Now that you’ve worked as a line cook for a long time, you’re ready to become a “professional chef.” Probably, you already know how to handle a busy kitchen and have the skills to do well at the table.
You may have to quickly show off your technical skills, like how to finely chop an onion or make a fancy dinner course. But before you do that, you may have to answer a bunch of questions that show how much experience you have. To get fully prepared, let’s unpack the top 10 chef interview questions hiring managers may ask.
Hiring a new culinary specialist for your restaurant or foodservice operation? Conducting thorough interviews is key to finding the best person for the job. Asking the right interview questions allows you to assess candidates’ skills experience work ethic, personality, and overall fit.
This article talks about the 10 best interview questions for people who want to work as a culinary specialist. These questions cover both hard and soft skills so that you can get a full picture of each applicant.
1. What interests you about becoming a culinary specialist?
This open-ended question allows candidates to share their motivations and passions. Listen for sincere excitement about food, cooking, nutrition, customer service, or teaching others. Candidates should express genuine interest in the role beyond just wanting a job.
2. Tell me about your education and training in culinary arts.
Look for formal culinary degrees vocational programs certifications, or extensive on-the-job training. Relevant education shows commitment to a culinary career. However, some self-taught candidates may impress you with their knowledge and experience.
3. What safety and sanitation practices do you follow in the kitchen?
Food safety is paramount. Candidates should enthusiastically share proper handwashing, cleaning, food storage, glove use, and contamination prevention processes. Look for up-to-date knowledge of health codes and safety best practices.
4. How do you stay inspired when creating new recipes or menu items?
Creativity is crucial for recipe development. Passionate culinary specialists experiment with ingredients, explore food trends and find ways to put unique twists on classics. Their inspiration comes from cooking shows, food blogs restaurant meals, cookbooks, or their own imaginations.
5. Tell me about a time you trained or mentored someone in the kitchen. What techniques did you use?
Mentoring teammates, servers, or new hires often falls under a culinary specialist’s duties. Look for patience, effective communication skills, and a passion for teaching. The best teachers simplify complex techniques and instill confidence.
6. How would you handle a customer complaint about undercooked chicken?
The ability to calmly resolve issues is vital. Candidates should emphasize politely apologizing, immediately remaking the dish, comping the meal, and reporting the incident to prevent recurrences. Food safety complaints require tactful, professional responses.
7. Describe processes for reducing food waste in a commercial kitchen.
Sustainability awareness is increasingly important for culinary pros. Candidates might discuss batch cooking, accurate ordering, creative repurposing, employee meals, and donations. Look for resourcefulness and an eco-conscious mindset.
8. Tell me about a time you had to prepare for an important event. How did you organize and execute the planning?
Special events require exemplary organization, timing, and attention to detail. Good candidates will break down the logistics step-by-step, from organizing prep schedules to garnishing plates flawlessly right before guest arrival. Their preparation and execution should reflect military precision.
9. How would you create a nutritionally balanced menu for young children?
Knowledge of nutrition principles is key, especially when feeding vulnerable groups like children. Candidates should emphasize moderation, variety, and age-appropriate options. Look for creativity applied within sound nutritional guidelines.
10. Where do you see your culinary career in 5 years?
This reveals career ambitions and passion for ongoing growth. Candidates might aspire to executive chef, cookbook author, food truck owner, restaurant manager, educator, or TV personality. Avoid those without much direction or drive beyond the immediate job.
Using behavioral and situational questions like these will reveal top candidates with the technical ability, problem-solving skills, leadership qualities, and passion that make an exceptional culinary specialist. With careful interviews, you can identify those ready to thrive in your kitchen.
What Did Your Education and Hands-On Training Entail?
A lot of people who want to be chefs will use this chance to talk about their formal training and what kind of curriculum they went through. A student who graduated from Escoffier’s Culinary Arts program, for instance, might talk about how they learned about farm-to-table ideas, purchasing and cost control, and more in their classes.
If you did any industry externships, now is the time to talk about them! For example, Escoffier requires students to do hands-on externships that let them learn extra skills like plating, finding ingredients, coming up with new recipes, and making the guest experience better.
When Did You Want to Become a Chef?
This type of question might offer the hiring manager insight into your personal ambitions and track record. You don’t want to give a 20-minute history lesson, but you should be ready by writing down a one- to two-minute “elevator pitch” of your culinary journey.
One way to do this is to start with a formative moment from your childhood, like cooking a favorite family recipe or going to culinary school. Then, you could list a few career milestones or awards you’re most proud of.
Culinary Specialist interview questions
FAQ
How do I prepare for a quality specialist interview?
Why should we hire you for a cook position?
