1. Tell me what do you know about our kitchen?
I know that the company prides itself on using the finest ingredients in order to put out the best product. I know that the company believes in having great people and continuing their education so they can continue to grow and help the company grow.
2. What's your 'Last Supper' meal? Your 'Death Row' meal?
It would have to be boudin noir (blood sausage), mashed potatoes, foie gras rossini gravy, lots of bread and butter. An explicit version of bangers and mash.
3. Tell us about your experience in the food industry?
I have a varied experience in the kitchen I started out as a short order cook then went to Sunterra did a lot of big batch prep/catering/cooking classes/team leader/line cook/customer service then to Brava Bistro worked my way up to first cook learning different skills along the way, then to Winsport as a banquet chef and then Winter Club as a Chef de partie.
4. Tell me what do you most love about your job?
The daily grind of dealing with local ranches, taking wonderful raw food and transforming it into dishes for my diners to experience.
5. Tell me why are you the best candidate for us as Head Chef?
I'm the better candidate because i'm able to execute what my company wants the guess to receive and provide knowledge and skill with creative cooking to bring a grand experience to the guess.
6. What do you like to eat when you're at home?
Comfort food something quick and easy. Which in my case normally involves take away, Chinese, Thai or Indian.
7. What was your biggest disappointment as Head Chef?
A bad service is a disappointment to me. I have been told that I don't take failure well. Being let go from Winsport was disappointing.
8. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten?
Just progressing, developing myself as a cook. Building successful restaurants.
9. Tell me what are your career goals as undefined?
I want to learn more management skills ie food costing /ordering and scheduling and learning new and we exciting going ways to do things.
10. What is going to be the next big thing in the food world?
Staying on track with sustainability is the only way the food world can get better and move forward.
11. Tell me what do you do to insure the quality of the food going out to customers?
Always checking and principal trust in the good quality of the products and trust my team.
12. Tell me your favorite foods to cook with?
I enjoy cooking with pretty much everything. Although braising brings out a special part in me. Fish is very versatile and lends itself to lots of flavors.
13. Tell us something you would like to learn or improve upon?
I want to learn more management related skills like people management and kitchen management ie food costing/scheduling and ordering.
14. Best cooking tip for a novice just getting into the business?
Show up on time and have a good attitude, the rest we can teach you. Oh and don't expect to get paid well or work sociable hours.
15. Explain what are some of your greatest accomplishments?
Making 9 boxes of mash potatoes in 3 hours lol Completing my red seal training assisting with being a top ten restaurant for many years.
16. Best piece of advice you would give a home enthusiast?
Cook what you like and give it a lot of time and love. It makes the difference.
17. Tell us about your education. How has it prepared you for a Head Chef position?
My education has brought me to the point of attaining a sous chef position. I do want to take more classes to learn more management related skills either the food and beverage related management or just general workplace communication/business management courses.
18. Where do you see yourself in 5 years as Head Chef?
I see myself as a chef in a small kitchen putting out great food that people relate too.
19. What are your favorite kitchen equipment or gadget?
I have many - the silpat, chinoise, and immersion blender. My current favorite is the pasta roller attachment to a kitchen aid.
20. Are there any foods you just don't like?
Not that I've found. Oh, does Marmite count as a food?
21. Explain what are your qualifications?
Having financial control of the kitchen. Friendly personality with a 'can do' attitude. Responsible for stock control, purchasing and menu planning. Ability to quickly identify and resolve problems. Able to work overtime at short notice if required. Ensuring that all HACCAP, CoSHH reports are maintained and monitored.
22. Tell me how do you ensure success when working with a Chef and/or a Kitchen Manager?
By working side by side accepting his advice and wisdom to achieve success and learn from your mistakes.
23. Tell me are you an efficient worker?
I plan my day/prep chart of what I need first then move onto less urgent items. If I know I need to do something that takes a long time then I get started on that first. Multitasking is important.
24. Fresh Head Chef Interview Questions:
☛ How would you win awards?
☛ what is your 5 year plan for this kitchen?
☛ how do you manage budgets?
☛ how would you deal with a chef who is always late?
☛ what kind of style discipline do you use in your kitchen?
