This article provides job interview questions and suggests answers for a chef. Relevant job titles are souse-chef, pastry chef, or executive chef.
Job Description
The chef is the manager and the creative mind behind the food of a restaurant, hotel, lunchroom, or cafeteria. The chef supervises a group of cooks and kitchen help, and decides on the size and style of servings. They order supplies, plan menus, and set prices.
Chefs are trained professionals who put their souls into food to create culinary miracles for the human taste, smell, touch, and sight.
Executive Chef Interview Questions with Answers
Question: Describe your typical day as a chef.
Answer: Even if you haven’t yet worked in a large establishment yourself, you know the chef’s routine. Emphasize the nuances of the job to convey an impression of intimate knowledge. For example, ordering food so that there is always enough fresh supply, while choosing it so that the dishes are varied and interesting. It requires knowledge of the qualities of ingredients, as well as familiarity with the market and suppliers. The chef’s routine includes the ability to coordinate these administrative tasks with the art of cooking.
Question: Describe the administrative versus the creative aspect of a chef’s work.
Answer: Discuss the importance of having an artistic culinary vision aptly combined with the necessity to instruct and oversee kitchen staff so that everyone performs at his best, while making sure supplies are always ready and fresh. The chef’s vision, then, does not end with the dish, but encompasses the entire logistical process of getting the food on the customer’s table.
Question: What are your specialties as a chef?
Answer: Describe your specialties in cooking (pastry, sauce, etc.), and your relevant experience in general. You can also talk about anything else you excel at; perhaps your team management skills are especially outstanding, or your knowledge of local tastes, etc.
Question: In what ways can a chef be creative?
Answer: Creativity is crucial for this line of work. You can state that the chef must know the tradition and history of the food s/he works with, as well as numerous ways to combine ingredients. Chefs think and experiment with combinations. They can combine the traditional with the modern, a general taste with a touch of something personal, and create new flavors by trying new ingredient combinations.
Question: Are communication and self-presentation important for a chef?
Answer: Yes, in more than one way. At one end, the chef has to be an effective team leader; chefs enact discipline and professionalism in the kitchen. Good chefs inspire their kitchen staff. At the other end, the chef might need to communicate with customers and should make the best impression possible in appearance and behavior.
Question: Have you had an experience in marketing campaigns?
Answer: Chefs are often involved in marketing and promotion of their restaurants. If you have any such experience or education, do not hesitate to say so. Chefs already know the market and can therefore participate in branding a place and creating marketing presence and promotional strategies.