You find chefs in many places—in Lakeland restaurants, hotels, diners, hole-in-the-wall eateries, private homes, palaces, government offices, etc. They direct the whole kitchen into producing delicious food, though that’s not exactly the entirety of what they do.

They also manage the egos and attitudes of their staff. They create menus. They try dishes even after they have failed. They handle annoying management policies. They face irate customers. They do all of these while also creating sumptuous entrees and decadent desserts.

There are a lot of skills that chefs must have to succeed in the food industry. The competition is tough, so every opportunity must be taken as a way to learn and to improve.

Attention to detail

It may not be the most important skill a chef could have, but it is certainly a critical skill that will help a chef succeed in the kitchen. A chef needs to measure every ingredient. All must be exact, especially in pastry-making. They need to be precise in other ways as well such as in ordering inventory and cooking certain items at the right time.

Business sense

Aside from taking care of the food, a chef also manages the business side of the kitchen. The chef must not only make delicious food. He must be cost-effective as well and be able to save on ingredients.

Cleanliness

The most important skill of a chef is his cleanliness. The best chefs know how to cook without turning the kitchen into a mess. A good chef knows that the success of his restaurant depends on how sanitary it is. No matter how great-tasting the food is, customers will be turned away by the sight of unsanitary conditions.

Efficient decision-making

The kitchen is a fast-paced working environment. A chef needs to make decisions quickly and efficiently. There are many decisions that have to be made. How many onions would be chopped? How many of the same dish would be prepared?

What should be done when a sous chef cannot come to work? Who will handle the extra duties? All of these decisions have to be made while the chef goes through his own routine as well—of marinating meats and mixing gravies.

Multitasking

A chef needs to be able to cook a meal while leading his kitchen staff. There are several tasks and duties in the kitchen that have to be done. A chef has to delegate all of these while also focusing on his own task of working on several elements of a dish.