Unit 2
Communication with staff and manager
Distribution of tasks
communicate with other staff and the structure of the kitchen workers
communicate with other staff and the structure of the kitchen workers
During the work process the most frequent communication for the cook happens within the kitchen, with other staff members and the chef. The chef, on the other hand, has the added responsibility of communicating with the manager of the restaurant, and with customers when necessary.
In later units we will touch upon some of the slang expressions used among the kitchen staff but now let’s look at the different situations and dialogues, focusing on the respectful communication between cooks, chefs and managers. A big part of making the communication process smooth is everyone knowing exactly what their job is and how to complete it successfully.
Inside the kitchen, each member of the staff is assigned their own position, depending on the skills they’ve developed. There’s the head chef who is the highest-ranking member of the staff. The job of the head chef involves all things related to managing the kitchen, such as: creating menus, overseeing other cooks, keeping track of ingredients and food preparation. Then there is the sous chef who is more directly involved with the food preparation process and the daily activities in the kitchen. Finally, we have the station chefs, who are responsible for a different “station” or food group. For example, one chef may oversee preparing the steaks and other meat dishes, another chef oversees soups, sauces, vegetables, etc.
Students who have completed their education and training and have recently started working in the kitchen are called junior chefs. They work closely together with the station chefs so that they can learn and gain experience in a real working environment.
Exercise 1: Gap-filling
assign and accept tasks
assign and accept tasksOne of the most important functions of the head chef is the distribution of tasks among the rest of the kitchen staff. Once the orders start coming in the head chef must assign each station chef their task and make sure everyone is doing their job as required.
DIALOGUE 1:
DIALOGUE 1:Head chef: Alright, first ticket is coming in. Two roast beef steaks, well-done.
Station chef 1: Heard that! Two beef steaks, well-done.
Head chef: A side of mashed potatoes with one and stir-fried vegetables with the other.
Station chef 2: Heard!
Head chef: Next one is for French fries with garlic sauce and a Caesar salad. Where’s the sauce chef?
Sauce chef: Here! One serving of garlic sauce coming up.
Head chef: Good. We have three more tickets for a Caesar salad and one ticket for a Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad.
Station chef 3: Heard that! Four Caesar salads and one Shredded Brussels Sprout salad.
Head chef: How are the French fries coming along?
Station chef 4: Almost done!
Head chef: Another ticket! Smoked salmon fillet for the fish chef with a side of gravy and garlic bread. Did everyone get that?
Fish chef: Heard! One smoked salmon fillet.
Station chef 5: I’m on the garlic bread.
Sauce chef: Gravy on the side, heard that.
Head chef: For the desserts we have three tickets for blueberry muffins and five chocolate pancakes. The pastry chef will take those and one of the junior chefs can assist.
Pastry chef: Heard!
Exercise 2:
Language at work 1 – useful words and phrases
- Heard or heard that – used to indicate the station chef has heard their order and will start working on it
- Ticket – the slip of paper where the waiter has written the order
- Coming up – it’s in the process of being prepared
- One serving/two servings/etc – a portion for one/two people
- How is [something] coming along? – used to ask how the preparation is going, if there are any problems
- I’m on the garlic bread – I will start working on the garlic bread
- Gravy on the side – the side dish is gravy
Exercise 3: Self-practice
Think about the following questions and write your answers in your notebooks:
- What kind of problems can occur in the kitchen?
- What is the most common problem, in your opinion?
- How should the kitchen staff react to a problematic situation?
Exercise 4: Reading Comprehension
Read DIALOGUE 1 and answer the following questions:
- Who is giving the orders?
- How many chefs are in the kitchen?
- What side dishes go with the steaks?
- How many salads are needed?
- What is the dessert they’re having?
- Who is going to prepare the salmon?
ANSWER KEY: 1. The head chef; 2. nine chefs; 3. A side of mashed potatoes with one and stir-fried vegetables with the other; 4. four salads altogether; 5. blueberry muffins and chocolate pancakes; 6. the fish chef
DIALOGUE 2:
DIALOGUE 2:Solving problems during task assignment
Head chef: The tickets are here. We have 3 servings of roasted chicken, 5 servings of sushi rolls, 2 garlic breads and 3 green salads, hold the lemon juice on two of them. Let’s get to work.
Station chef 1: Heard!
Station chef 2: Heard that! 5 sushi rolls coming up.
Head chef: No, watch it. It’s 5 plates of sushi rolls.
Station chef 2: Got it, 5 plates!
Station chef 3: The green salads are ready!
Head chef: Did you remember the lemon juice?
Station chef 3: Yes, chef. No lemon juice on two of the salads.
Head chef: Good. What about the garlic breads and the chickens?
Station chef 4: Yes, chef, everything is coming along fine. The two chickens are roasting nicely.
Head chef: What? The order is for three, not two! Why weren’t you listening carefully when I called out the tickets?
Station chef 4: I’m sorry, chef! I must have heard it wrong. I’ll get on the third chicken right away!
Head chef: And make sure to add extra side dishes to apologize for the wait to the customer.
Station chef 4: Heard! One more roasted chicken with extra side of mashed potatoes and fried veggies.
