What does a Kitchen Manager do?
A Kitchen Manager supervises the daily back-of-house restaurant operations. They report directly to the Restaurant Manager and are responsible for multiple tasks in the restaurant including food preparation, maintenance of quality standards, sanitisation and cleanliness, coaching of employees, meal presentation, portion and cost control.
Although most Kitchen Managers are Chefs, their responsibilities don’t always involve cooking. They can prepare restaurant menus and monitor the delivery of orders.
Kitchen Manager skills and qualifications
Kitchen Managers often work long hours. They should be self-motivated and skilled at mentoring their staff in an environment that is mainly customer-focussed. As they are involved in food preparation and guidance, it’s essential for them to have excellent communication skills. A successful Kitchen Manager candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications, that typically include:
- Ability to plan menus and order materials and ingredients accordingly
- Familiarisation with a wide variety of recipes
- Great organisational skills
- Good conflict management skills
- Ability to excel in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to work extensive hours throughout the day
Kitchen Manager experience requirements
The candidate should have experience working as a Head Chef or Restaurant Manager and hands-on exposure of preparing menus, ordering ingredients and preparing a wide range of recipes. They should have several years of experience working in a hospitality-related field and in a fast-paced environment. They should also have experience with delegating tasks and maintaining quick service.
Kitchen Manager education and training requirements
There are no official education requirements for beginner Kitchen Managers. However, candidates with a degree in restaurant management or at the very least any certification from a culinary school is preferable. Candidates must have certifications and licenses to show their in-depth understanding of kitchen health and safety regulations. Any other certificates in the culinary arts are a plus.
Kitchen Manager salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Kitchen Manager is £25,768 per year. However, this may differ depending on factors like experience, education, location and company.
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