Here's The List Of The Important Questions Asked In A Chef Interview

Chefs are professional cooks who are trained with high skills to work in a professional kitchen. The culinary job is not at all easy and the way to get the job of a chef is pretty difficult. Hiring managers look and hire chefs who genuinely have potential and are obsessed with the food they cook and can provide proper leadership skills to their team members. Here are the chef interview questions that you must know if you want to try the career. Also read, how to answer salary expectation questions when asked in an interview for your hiring process. 

The primary and major way for you to break through the interview is by researching the company/restaurant. You will be able to specify this passion and dedication by providing elaborate and valuable answers throughout the interview. 

Some important questions asked in a chef interview

In this blog, we are going to discuss the chef interview questions asked by hiring managers so without further adieu let us go through it. A recruiter will not directly ask you the questions. He/she will initiate with general questions which are as follows: 

1. Introduce yourself and your previous experience.
2. Explain your working method.
3. Why did you choose this profession?
4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
5. State the reason for leaving your previous workplace.
6. Why did you choose to work at our restaurant?
7. Any leading chef you look up to and why?
8. What is your greatest strength and weakness?
9. Which dish do you cook with enjoyment and why?
10. What do you do to confirm that your least favorite dish is deliciously cooked?

Questions for background check

The following questions will be based on your background and experience check so that the recruiter gets a clear image of you being a fit role for your applied position.  

1. Have you earned any cooking certifications?
2. What is your proudest moment as a chef?
3. Explain your cooking education background? Have you studied extra courses for this field?
4. Did you lead a team at a restaurant before?
5. Explain your management skills?
6. Were you involved in the creation of a menu in your previous job?
7. What qualities are needed to be an honest chef?
8. What is your expertise in buying ingredients by creating a budget?
9. Any changes you would like to alter regarding our current menu?
10. Do you have any expertise with food and wine pairings?

General questions for additional details

To provide additional detail concerning however well you can perform as a cook, the recruiter could raise questions that are created in critical situations for you to test your comfort level. The questions are as follows:

1. Your ideology on dealing with restaurant staff cost.
2. Any critical incident where you had to lead a multi-skilled team?
3. What are the most difficult dishes you have ever cooked and mention the steps of the procedure?
4. How do you face challenges?
5. A situation where you had to cook a meal you had no clue about? Mention the steps.
6. What would you do if you were asked to be in charge of the menu and make every dish healthy?
7. How would you keep ingredients fresh and how to disinfect them before using them?
8. How would you take on the role of creating a budget and purchasing groceries for the restaurant?

Now, let’s go through the major part of the blog where we list out the main questions asked in a chef interview. We will also talk about how to answer these questions smartly.

What are the strict characteristics a cook ought to hold?

The recruiter asks this question to gain inspiration of what qualities you possess that a cook ought to have and the way you choose to uphold those qualities and characteristics. To answer this question, list the necessary characteristics required to maintain a good relationship with the staff and customers. 

Some of these characteristics are being passionate, creative, soft-spoken, detail-oriented, enthusiastic, and can welcome criticism the same way they welcome compliments. You have to be a confident job seeker.

Why did you choose to become a chef?

The recruiter asks this question because they want to know what do you enjoy the most being a chef and what drove your mind into being one. If you have a tricky interesting story about how you chose to become a chef then narrate it. And, if there were any person whom you chose to follow and it brought you here then you can mention it here. To go through a professional interview you need to follow a dress code.  

How do you manage your team? 

The position of a chef is the prioritizing one in the restaurant. He/she has the power to manage the whole restaurant. So, recruiters ask this question to genuinely understand how you can manage the staff members on your way. Being the head of management requires skills like patience, quick problem solver, vision, and bonding. In this answer, you must include your style of leadership to gain a positive impression.  

Did you ever fire a member of your team? Describe your experience.

This question is also a part of you being a manager to the staff members. Being a head chef gives you the power to fire any staff member of the kitchen. But you might want to answer this with concentration. The recruiter wants to know how your patience level works. So, you need to prepare yourself with the best answer. Learn how to improve teamwork at the workplace.  

Why should we choose you for this position at our restaurant?

The recruiter asks this question to confirm if you will be able to accommodate their staff members like cooks, waiters, and bartenders. However, include that you just are a valuable leader when it comes to a team and you provide staff with discipline, guidance, and thoroughness. You could research about this company or restaurant beforehand to answer this question prominently with various details.

What would you do if a customer returns your dish and how would you rectify the mistake?

This is one of the most common chef interview questions. This tricky question has to be asked by every recruiter. The motive of them asking this question is to know how you handle criticism. You could tell him/her about how you would talk with the customer regarding where the issue was and then keep a note of it and take care to not repeat this mistake the next time.  

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