DOS AND DON’TS TIPS
DOS AND DON’TS TIPSTo avoid preparing a wrong order or number of servings, it is a good idea to repeat the ticket the head chef has called out, so you know you’ve got everything correctly. And if there is a problem it can be fixed before the dish is even prepared. This way you can avoid wasting ingredients and time on a wrong plate.
Exercise 5: Listening
Listen to DIALOGUE 2 and correct the mistakes in the following sentences:
- We have 4 servings of roasted chicken and 2 garlic breads.
- Prepare 3 green salads, no lemon juice.
- The chickens are roasting terribly. We’ll have to throw them away.
- Don’t add any side dishes for the customers!
- Everyone is listening very carefully when the chef gives out tasks.
ANSWER KEY: 1. 3 servings; 2. 2 green salads; 3. The chickens are roasting nicely; 4. add extra side dishes; 5. some of the chefs were not listening carefully and made mistakes
prepare for special events by communicating with the manager
prepare for special events by communicating with the manager
Whenever a customer makes a request that is outside the usual operations of the foodservice establishment, it’s the manager’s job to decide whether they can fulfill that request. The manager then needs to consider the specifications of the request and discuss with the head chefs and the owner of the establishment if they have the capacity, enough staff and whether or not the event will be profitable for the establishment.
DIALOGUE 3:
DIALOGUE 3:Manager: I received an email from a Mr. Johnson. He wants to know if we’ll be able to host his company's New Year celebration party.
Head chef: For how many people?
Manager: Twenty at least. However, that includes only the employees, so if they decide to bring spouses and children it will probably be more than that.
Head chef: Hm, that might be a problem because the dining room can host up to 25 people altogether. If there are more, where will they be seated?
Manager: I was thinking we could accommodate the rest up on the second floor. We have the balcony available as well. And the capacity of the upstairs dining room is 20.
Head chef: True. But they might not want us to break up the party into two groups. In my opinion, the balcony is a bad idea because it gets chilly outside during the night.
Manager: I’ll let him know what our capacity is so he can decide which option he prefers.
Head chef: What about the menus?
Manager: Mr. Johnson said he had looked over the menu options on the restaurant website and he’s fine with the first one. But he wants to know if we can make slight alterations to some of the dishes and if you can use veal instead of beef for the steaks.
Head chef: Veal is more expensive and for 20+ people it’s going to cost us a lot. Perhaps he wouldn’t mind lamb instead? It’s cheaper than veal and has a soft rich taste. As for the rest, we can make changes if they inform us ahead of time. Ask him if the guests have any dietary restrictions.
Manager: I’ll let him know and ask for more details. How many people will you need in the kitchen?
Head chef: For that many orders and preparations, I’ll need all hands-on deck.
Exercise 6: Writing
Before reading DIALOGUE 3 write down what are the most important considerations you must make when hosting a special event. Then read the text in pairs and check your answers.
ANSWER KEY:
- the capacity of the establishment e.i. how many people it can host
- how to arrange the party group - together or separately
- the menu options and possible alterations
Exercise 7: ROLEPLAY
Work in groups of five. The manager and head chef of a small restaurant have received a call from a customer who wants to hold a big party at your establishment. However:
Work together and come up with solutions to these problems. Read DIALOGUE 3 again and use it to help you.
GROUP 1
There are too many people, and you don’t have the capacity to seat them all. What do you do?
GROUP 2
The customer isn’t happy with the menu options. What do you do?
GROUP 3
Everything is great, and the details have been finalized. However, the day before the client calls to say one of the guests has a severe allergy. What do you do?
GROUP 4
The customers bring along children they hadn’t mentioned before but the pastry chef isn’t working tonight. What do you do?
Exercise 8: Role Play - Task Distribution
Work in pairs and take turns being the head chef and the station chef. Practice assigning and accepting tasks for different orders. Use the following scenarios:
Exercise 9: Problem Solving in the Kitchen
In small groups, discuss potential problems that can occur in a kitchen while preparing orders. Brainstorm possible solutions for each problem. Some examples of problems to consider:
- Running out of a key ingredient during peak hours.
- Miscommunication between the head chef and station chefs leading to incorrect preparations.
- Equipment malfunction, such as a broken oven or refrigerator.
- A sudden increase in orders during a special event.
Exercise 10: Menu Alterations and Dietary Restrictions
In pairs, take on the roles of a customer and the head chef. The customer has dietary restrictions, such as being vegetarian and lactose intolerant. The head chef needs to accommodate the customer's preferences and come up with a modified menu. Practice the communication between the customer and the head chef to create a suitable menu.
Exercise 11: Special Event Planning
In small groups, plan a special event for the restaurant. Decide on the occasion (e.g., anniversary, corporate party, etc.) and the number of guests. Discuss the menu options, task distribution, and how to handle any potential challenges. Each group will present their event plan to the class.
Exercise 12: Communication Scenarios
Individually, read the provided dialogues (Dialogue 1, Dialogue 2, and Dialogue 3) and write down additional scenarios where effective communication is crucial in a kitchen setting. For each scenario, describe the order, the tasks to be assigned, and the potential challenges that may arise. Then, come up with appropriate dialogues that demonstrate clear and respectful communication to handle those scenarios.
2021-1-BG01-KA220-VET-000024853