Culinary Career Focus: What is a Chef de Partie?

A Chef de Partie is a position usually found in larger restaurants and hotels. The Chef de Partie is responsible for each major area of cooking in the kitchen. Thus, the Chef de Partie can be a specialist in several of the different aspects of the cooking process that go on within the kitchens of a restaurant.

A Chef de Partie is also referred to as a ‘Station Chef’ or as a ‘Line Cook’. He is responsible for the area of food production in the kitchen. Often enough, there are several Chefs de Partie who work in rotation within the same kitchen. Within themselves as well, the Line Cooks can also be divided into a hierarchy starting with the position of the ‘First Cook’, the ‘Second Cook’ and so on.

A Chef de Partie can be assigned to any one of the number of different stations that are present within a kitchen. Each of these areas or stations may specialize in the preparation of a particular item on the restaurant’s menu.

A Chef de Partie can be a station chef of different areas of food processing or cooking. In that case, his designation will depend on the area of cooking that he is in charge of and specializes in. These different positions and stations are:

1. Saucier or Sauce Chef: This is the chef responsible for making the sauces and the sautes. This is the highest position of all the stations.
2. Boulanger: This is the chef in charge of baking the bread.
3. Confiseur: This is the chef in charge of cooking the candy.
4. Poissonier or Fish Cook: This is the chef in charge of cooking the fish.
5. Friturier: This is the chef in charge of all the deep frying cooking activities.
6. Grillardin: This chef is in charge of all the grilling activities in the kitchen.
7. Pantry Chef or Garde Manager: This chef is in charge of the cold foods like salads, salad dressings, pates, cold hors d’oeuvres, and such buffet items.
8. Potager: This chef is in charge of making the soups.
9. Rotisseur or Roast Cook: This chef is in charge of the different roasting related activities in the kitchen.
10. Entremetier or Vegetable Cook: This cook prepares the vegetables, soups, eggs and so forth. In many kitchens, these duties may also be sub-divided amongst the Vegetable Cook, the Fry Cook, and the Soup Cook.
11. Tournant: This is a very interesting position. Called a ‘Swing Cook’ or a ‘Relief Cook’ this chef has the special ability to work on any station in the restaurant as and when required. Usually, the person working on this post is working towards becoming a Sous Chef.

As a Chef de Partie, you can expect to make around $20,000 to $34,000 annually as your salary. However, larger organizations and restaurants may have a higher salary range as well.

As a Chef de Partie, one can expect to work in different areas of food processing within the kitchen – it can even be based on your preferred choice of the specific aspect of cooking that can guide you.