How to Hire a Chef
A chef sets the quality, the culture and the margins of your kitchen. Talent in front of the stove is not enough: the best chefs also manage people, costs and safety, and keep their composure on the busiest night. This guide helps you find a chef who fits your concept and your team, and avoid the costly mistake of hiring a brilliant cook who cannot run a kitchen.
What to Look For
- Cooking skill and style that fits your concept, shown in a practical test rather than only in a CV
- Leadership of a brigade: training, discipline and respect, even when services are hard
- Command of food cost, ordering and waste
- Real discipline on hygiene, food safety and allergens
- Calm and organisation during service, with a clear way to handle surprises
- Fit with your dining room team and with the way you want guests to be treated
The Hiring Process
- 1
Define the kitchen you want to build
Describe the concept, the volume of covers, the size of the brigade and whether you need a creator, an organiser or a manager of costs. The right chef depends on that answer.
- 2
Write a clear job description
Include the type of cuisine, the working hours and days, the team size, the budget responsibility and the reporting line. Chefs choose where to work as much as you choose them.
- 3
Screen experience and references
Look at the type of kitchens they worked in, the roles they held and how long they stayed. Contact former employers or colleagues for an honest view.
- 4
Hold a structured interview
Ask every candidate about menus, costs, team management, hygiene and a difficult service. Use the same questions and compare how concrete the answers are.
- 5
Run a practical trial
Have the candidate cook a short menu or work a service with your team. Watch organisation, cleanliness, taste, communication and how the team reacts to them.
- 6
Agree expectations and a trial period
Set clear goals on quality, food cost and team climate, and use the probation period to adjust. A shared understanding at the start avoids conflict later.
Interview Tips
- Ask the candidate to explain how they would cost one of their own dishes, step by step
- Ask for the story of a service that went wrong and what they changed afterwards
- Ask how they handle a talented cook who is difficult to work with
- Ask how they make sure allergen information is right between the kitchen and the dining room
- During the trial, notice how the candidate talks to junior cooks: it tells you more than any answer
Red Flags
- Talks only about creativity and never about cost, waste or organisation
- Takes credit for every success and blames the team for every problem
- Vague or dismissive about hygiene, food safety and allergens
- Cannot describe how they train and develop cooks
- Frequent short stays in kitchens with no honest explanation
Chef: let the AI hold the first interview
Every candidate takes a structured voice interview from their secure portal. Your team reads one scored report per candidate and makes the decision.