What an executive chef does
Executive chefs lead the kitchen. They create and cost menus, set recipes and plating standards, choose suppliers, and hire, train and schedule the culinary team. In a hotel, club or catering company they may oversee several outlets and banquet production at once. They are also responsible for food safety in the kitchen, from receiving and storage to allergen controls. Their decisions affect guest satisfaction, your food cost and how long your cooks stay.
Many talented cooks can produce excellent food. Far fewer can manage budgets, purchasing, scheduling and a team of chefs at the same time. Finch screens for both sides of the role. We look at the cuisine and volume candidates have led, ask for examples of menu costing and cost control, check Red Seal and food safety credentials, and speak with references about leadership, because kitchen culture often decides whether a team stays.
Typical responsibilities
- Developing seasonal menus, recipes and specials that suit the concept and budget
- Costing dishes and managing food cost, waste and purchasing
- Hiring, training and scheduling sous chefs, cooks and kitchen staff
- Setting and enforcing food safety, sanitation and allergen procedures
- Selecting suppliers and negotiating pricing and product quality
- Working with front of house leaders on service flow, events and menu presentation
Qualifications and credentials
- Senior kitchen leadership experience, such as executive chef, chef de cuisine or senior sous chef
- Skilled Trades Ontario certificate of qualification as a cook (415A) with a Red Seal endorsement, which many employers prefer though the trade is voluntary
- Food handler certification recognized under Ontario’s food premises regulation
- Culinary diploma or apprenticeship training
- Experience with menu costing, inventory systems and kitchen labour scheduling
Who hires an executive chef
- Fine dining and upscale casual restaurants
- Hotels and resorts
- Catering and event companies
- Private and golf clubs
- Restaurant groups and multi-unit concepts
Where we recruit executive chef candidates
We fill executive chef roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Cuisine, volume and service style the candidate has led
- Menu costing and food cost management, with real examples
- Red Seal, 415A and food handler credentials
- Leadership style and staff retention, discussed with former owners or GMs
- Experience opening kitchens or relaunching menus, if your project needs it
Interview questions to ask
- Walk me through how you cost a new dish and decide its menu price.
- How do you keep a kitchen consistent on nights when you are not on the line?
- Tell me about a cook you developed into a sous chef. What did you do?