Chefs and Cooks - What do they do?
Job profiles and working conditions explained

Nature of the Work
Chefs - This unit group includes various types of chefs who plan and direct food preparation and cooking activities and who prepare and cook meals and specialty foods. They are employed in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and other health care institutions, central food commissaries, catering companies, ships, clubs, resorts, lodges and similar establishments.

Cooks prepare and cook a wide variety of foods. They are employed in the same establishments that employ chefs as well as at construction and logging camp sites. Apprentice cooks are included in this unit group.

Main Duties
Executive chefs plan and direct food preparation and cooking activities for several restaurants in an establishment, restaurant chains, hospitals or other establishments with food services.
They plan menus, ensure food meets quality standards, estimate food requirements and may estimate food and labour costs. They also supervise activities of sous-chefs, specialist chefs, chefs and cooks. They recruit and hire staff, and they may prepare and cook food on a regular basis or for special guests or functions.

Sous-chefs supervise activities of specialist chefs, chefs, cooks and other kitchen workers, and they demonstrate new cooking techniques and new equipment to cooking staff. They may plan menus, requisition food and kitchen supplies, and they may prepare and cook meals and specialty foods.

Chefs and specialist chefs prepare and cook complete meals, banquets or specialty foods, such as pastries, sauces, soups, salads, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish dishes, and create decorative food displays. They instruct cooks in preparation, cooking, garnishing and presentation of food, and they supervise cooks and other kitchen staff. They may plan menus as well as requisition food and kitchen supplies.

Cooks prepare and cook complete meals or individual dishes and foods, and they prepare and cook special meals for patients as instructed by a dietitian or chef. They supervise kitchen helpers and oversee subordinate personnel in preparation, cooking and handling of food. They may also plan menus, determine size of food portions and estimate food requirements and costs, as well as monitor and order supplies.

Example Titles

· saucier
· chef de partie
· corporate chef
· specialist chef
· executive sous-chef
· sous-chef
· head chef
· chef de cuisine
· pastry chef
· garde manger, chef

Cooks:
· dietary cook
· short order cook
· hospital cook
· first cook
· journeyman/woman cook
· grill cook
· second cook
· apprentice cook
· line cook

Working Conditions
Chefs and cooks are on their feet for long periods and often work evenings, weekends and holidays. Their work environment is usually determined by the kind of establishment that employs them. The larger restaurants and expensive hotels tend to have modern equipment, convenient work areas and air conditioning. Older, smaller eating establishments may not provide the same level of comfort in the work settings for their kitchen staff.

Chefs and cooks need to be able to function in close quarters during busy periods, lift heavy objects and work near hot ovens and grills. While the kitchen staff of hotels and restaurants can expect evening and weekend shifts, cafeteria cooks in schools, factories and other institutions are more likely to have conventional work schedules. Seasonal work is often required for those working as a cook in a school or in a resort. Some cooks who have seasonal work with industries such as mining or road construction must be able to work under adverse weather and environmental conditions.

In 1995 the average annual earnings for all workers in this occupational group were $15,600 ($22,900 for chefs), but the 38% who worked full time for the full year (54% of all chefs) received an average of $22,000 in earnings ($27,200 for chefs). The respective all-occupation averages were $27,900 and $39,400. The earnings for this occupational group are generally much lower than the all-occupation averages due to the large numbers that work part time and/or part year.

A recent study found that those individuals who graduated as chefs earned on average $1,680 per month for full-time work. Entry-level cooks earned on average $1,420 per month for full-time work.
This is a very large occupational group, with much faster than average growth. The number of employed workers rose from 24,440 in 1990 to 30,480 in 1998, and faster than average growth is expected to continue in the future. Cooks account for 88% of this group.

Neither chefs nor cooks have high rates of self-employment. The rate of self-employment for the whole group is 7%, compared to the provincial average of 15%. About 28% of the group work part time, but that arrangement is less likely for chefs (10%). Younger cooks and chefs have a greater share of part-time work, while older cooks and chefs have a greater share of full-time jobs that last all year round.

The unemployment rate is about the same as the all-occupation average, and there is a higher proportion of this group that is employed for only part of the year. This reflects the seasonal nature of this occupation and the large number of cooks who lack the advanced skills needed for an increasingly competitive job market. The situation is somewhat better for chefs for whom the rate of unemployment is about the same as the all-occupation average. The proportion of chefs who work only part of the year is also about the same as the all-occupation average.

About 82% of cooks and 86% of chefs work in the accommodation and food services industry. The remainder work in industries such as health and social services, hospitals, retail trade and a variety of other industries.

The proportion of women among cooks (45%) is close to their representation in the all-occupation average, but they account for only 18% of chefs. Many fast-food outlets employ young people as cooks, which is reflected in the very high proportion of workers in this group aged 15 to 24 (27%). This is almost double the proportion that this age group accounts for in the all-occupation average. For chefs the largest age concentration is found in the 25 to 34 age group, reflecting the greater level of skill and experience and time needed to become a chef.

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