Becoming a Great Chef

I had spent over twenty five years in the food service industry. During that time I have worked for some a wide range of chefs. Many of them seemed to have a pretty good grasp on what works and what doesn't but there were a few that couldn't manage a kitchen or anything else. Sometimes they turned out to be worse cooks then I was.

What does it take to be a great chef? Knowing how to cook is important but that isn't the most important thing. Putting together a show piece plate worth taking pictures of is not even that important. Knowing all the different kinds of meats, soups and sauces are not that important. I have worked with some chefs that knew a lot about food and how to prepare it but failed at becoming a great chef. For all their food knowledge they needed something more.

I have come up with a list of very important things you need to be a great chef, even more importantly if you want to be a great chef in a very successful restaurant. For starters lets remember you do need to know how to prep, cook, and present the meals you are planning. Those things are important and shouldn't be taken lightly. However once you've those skills and work to move into a head chef or managing chef position you will need even more skills.

Being a great chef or even a world renown chef requires far more then culinary knowhow. What are some of the most important things to becoming a great chef?

Becoming a great chef requires passion. Passion for the food you are preparing, the service you provide and the customers you serve. Great chefs thrive because they never forget what its like to sit in the dinner room expecting a great meal. They know how great food makes them feel about themselves and others around them. If you lack the passion, even if you have the skills, you will struggle in your quest to become a great chef.

Being a great chef requires empathy. If the customer doesn't like the food then no matter how good it is or how good the chef thinks it is won't matter. The customer comes first, middle and last when working on becoming a great chef. The great chefs we see on television understand this and have reached higher levels in their field because of it. They thrive on giving the customer a WOW experience when dining.

Truly great chefs also have desire Without desire its impossible to become a great chef. Great chefs desire to learn new and improved ways to prepare foods. Great chefs also desire to experience the foods they are preparing by sampling everything to insure its as good as it looks. They also desire to experiment with ethnic foods. Great chefs desire to share in the enjoyment and experience of their creativity with others.

Finally becoming a great chef requires commitment. Just because you complete a culinary program or know how to fix amazingly great dishes doesn't make you a great chef. Becoming a great chef requires, as most any other field of work does, a commitment to continue learning and expanding your knowledge base about foods and the people you are serving. Commitment can also be said as paying your dues. The great chefs of today started small. Learning their craft from others before them. Many of them traveled the world, taking in the taste, smell, feel, and culture so to better prepare them in understanding what and how to cook. Great chefs know and understand to become great means committing to always growing.

Don't mistake being a great chef as being a successful chef. There are many great chefs in the world that can't manage a restaurant of their own. Thats not totally a bad thing just means their commitment, passion, desire is with the food aspect of the business not the business management end of the business. The biggest problem is becoming a great chef and not realizing the difference between running a business and running a kitchen.