WHAT DOES A SOUS CHEF DO?
Published: Dec 24, 2025 - The Sous Chef oversees daily kitchen operations for the specialty restaurant, ensuring high-quality food preparation, proper storage, and full compliance with culinary standards, policies, and regulations. This role involves creating and executing menu items, estimating production needs, maintaining superior product quality, and guiding food presentation and plating requirements. The Chef also supervises kitchen staff, communicates production needs, and contributes to menu development, including seasonal and specialty offerings.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Sous Chef
1. Sous Chef Functions
- Ingredient Sourcing: Source ordering and receiving the highest quality ingredients.
- Recipe Development: Develop, teach, and maintain all recipes and techniques.
- Team Leadership: Organize a large team and hold the culinary and stewarding teams accountable for their responsibilities.
- Service Oversight: Oversee and maintain a smooth, professional service.
- Equipment Maintenance: Maintain all kitchen equipment and follow up on any repairs needed.
- Sanitation Standards: Maintain high standards of cleanliness and organization.
- Budget Management: Oversee scheduling and inventory to work within a set budget.
- Kitchen Leadership: Act as the culinary leader in the kitchen during the Chef's absence.
2. Sous Chef Accountabilities
- Staff Development: Assist in hiring, development, training, and mentoring of staff and act as a resource to them.
- Performance Coaching: Coach, counsel, and assist in conducting performance evaluations of the production team.
- Disciplinary Actions: Recommend or conduct disciplinary action, including termination, of the production team according to company standards.
- Training Programs: Assist in developing training and training programs for the production team.
- Workforce Planning: Monitor staffing levels to minimize cost and increase productivity.
- Staffing Analysis: Recommend staffing needs according to business levels.
- Team Culture: Maintain a team-oriented atmosphere.
- Management Support: Perform all reasonable requests from the management team.
- Meeting Participation: Attend and participate in all scheduled meetings and training sessions.
- Time Management: Follow proper time-keeping policies and procedures.
- Safety Compliance: Know and follow all company emergency and safety procedures.
3. Sous Chef Overview
- Food Preparation: Prepare delicious, high-quality food that delights clients and customers.
- Service Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve food service.
- Team Environment: Create a positive kitchen environment where the team feels welcomed and supported.
- Chef Support: Support the Head Chef in delivering food concepts to customers.
- Brand Representation: Represent the brand positively and maintain a strong image.
- Inventory Control: Support the Head Chef with food ordering, stock control, and managing food waste.
- Kitchen Hygiene: Oversee kitchen cleaning responsibilities to maintain hygiene standards.
- Budget Support: Support the Head Chef in managing budgets and meeting financial targets.
- Food Safety: Comply with food handling and hygiene standards.
- Health Safety: Comply with health and safety regulations.
4. Sous Chef Details and Accountabilities
- Operations Oversight: Oversee daily operations of both private and partner dining rooms.
- Event Catering: Manage catering events by assisting with planning and kitchen staffing.
- Training Development: Assist in developing and executing training procedures and operational objectives.
- Executive Support: Support the Executive Chef with menus, staffing, and administrative duties.
- Quality Standards: Establish and maintain the highest standards of food quality.
- Kitchen Leadership: Be responsible for kitchen operations during the absence of the Executive Chef.
- Equipment Maintenance: Oversee maintenance of all kitchen equipment and act as liaison with facilities management.
- Service Coverage: Fill in for preparation duties and during service when other staff are absent.
- Meal Supervision: Supervise daily preparation for executive and partner lunches as well as catered events.
- Executive Response: Respond to last-minute demands from executives.
- Vendor Management: Assist with food ordering, maintain vendor relations, and research new vendors.
- Product Quality: Support quality control of products received.
- Menu Innovation: Contribute ideas and research for new menu items and conduct taste panels.
- Extern Supervision: Supervise culinary school externs.
- Employee Evaluation: Assist the Executive Chef or Manager in employee evaluations.
5. Sous Chef Additional Details
- Culinary Innovation: Develop, design, or create new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions for the specialty restaurant.
- Kitchen Supervision: Supervise specialty restaurant kitchen shift operations and ensure compliance with all food and beverage policies, standards, and procedures.
- Food Safety: Maintain food preparation, handling, and proper storage standards.
- Quality Evaluation: Recognize superior quality products, presentations, and flavor.
- Production Planning: Plan and manage food quantities and plating requirements for the specialty restaurant.
- Operational Communication: Communicate production needs to key personnel.
- Menu Development: Assist in developing daily and seasonal menu items for the specialty restaurant.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
- Temperature Control: Follow proper handling and correct temperature procedures for all food products.
- Production Estimation: Estimate daily production needs for the specialty restaurant.
- Food Preparation: Prepare and cook foods of all types, either regularly or for special guests or functions.
- Quality Control: Check the quality of raw and cooked food products to ensure standards are met.
- Food Presentation: Determine how food should be presented and create decorative food displays.