Have you ever visited a restaurant, ordered your meal and had it served to you in a flash. This coupled with the fact that the meal was a good meal. Have you ever considered how they are able to produce the food so quickly as well as being so nice to eat?

What many people do not consider on their Saturday evening in the restaurant is the hours of work that has gone before they arrive and take their seats and then end yup ordering from the menu. The team of chefs who we normally never see are the guys who slave away for hours to make and prepare your meal, as you sit and enjoy the meal and possibly the wine to accompany it.

Preparation is key

The chefs and kitchen hands are within the kitchen, sometimes from early mornings to prepare and produce the food you eat on your table in the evening. So that they can have all of their ingredients, sauces and vegetables prepared and cooked to perfection, they are working away to produce this throughout the day. In many busy kitchens this food preparation on on-going and continual, simply to meet demands.

Break the Menus Down

For the chefs and kitchen hands to prepare your meal, they need to break their menus down to basics. This way they can peel, slice, dice and chop whatever may be required to suit the menus. They also will spend the day cooking the sauces, stocks and soups so they are ready to be served when you may order. The vegetable will be prepared and even pre-cooked and ready to complete when you order. For many menus freshness is also key, so they will prepare and pre-cook anything as far as they are able to go without affecting the overall meal. As well as breaking the menu down the kitchen will also have different jobs to do as the meal is cooked. Some will be looking after the vegetables, whilst others will be dealing with the meats. This way they can all be producing separate elements of the meal.

A well-oiled Machine

The kitchen has to and normally does run like an efficient machine, timing is everything within the kitchen. When the chefs are working they work to speed and timing in key for all other components within the kitchen. They need to come together and the same time to have your meal out to you in minutes. To do this there needs to be discipline and organisation within the kitchen. The boss normally the head chef will shout his orders and expect his chefs to jump and produce each ingredient they are responsible for all timed to perfection. This will have your food leaving the busy kitchen and out to the relaxed and enjoyable restaurant where you sit waiting.

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