competitive Salary
Location
Willow Tree, Torquay, TQ2 7TG
Departments
Chef
Hours
Full Time
Vacancy Type
Other role
Brand
Stonehouse Pizza & Carvery
Location
Torquay
Description
No CV to hand? No problem! We've made our application process mobile friendly and removed the need for a CV. Our form takes 2 minutes to complete and tells us all we need about you! As a Chef at the W
Reference
2351428
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Competitive Salary
Location
Harvester - Treble Bob, Barlborough, S43 4TX
Departments
Chef
Hours
Full Time
Vacancy Type
Other role
Brand
Harvester
Location
Barlborough
Description
No CV to hand? No problem! We've made our application process mobile friendly and removed the need for a CV. Our form takes 2 minutes to complete and tells us all we need about you! As a Chef at the T
Reference
2343611
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Perks of the job...
Love dining out? You'll love it even more with a massive 33% discount across all our brands when you join us. Whether it's date night at Miller & Carter or family roast at Toby Carvery, we’ve got you covered. See what other tasty benefits we offer…
Fancy an
award winning apprenticeship
Ever thought about an apprenticeship? Fire up your career with one of our multi-award winning apprenticeship programmes which are designed to give you the skills to become a hospitality pro.