So you’ve found a job as a commis chef and now you’re hooked on the energy of working in a restaurant. Well, the next step for you in your kitchen is to become a chef de partie.

Chef de partie is an important stop on your path to becoming a head chef, so we want to give you everything you need to know to excel at the role.

What does a chef de partie do?

The role of chef de partie, also known as a line cook, will vary greatly depending on which type of restaurant you work in. In smaller restaurants or bar kitchens, there may only be one or two chefs de partie. In a fine dining establishment with an innovative and busy kitchen, there could be more than a dozen.

As a chef de partie, you will be responsible for the actual cooking of the food during a meal service. However, you won’t have to cook every item or dish for every order. As a kitchen team, you will all work together to get the dishes out on time.

Line cooks are normally assigned to a unique station or section of the kitchen at any one time. This division of duties allows you to focus only on delivering the part of the meal you’re responsible for so each element of a dish gets special attention.

You will be expected to master every station in your kitchen if you want to succeed, you should be able to easily slide into any role and perform the necessary tasks with ease.

The exact amount and type of stations will change from restaurant to restaurant but in bigger dining establishments, they generally include:

• Sauté
• Fish
• Roast
• Grill
• Fry
• Pantry
• Butcher
• Pastry

What is the difference between a chef de partie and a commis chef?

The main difference between the two roles is that a commis chef is an entry level position. This means commis chefs will have less responsibility and act as support for the more senior chefs in the kitchen. They are in charge of chopping and preparing all ingredients that the chefs de partie will use when they cook.

While the commis chef is responsible for preparing all ingredients for the different menu choices, the chef de partie is responsible for cooking and plating the dishes to be sent out to the guests. 

The majority of a commis chef’s work is done before the guests arrive while the chef de partie has to be focused and engaged until the last table has placed their order.

What is the career path for chef de partie?

This is a position that requires experience and specific techniques, so you will need to spend some time as a commis chef first to learn the ropes in the kitchen.

Once you become a chef de partie, you’ll spend 2 - 3 years at the role as you become familiar with and master every station in the kitchen.

After excelling as a chef de partie, you will move on to the senior level of the kitchen as a sous chef. Here you will be managing the kitchen staff and helping the head chef create new dishes.

What skills does chef de partie need to succeed?

Vast Culinary Knowledge

You know how important knife proficiency is in professional kitchens, especially for a commis chef. As line cook, you still need knife skills, but you’ll use them differently than before as you won't be constantly chopping veg. 

What you will need is a vast culinary arsenal to draw from. You should be familiar with different types of cuisine such as Asian, Latin, or Italian food, know how to properly cook every type of meat that’s on the menu and which temperature it’s done at, and exactly when to pull items out of the fryer.

Teamwork

When you work in a professional kitchen you have to be a strong member of a team. Busy lunch and dinner services can be stressful so it’s important that everybody knows their role and does their job.

A solid teammate is dependable and makes things easier for their co-workers. You must be a confident communicator, comfortable with both giving and taking instructions, and know when you need an extra set of hands.

If you think you have the right combination of skills and traits to smash this role, then check out the open chef de partie jobs available on Hosco today!