☛ how do you ensure dishes are to the standards on your day off
☛ here is a list of ingredients and prices, how do you work out the food cost and gp?
☛ how is a wage percentage worked out?
☛ what wage % do you work to?
☛ if your gp is below budget, what things can you do to change it?
☛ what things can effect a GP?
☛ whats your knowledge on COSHH
☛ When you design a menu, what are the 4 key things you think about?
☛ What would you do if someone called in sick?
☛ If your rota is looking tight, what would you do?
☛ when you write a rota, what things do you think about?
☛ when forecasting covers for the following week, what kind of factors do you consider?
25. Operational and Situational Head Chef Interview Questions:
☛ Describe the training that you have and how it relates to this position.
☛ In your experience, how does food cost factor into menu creation?
☛ What is your involvement with Purchasing and Receiving?
☛ List some of your favorite food vendors and why you like to with them.
☛ What foods do you like to pair together and why?
☛ How does your winter menu differ from your spring menu?
☛ How do you control the quality of the food that goes out to customers?
☛ How do you take ownership over customers' experience of your restaurant?
☛ What do you do when customers request ingredient substitutions?
☛ How do you handle special diets (such as gluten free diets)?
☛ Recall a time you handled a situation with a disappointed customer.
☛ How do you keep labor costs under control?
☛ Describe your approach to hiring staff. What do you look for?
☛ Recall a time that you fired someone. Why did you do it?
☛ How involved are you in managing your cooks?
☛ Describe your experience with multicultural and multilingual teams.
☛ Recall a time you resolved a conflict with a difficult employee.
☛ Recall someone who you have trained or mentored. Where did they start? Where are they now?
☛ How would you improve our establishment?
26. Learning Based Head Chef Interview Questions:
☛ What are your 5 year goals?
☛ What do you want to learn in the next 5 years?
☛ Do you have a current food hygiene certificate?, if so which level is it?
☛ Do you have a cooking qualification?, if not are you looking to do one here (ie NVQ)
☛ Do you have a first aid certificate and is it in date?
☛ What is COSHH?
☛ What is HACCP?
☛ What do you want to learn in the future?
27. Food Based Head Chef Interview Questions:
☛ Ask the candidate a couple of questions about ingredients or dishes, base these 2-3 questions on the style of food you do.
☛ Ask them a technical question, again base this on your style of cooking.
☛ If they will need to help with menu design: How would you plan a menu, what are the key elements you need to look for in a good menu design?
☛ How would you motivate others
☛ How would you ensure high standards?
☛ Can you give an example of a hard situation you had to handle?
☛ How would you handle disagreements between team members
28. Sous chef Interview Questions:
☛ How do you train others
☛ how will you ensure the high standards when the head chef is off
☛ what kind of support would you give to the head chef
☛ what value would you bring to the kitchen
☛ how do you manage the kitchen?
☛ have you an knowledge of menu planning
☛ what would you do if the dishwasher breaks down?
☛ what would you do if one of the ovens stopped working
☛ if you have a function for 200 chicken dishes and only 180 was delivered this morning and was signed for by the breakfast chef, what would you do?
☛ what would you do if the KP called in sick
☛ when you become a head chef, what type of kitchen would you want?
☛ why do you want to be a sous chef here, what will this do for your career?
29. Professional Head Chef Interview Questions:
☛ Why did you decide to become a chef? What other back-of-the-house positions have you previously held?
☛ Did you go to culinary school? What credentials did you earn through your culinary studies?
☛ What did you like best about the education experience? What did you like least?
☛ Where and how were you trained?
☛ What is your management style? What management style do you prefer for your supervisor to have?
☛ How many employees report to you? What levels are the employees who are your direct reports?
☛ Are you a team player? Describe your usual role in a team-centered work environment? Do you easily assume a leadership role?
☛ Do you have a sense of humor?
☛ Tell me about a difficult situation and how you handled it?
☛ Describe the relationship between back-of-the-house and front-of-the-house operations.
☛ Tell me about your experience with employee and workforce management. Describe the last time you had to discipline a subordinate.
☛ Are you able to work flexible hours?
