Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for First Cook

🎯 Role Definition

The First Cook is a skilled culinary professional who leads food preparation and line production, ensures recipe adherence and plating consistency, enforces food safety standards, manages inventory and portion control, and mentors junior cooks. This role is critical for delivering high-quality, consistent menu items, maintaining kitchen efficiency, reducing food costs, and supporting the Executive Chef or Kitchen Manager in daily operations. Ideal candidates are detail-oriented, strong in time management, and experienced with busy service environments such as restaurants, hotels, catering, or healthcare facilities.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Line Cook (station cook) with 1–3 years of experience
Culinary school graduate with internship/externship experience
Prep Cook promoted after demonstrating technical skills and consistency

Advancement To:

Sous Chef / Assistant Kitchen Manager
Head Chef / Kitchen Manager
Executive Sous Chef or Executive Chef in multi-unit operations

Lateral Moves:

Catering Supervisor / Banquet Chef
Pastry Cook or Specialty Station Chef (e.g., grill, sauté, garde manger)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and execute daily line production by preparing, cooking, and plating menu items to recipe standards and timing requirements, ensuring consistent portioning, presentation, and taste across all shifts.
Supervise and mentor line cooks and prep staff during service, assigning stations, monitoring performance, and providing on-the-job training to improve speed, quality, and safety adherence.
Monitor timing and flow during rush periods; coordinate with front-of-house management to prioritize ticket order sequences and minimize ticket times while maintaining quality standards.
Maintain and enforce strict food safety, sanitation, and hygiene protocols (ServSafe, HACCP), conducting pre-shift checks and documenting temperature logs, equipment cleanliness, and corrective actions.
Execute and refine mise en place procedures: oversee prep schedules, batch cooking, and advance production to ensure stations are ready and food quality is preserved throughout service.
Control food costs through accurate portion control, standardized recipes, waste reduction initiatives, and proactive use of FIFO (first in, first out) inventory methods.
Receive, inspect, and rotate deliveries; verify quantities and quality of food supplies against invoices and requisitions and report discrepancies to management promptly.
Assist in ordering and inventory management by tracking par levels, forecasting needs based on business volume, and recommending purchase adjustments to reduce carrying costs.
Implement and follow allergen management and special-diet procedures, ensuring all staff understand cross-contact risks and communicate effectively with front-of-house about guest needs.
Troubleshoot equipment issues on the line, perform basic preventative maintenance, and coordinate timely repairs with maintenance or external vendors to avoid service disruptions.
Collaborate with the Executive Chef to test and implement new menu items or specials, scale recipes, and deliver clear prep lists and training for the team.
Maintain production and prep records including yield reports, batch logs, and temperature charts to support quality control audits and regulatory inspections.
Train staff on knife skills, station organization, cooking techniques (roasting, braising, sauté, grilling), and plating standards to elevate consistency and reduce training time.
Enforce kitchen safety policies, including proper lifting techniques, safe use of knives and equipment, and emergency procedures to reduce accidents and injuries.
Adjust station setup and staff assignments based on daily covers, private events, or banquet schedules to maintain service quality during peak and off-peak hours.
Monitor inventory shrinkage and theft indicators; implement loss-prevention best practices and report irregularities to management.
Participate in daily pre-service briefings and post-service debriefs to relay important information about menu changes, daypart forecasts, and continuous improvement opportunities.
Support cost management initiatives by suggesting recipe modifications that retain quality while lowering ingredient costs (seasonal substitutions, portion consistency).
Maintain high standards for cleanliness in walk-in coolers, dry storage, prep areas, and the line; schedule and complete deep-clean tasks according to sanitation plans.
Ensure compliance with local health codes and licensing requirements; assist managers during routine health inspections by providing records and demonstrating standard operating procedures.
Prepare specialty or off-menu items for private events and catering, coordinating timing and transport with catering/logistics teams to preserve food quality off-site.
Keep accurate labor and time records for cooks under your supervision; provide input to scheduling to balance labor efficiency and service demands.
Facilitate cross-training across stations to ensure operational flexibility and coverage during staff shortages, vacations, and unexpected peak shifts.
Act as the onsite culinary representative in the absence of the Sous Chef or Executive Chef, making operational decisions to maintain continuity of service.

Secondary Functions

Assist with menu costing exercises, providing real-world input on yield and prep time to refine pricing models.
Participate in culinary staff interviews and onboarding to help evaluate candidate technical fit and cultural alignment.
Support periodic menu audits and competitive research to suggest culinary trends, seasonal ingredients, and plating refreshes.
Contribute to the kitchen’s sustainability efforts by recommending composting, recycling, and responsible protein sourcing practices.
Track and submit daily production reports and assist in compiling weekly forecasts for food use and ordering.
Coordinate with pastry and garde manger teams during multi-course or themed events to ensure timing and temperature integrity.
Help manage vendor relationships for specialty items or last-minute substitutions to maintain consistent product quality.
Provide input on kitchen layout improvements and equipment purchases from a line-cook perspective to increase throughput and reduce ergonomic strain.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient hot-line and cold-line station cooking techniques: sauté, grill, roast, braise, blanch, fry, and garnish.
Strong recipe execution and scaling abilities; consistent portion control and plating standards.
Food safety certifications (ServSafe Manager preferred) and HACCP program experience.
Inventory management, ordering, and basic food cost math (par levels, yield percentages, cost per plate).
Temperature control and monitoring: holding, cooling, and reheating procedures with accurate logging.
Allergen awareness and dietary accommodation procedures for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, and other restricted diets.
Knife skills, butchery basics, and safe equipment operation (commercial ranges, fryers, combi ovens, slicers).
Experience with POS integration for ticket management and with kitchen production software (e.g., Avero, Kitchen Display Systems) a plus.
Recipe costing and menu engineering fundamentals to support margin optimization.
Basic preventative maintenance knowledge for kitchen equipment and ability to complete checklists.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and coaching skills with the ability to motivate a diverse kitchen team through high-volume service.
Excellent communication skills to coordinate with front-of-house, management, and suppliers; clear ticket and pass communication.
Time management and prioritization under pressure; capable of multi-tasking and adapting to shifting demands.
Attention to detail and high standards for food quality, presentation, and consistency.
Problem-solving mindset, decisive under pressure, and proactive when addressing shortages or ticket bottlenecks.
Team player attitude with a commitment to constructive feedback and continuous improvement.
Professionalism, reliability, and a service-oriented demeanor in guest-facing or back-of-house interactions.
Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and varied shift lengths common in hospitality.
Coaching and mentoring orientation with patience for training new cooks and maintaining morale.
Cultural sensitivity and respect for diverse dietary preferences and culinary traditions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent; relevant on-the-job culinary training.

Preferred Education:

Culinary Arts diploma, certificate, or associate degree from an accredited culinary school.
Additional certifications in food safety (ServSafe Manager) or HACCP.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Culinary Arts
Hospitality Management
Food Science / Nutrition

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years in a professional kitchen, with at least 1–2 years of line-cook experience at a comparable service pace.

Preferred: 3+ years of progressive kitchen experience, including demonstrated supervisory responsibilities (lead cook, station head, or relief sous chef). Experience in multi-unit restaurants, hotels, catering operations, or institutional foodservice is a strong plus.