There are many similarities between the military and the staffing of kitchen personnel. I became intrigued with the military by watching the HBO series Band of Brothers. Both of my grandfathers served in the military as well. The kitchen brigade system was developed by a man named Escoffier. After an apprenticeship at his uncle’s restaurant, cooked in the French army during the Franco-Prussian war. He soon after developed the brigade system when he rejoined the kitchen workforce. He was also responsible for basically modernizing food preparation and sanitary cooking. This description of the brigade system is found in larger restaurants.

Beginning at the top of the kitchen brigade system begins with the Executive Chef. He or she is responsible for everything dealing with the kitchen. Menu development, the organization of supplies and equipment, to staffing the kitchen is the responsibility of the Executive Chef. He or she is also responsible for the financial aspect of the restaurant. The chef has to purchase a lot of products. Pricing out the menu ensures the restaurant is still making money after paying for the product and the hourly employees. Simply put, the Executive Chef is the General.

To make life a bit less stressful for the General, he or she has a Colonel or two. Just like the military, the kitchen brigade has a series of delegation. “Stuff” rolls down the hill. The Sous Chef has many of the responsibilities of the Executive Chef. “Sous” in French literally means under. He or she is responsible for making sure everyone is doing their job and doing it correctly. When the Executive Chef is off, the Sous Chef takes over.

Moving down the totem pole in the kitchen brigade, there is the Lead Cook. I used to be one of these. The military title I would compare my old position to would be a company commander or a platoon leader, like a Captain or Lieutenant. Leads are responsible for making sure the restaurant is prepared for service. They also make sure everyone has something to do. Leads delegate what has been delegated to them and focus on everything that needs to be done. During a busy shift, I found myself roaming the line and helping whoever needs help to put out food fast.

The line cooks are the Sergeants of the kitchen. They set up the kitchen for a shift and cook the food to be sent out. They also clean up their messes before they leave. (Usually)

Production cooks or prep cooks are the bottom of the barrel, Privates. The prepare food in large quantities. They cut vegetables, and prepare everything needed for the line cooks. When prep cooks work a while, they eventually get to work on the line. I hope this gives you a better understanding of how a kitchen works.

In the Band of Brothers series, they were always eating pork and beans, especially during the winter. It is hearty, warms you up and is full of protein. Check out the Pork and Beans Recipe in the recipes section.