Being a chef is one thing and being a successful chef is another. Itβs just not enough to be a chef but being successful at it is self-fulfilling and will set you on the path for career advancement.Success at any job in any industry does not happen overnight. Whether you work at a big restaurant in New York or on a cruise ship, a chef is a chef is a chef anywhere in the world. Your duties include overseeing food preparation and the kitchen affairs, including hygiene. You always have to keep on top of your game. You have to do many things order to ensure your success as a chef.
Here are 5 features that make a successful chef:
Be enthusiastic, love what you do
To be great at something you have to be passionate about what you do. A great chef has to be obsessed with his daily work. You have to be passionate about the whole process;preparation of the food, cooking, and the presentation. Take a keen interest in everything that is going on in the kitchen. The kitchen is your choir, and you are the choirmaster. When you do something you are passionate about you will definitely give your best.
Ingenuity β creativity in the kitchen
Being creative is one of the biggest traits that as a chef you should have. This is especially due to the competitive nature of the food industry. Being creative will ensure that you come up with good ideas of food presentation and even preparation.Remember, one of the duties of a chef is exploring new recipes. Go ahead, use any opportunity you can find to try new recipes and to invent your own. The kitchen is your playground. Wow your clients.
Keen to detail
Food is very sensitive. You do not want your customers falling ill due to food poisoning. You should always pay attention to how the food is being prepared, the hygiene and that the quality of food is paramount. Stay keen in the kitchen; ensure that even the cooks maintain high standards of personal hygiene.
Take criticism positively and improve
You will always have critics, some negative because they have personal issues and some genuine because they know you can do better. You need to be able to handle the critics and learn one or two things from their criticism. Critics are the people who make us be good at what we do.
Team player
As a chef, you work with a group of people who prepare your food under instructions that you give. You need to be part of that team and work together in order to make the outcome great. Be a team player. Listen to your team, do not always give orders. The best ideas come from the most unexpected quarters. Listen.
Other skills
Good training will give you good kitchen skills and practice will make you perfect. If you want to be one of the great chefs, make every day a learning experience. Read books about cooking, watch YouTube videos all the time. Keep at the top of your game.
Being a good chef will not happen overnight. There is the training and then there are the long hours of work. The most important thing is to listen to your clients since they are the ones who eat your food.
There are a number of restaurant out there and there are different chefs who are working harder to bring taste in your lives. Being a chef is a talent only few people can have such a talent to bring magic into lives with their taste.