☛ Is there a chef you admire the most? Who and why?
☛ What is your favorite cuisine? How many different types of cuisine are you capable of producing?
☛ What is your favorite cuisine to cook?
☛ What is your favorite wine?
☛ Tell me about your wine knowledge.
☛ Tell me about pairing wine and food.
☛ What trends are you noticing regarding wine and food pairings?
☛ What is an example of a springtime menu you would prepare for me?
☛ If you were asked to reduce fat and sodium in a menu, what would you do maintain flavor in the quality of the dish?
☛ What do you do to stay current on new trends? Describe two or three of the most interesting industry trends.
☛ How do you test the quality of your ingredients?
☛ Describe your knowledge of food safety.
☛ How involved are you in the beverage component of your establishment?
☛ How involved are you with menu development and overall design?
☛ When are you happiest at work?
☛ If you were told that your food cost was high, what five things would you look at first?
☛ What is the average annual revenue of the restaurants you have worked in?
☛ How involved are you in the financial aspect of the business?
☛ Tell me about your budgeting, purchasing and inventory control experience.
30. General Head Chef Interview Questions:
☛ Do you prefer working on your own or within a team, and why?
☛ How would you describe your personality?
☛ Can you give an example of when you went out of your way to help someone?
☛ Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?
☛ Do you play sports?, if so which
☛ Someone you are working with is having a bad time outside of work, what would you do?. Can you given an example of this.
☛ If someone else was to describe your personality, what would they say.
☛ Towards the end of a shift, what do normally start thinking about?
☛ If you had to tell me about you in 3 words, what 3 words would you use?
☛ What motivates you?
☛ What demotivates you?
☛ How would you motivate others in your team?
☛ Do you have any holidays pre booked
☛ What is your current salary
☛ What salary are you looking for
☛ Where can you see yourself in 5 years time
☛ If they need to drive to get to the site, ask about driving / travel arrangements
☛ What is your current notice period
31. Questions to ask when interviewing a Head Chef:
☛ How many employees report to you? How many of those are managers?
☛ Who do you report to?
☛ What is the volume/revenue your establishment is doing in a year?
☛ What is your favorite food to eat?
☛ What is your favorite cuisine to cook? Why? (Look for use of ingredients)
☛ Give me an example of a Springtime menu you would prepare for me? (Look for use of in-season ingredients)
☛ Why did you choose to become a Chef?
☛ What do you do to stay educated about new trends?
☛ What do you do to insure the quality of the food going out to customers?
☛ Give me an example of someone you have trained or mentored. Where did they start and where are they now?
☛ How do you take ownership in your position there at ________ (company)? (look for guest interaction, financials, organization, cleanliness, quality)
☛ How do you insure/test the quality of your ingredients?
☛ Tell me about an accomplishment that you are most proud of in your career.
☛ Describe to me a problem you had with an employee and how you handled it.
☛ Tell me about your management style.
☛ Tell me 3 things that you consider to be your strengths.
☛ Tell me something you would like to learn or improve upon.
☛ How involved are you in the beverage aspect?
☛ Tell me about your wine knowledge.
☛ How involved are you in the financial aspect of your business? Budgets/forecasting?
☛ How involved are you in executing labor cost? If your labor is running high, what measures do you take to control it?
☛ How involved are you with the menu development and overall design? Who do you feel should be involved in the decision?
☛ How involved do you get with Purchasing and Receiving?
☛ How involved are you in the risk management side of the business?
☛ What are your thoughts on progressive discipline?
32. How do you get your inspiration?
Reading cookbooks, keeping up with the latest trends and dining out.
33. What are your favorite cookbooks?
Currently, I'm liking Fearnly Whittinghams "About Meat", Thomas Kellers' and Fergus Henderson's books. Anything written by Michael Rulhman.
34. Explain the administrative versus the creative aspect of a chef's work?
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.
35. Tell me what do you know about flattop, grill, and saute stations?
I know that each kitchen tool can be used in a diverse way to create very tasteful cuisine. Flattop, can be used to simmer sauces and stocks in a controlled temp. Grill can be used to reheat Asian type foods, and saute station can double as a egg and omlette station, hot cereal station as well.