1. Culinary Arts Kitchen BrigadeSystem

2. Background • Developed by Escoffier • Streamlines and simplifies work in hotel kitchens • Eliminates chaos and duplication of effort • Each position has a station and defined tasks.

3. Chef (chief) • Responsible for all kitchen operations • Ordering • Supervision of all stations • Development of menu items • a.k.a.– “chef de cuisine” or executive chef

4. Sous (under) Chef • 2nd in command • Answers to chef • Responsible for scheduling • Fills in for chef • Assists the station chefs as needed • Smaller operation may not have a sous chef

5. Station Chefs (chefs de partie) • A.K.A. “line cooks” and include: • Saucier – sauté́ station • Poissonier – fish station • Rôtisseur – roast station • Grillardin – grill station • Friturier – fry station • Entremetier – vegetable station • Tournant – roundsman • Garde-manger – pantry chef • Boucher – butcher • Pâtissier – pastry chef

6. Saucier • Sauté station • Responsible for all sautéed items and sauces • Considered the most demanding, responsible, and glamorous on the line

7. Poissonier • Fish station • Responsible for fish items • Includes butchering • Their sauces • Sometimes combined with saucier position

8. Rôtisseur • Roast station • Responsible for all roasted foods and related jus or other sauces.

9. Grillardin • Grill station • Responsible for all grilled foods • May be combined with Rôtisseur

10. Friturier • Responsible for all fried foods • May be combined with Rôtisseur

11. Entremetier • Responsible for hot appetizers • Frequently does the soups and vegetables, starches and pastas • May also do egg dishes • In a fully traditional brigade system: • Potager – soup station • Legumier - vegetables

12. Tournant • Roundsman • a.k.a. – swing cook • Works as needed throughout kitchen

13. Garde-manger • Pantry chef • Considered separate category of kitchen work • Cold food preparations • Salads • Cold appetizers • Pâtés

14. Boucher • Butcher • Butchers meats, poultry, and occasionally fish • May bread meat and fish items • Often considered part of garde-manger

15. Pâtissier • Pastry chef • Responsible for baked items, pastries and desserts • Often supervises separate kitchen area or separate shop in larger operations • Areas of specialization: • Confiseur – prepares candies, petits fours • Boulanger – prepares non-sweetened doughs • Glacier prepares frozen and cold desserts • Cecorateur – prepares show pieces and special cakes

16. Other brigade positions: • Aboyeur – expediter or announcer: • accepts orders from dining room and relays to various stations chefs • Is last person to see plate before it leaves kitchen. • This could also be the sous chef or kitchen steward • Communard – cooks for the staff • Assistant – works under a chef de partie to learn the station and its responsibilities

17. Dining Room Brigade System • “Front of the House” • Chain of command: • Maître d’hôtel – dining room manager, host or hostess • Chef de vin or sommelier – wine steward • Chef de salle – head waiter • Chef d’étage - captain • Chef de rang – front waiter • Demi-chef de rang or commis de rang – back waiter or busboy

18. Maître d’hôtel • Dining room manager, host, or hostess • Most responsible for front-of-the-house operation • Trains all service personnel • Oversees wine selection • Works with chef to determine the menu • Organizes seating throughout service

19. Chef de vin • Wine steward • Responsible for all aspects of restaurant wine service • Includes: • Purchasing wines • Preparing a wine list • Assisting guests in wine selection • Serving wine properly • Ma be assumed by the Maître d’hôtel

20. Chef de salle • Head waiter • In charge of service for entire dining room • Position is often included in either captain or maître d’hôtel

21. Chef d'étage • Captain • Deals directly with guests once seated • Explains menu • Answers any question • Takes order • Does tableside food preparation • If no captain responsibilities fall to front waiter

22. Chef de rang • Front waiter • Assures table is properly set for each course • Food is properly delivered to table • Sees that needs of guests are promptly and courteously met.

23. Demi-chef de rang • Back waiter or busboy • Normally first position assisgned to new dining room workers • Clears plates between courses • Fills water glasses, bread baskets • Assists the front waiter and/or captain as needed.

24. Summary • Brigade systems used in both kitchen and dining rooms have clearly defined jobs. • Having clearly defined job descriptions keeps a restaurant organized. • A good manager creates an environment where everyone feels they have a distinct and measurable contribution to make within the organization. • Recruitment and retention of employees is easier with proper management.

25. The End