{"id":22948,"date":"2025-06-03T09:04:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T08:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/?p=22948"},"modified":"2025-10-17T12:35:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T11:35:35","slug":"kitchen-hierarchy-brigade-de-cuisine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/kitchen-hierarchy-brigade-de-cuisine\/","title":{"rendered":"The Kitchen Hierarchy Explained: What is the Brigade de Cuisine?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most modern professional kitchens utilise the French kitchen hierarchy known as the Brigade de Cuisine. This system helps kitchens to run smoothly by establishing clear roles and delegating responsibilities to different individuals with different specialisms. If you work in hospitality it\u2019s highly likely that you have heard of the Brigade de Cuisine or you may have heard commonly used Brigade de Cuisine terms such as sous chef or chef de partie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The size and style of a restaurant will determine the size and structure of the Brigade de Cuisine used in the kitchen. That is to say, not every kitchen will have someone in each position and a small kitchen brigade is unlikely to have as many positions filled as a large kitchen brigade. Regardless of the size of your kitchen brigade, it\u2019s important that you are aware of how the kitchen hierarchy is structured so that you have a clear understanding of how each position operates enabling your kitchen to run as smoothly as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what exactly is the Brigade de Cuisine? Find out below and download our kitchen hierarchy chart<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is the Kitchen Hierarchy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Brigade de Cuisine, also known as the kitchen hierarchy or kitchen brigade, is a hierarchical system used in professional kitchens. It is typically used in kitchens with an extensive number of staff, such as hotels or restaurants, but certain positions can and will be filled irrespective of the number of staff. The concept was developed by Auguste Escoffier who was celebrated as \u2018the king of chefs and the chef of kings.\u2019 Escoffier used his military background to develop the system and is heralded with establishing a level of kitchen organisation that was previously unheard of. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Chef<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

A full brigade can have upwards of 20 different positions, however only the largest of kitchens are likely to have a member of staff in each role. Below you will find details on the eight brigade positions that are typically found in most modern kitchens. It\u2019s important to remember that whilst the word \u2018chef\u2019 is used internationally to mean a cook, it actually translates to \u2018chief\u2019 or \u2018head.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Executive Chef (Chef Ex\u00e9cutif)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The executive chef sits at the top of the kitchen hierarchy and their role is primarily managerial. Executive chefs tend to manage kitchens at multiple outlets and are not usually directly responsible for cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chef de Cuisine (Head Chef)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The head chef will typically focus on managerial duties relating to the whole kitchen. For example, they supervise and manage staff, control costs, make purchases and liaise with the restaurant manager and suppliers to create new menus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sous Chef (Deputy Chef)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sous chef shares a lot of the same responsibilities as the head chef, however they are much more involved in the day-to-day operations in the kitchen. The sous chef also fills in for the head chef when they are not present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chef de Partie (Station Chef)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This role is a vital part of the brigade system and is split into many different roles. There is typically more than one chef de partie<\/a> in a kitchen and each one is responsible for a different section of the kitchen. This makes kitchen operations much more productive and helps with the coordination of large quantities of food at busy times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specific chef de partie roles include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n