Kitchen management is no longer about organizing your own kitchen and ensuring sanitation, hygiene and safety while working in it. In fact, it is now regarded as a full-time occupation, opening doors to numerous career opportunities.
The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council foresees that the food and beverage sector will employ around 1.95 million people by 2015, 68 percent of which constitutes young Canadians. So if you have passion for food, possess some kitchen organisation skills and want to make money with it, a hospitality program in Toronto kitchen management may be the right choice for you.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Kitchen Manager
The main responsibility of a kitchen manager is to ensure smooth operations in a commercial kitchen. While kitchen operations are considered back-end but they directly impact the reputation of the establishment, regardless of the nature of their business.
A kitchen manager is expected to
- Supervise and coordinate kitchen staff
- Assist in food production
- Ensure sanitation and hygiene
- Help in menu planning
- Maintain kitchen equipments as required
- Ensure that food is cooked properly and according to customer’s specifications
- Make sure that the staff abides by set rules and regulations while working in the kitchen
- Ensure that the food in both raw and cooked form meets health and safety standards
- Oversee the inventory in the kitchen
- Ensure a safe workplace for the staff
- Deal with staff squabbles
- Handle small errors, mishaps or accidents
- Work in the place of absent employees
Career Opportunities for a Graduate in Kitchen Management
Career opportunities for a graduate in kitchen management are available with any organisation that has a food serving unit. The main employers include hotels, restaurants, resorts, camps, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living centers, bars, nightclubs, school and college dining services and of course catering companies.
Although the job prospects in this field are good but most employers are keen in hiring individuals who possess required skill sets and have hands-on-experience. Besides, they need to have strong business and interpersonal skills. So even for the entry level jobs, students need to undergo a formal training in kitchen management and hospitality.
Becoming a Kitchen Manager
The job of a kitchen manager is not easy, as professionals require working late hours and dealing with different people on regular basis. The profession is not for everyone. Those who are genuinely interested in serving clients and can display leadership skills in crisis should only opt for it.
A postsecondary hospitality course in kitchen management is the basic requirement to build a career in this field. The one year diploma program covers various aspects of food operations management, such as customer service, sanitation and hygiene, quantity food production, principles of food, beverage and labour cost controls, kitchen supervision, food production, purchasing for commercial kitchen, hospitality, human resources and career planning.
The kitchen management course also helps you earn certifications including Smart Serve program and National Sanitation Training certificate. Students interested in building a career in restaurant management and catering can use the credits earned during this program to get into a two-year diploma program.
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