Besides taking control of the creation of the menu, planning the event, and preparing the food, a corporate chef can also take on the role of a consultant. Many times people will ask for the chef's input on what should be done about their current menu, how the food is served, any new techniques, and even the quality of the food.
A corporate chef, as you can see, is a multi faceted position. In whatever capacity that a corporate chef is employed, their main priority is the food that they prepare. For the most part, corporate chefs are mostly employed in the hospitality business, but they can also be self employed in catering, consulting, and specialty projects.
Because of the wide range of different areas to work in, a corporate chef will be called upon to complete different tasks. Corporate chefs will be in charge of creating and planning the menu. Depending on the type of business they are working for, corporate chefs are responsible for preparing healthy foods, a wide variety of different foods, or quick convenience type of foods. As already stated, everything related to food is under their control and hence it is entirely their responsibility regarding the quality, taste and hygienic aspects of the foods. They can't blame a prep cook for the problems with it as they are responsible.
Corporate chefs are also in charge of the shopping, marketing, and budget of their kitchens. They must sit down and create a budget, both monthly and yearly, that will show the entire operations of the kitchens they are in charge of. They also carry on the role of human resources by the managing, hiring, and firing of every one of the chefs that work under them. You would think that a corporate chef would just be responsible for cooking great food, but in reality, they take have many other jobs as well.
Corporate chefs begin their careers after they have completed secondary education that specializes in food preparation and management. This is usually in the form of a culinary institute for two to four years with training in food preparation, cooking, food handling, and planning diets and menus. Many culinary school graduates, however, should not expect to land a corporate chef job immediately. Most new chefs will be required to undergo a two to four year apprenticeship, while also completing several years of experience in cooking, planning, and managing.
Corporate chefs have a bright future. Recent estimates say that the job potential for people looking to become a corporate chef is growing at a steady rate. Many opportunities are available for more and more chefs in the hospitality sector. The average salary of corporate chefs is around $49,000 per annum. However this varies from organization to organization.
