Cook / chef

A cook or chef prepares food in a professional kitchen — executing dishes to standard, managing a station or section, working as part of a brigade under pressure, and maintaining the speed, cleanliness, and consistency that a busy kitchen demands. The work is physical, fast-paced, and collaborative, built on technique, timing, and the ability to produce good food reliably under heat.

Cooks and chefs work in restaurants, hotels, catering operations, cafeterias, bakeries, and private settings, in roles from prep and line cooking to sous and head chef, plus specialized baking and pastry work. The role suits people who love food and the energy of a kitchen, can handle physical demands and high pressure, work as part of a team, and want a hands-on craft career where skill and experience are respected and visible in every plate.