Employment Opportunities
Front of House
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Back of House
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The terms “back of house” and “front of house” are used in the restaurant community to distinguish between different areas in a restaurant. Different types of staff work in each area, and rivalries sometimes crop up between back of house and front of house staffers, especially in large restaurants which can get extremely busy.
Some staff flit between both the back and front of the house. Bussers and runners, for example, carry food and plates back and forth from the kitchen and the floor. Their jobs can be extremely high stress, as they must deal with demands from the kitchen and the floor staff. In addition, they also engage in interactions with customers, since guests of the restaurant may not always understand the distinction between waitstaff, runners, and kitchen staff.
In some restaurants, part of the kitchen may be visible to members of the public. Not all kitchen staff enjoy this, as cooking can be a messy and tension-fraught business. Diners, on the other hand, enjoy being able to watch food preparation, especially since showy stations such as grill or sautee are often exposed.
In addition to being identifiable through different job duties, it is often easy to distinguish between members of a restaurant staff by uniforms. Bussers and runners are often found in aprons and clothing which suggests the kitchen more than the front of house.
Employment Opportunities
The food service and catering industry is diverse and growing. It offers many people an opportunity to work full time, part time and casually.
Full time workers generally work between thirty five and forty hours per week while part time employees work between twelve and thirty five hours per week. Both are permanent positions and provide the employee with entitlements such as sick pay, family leave and holidays. Casual employees work when required and generally receive a slightly higher rate of pay, however they do not receive entitlements such as sick leave.
Managers make important decisions when controlling operations of an establishment. Food serve and catering industry provides good opportunities for people to progress into management positions based on their experience in the industry and their suitability for the job role.
It is not uncommon for chefs to open and manage their own business after just a few years working in the industry. In large establishments such as clubs and hotels, section managers can progress to become general managers of the whole establishment.
The food service and catering industry provides many opportunities for employment:
Requirements for working in food service and catering:
CAREER PATHWAYS
Some staff flit between both the back and front of the house. Bussers and runners, for example, carry food and plates back and forth from the kitchen and the floor. Their jobs can be extremely high stress, as they must deal with demands from the kitchen and the floor staff. In addition, they also engage in interactions with customers, since guests of the restaurant may not always understand the distinction between waitstaff, runners, and kitchen staff.
In some restaurants, part of the kitchen may be visible to members of the public. Not all kitchen staff enjoy this, as cooking can be a messy and tension-fraught business. Diners, on the other hand, enjoy being able to watch food preparation, especially since showy stations such as grill or sautee are often exposed.
In addition to being identifiable through different job duties, it is often easy to distinguish between members of a restaurant staff by uniforms. Bussers and runners are often found in aprons and clothing which suggests the kitchen more than the front of house.
Employment Opportunities
The food service and catering industry is diverse and growing. It offers many people an opportunity to work full time, part time and casually.
Full time workers generally work between thirty five and forty hours per week while part time employees work between twelve and thirty five hours per week. Both are permanent positions and provide the employee with entitlements such as sick pay, family leave and holidays. Casual employees work when required and generally receive a slightly higher rate of pay, however they do not receive entitlements such as sick leave.
Managers make important decisions when controlling operations of an establishment. Food serve and catering industry provides good opportunities for people to progress into management positions based on their experience in the industry and their suitability for the job role.
It is not uncommon for chefs to open and manage their own business after just a few years working in the industry. In large establishments such as clubs and hotels, section managers can progress to become general managers of the whole establishment.
The food service and catering industry provides many opportunities for employment:
- Select from a variety of careers
- Work in a variety of venues
- Work full or part time
- learn about different cultures
- Travel
- Start at the bottom and easily work up to management level
- Learn skills in food preparation
- Learn skills in dealing with a variety of people
Requirements for working in food service and catering:
- Communication skills
- Good manners
- Smart presentation
- Team work
- Food skills
- Organisational skills
- Initiative
- Enthusiasm
- Dedication
- Fitness
CAREER PATHWAYS
Front of House
1. Trainee attendant/ runner: assists food and beverage attendants by removing plates, table setting, and collecting glasses 2. Food and beverage attendant: takes orders, serves food and/or drinks to guests 3. Head waiter (maitre'd): organises service staff, allocates tables for bookings, greets guests and complies staff rosters 4. Owner, operator, manager: manages the whole operation, hiring staff, marketing and ensuring profitability |
Back of House
1. Kitchen hands: carry out simple cleaning duties and help with simple food preparation 2. Apprentices: trainee cooks who work under the direction of the head chef. Apprenticeships last for four years 3. Assistant Chefs (commis chefs) have completed apprenticeships and work in any area of the kitchen preparing, cooking and finishing food 4. Specialist chefs (chef de partie) specialist cooks in areas such as sauces, soups, fish, pastries, grills and roasts 5. Second chefs (sous chef) second in command, manages day to day operations of the pitch and fills in for the head chef in his absence 6. Executive/head chef (chef de cuisine) manages the whole operation of the kitchen such as ordering, stock control, planning, menus and training kitchen staff 7. Owner, operator, manager: manages the whole operation, hiring staff, marketing and ensuring profitability |
Task 1
Follow the following link to:
My Future Career information website
> In the Work and Employment section click on Occupation search
>Type in the search box 'food and beverage services'
>From here you can choose occupations within the hospitality industry to research. Scroll down on the occupation page to find details of related occupations, earnings and training requirements.
(the website is poorly laid out so please ask for help if you struggle to find information)
1. List 5 Hospitality related occupations
Cook
Food Technician
Baker
Food Process Worker
Vending Machine Servicer :D hee hee
2. Choose 2 of these occupations that interest you, and for each one, complete the following questions:
Cook
a) General description of the occupation, what tasks are involved?
Cooks prepare, cook and provide foods for customers in rester aunts, food ventures or other similar establishments
b) Weekly average earnings
$400-$599
c) What training is needed for the occupation
A cert 1V or diploma in hospitality
d) What are the prospects of this occupation in terms of career pathways?
You could open and run your own business, or you could become a cook for a High end restaurant.
Baker
a) General description of the occupation, what tasks are involved?
Bakers make bread, cakes and pastries using flour and other ingredients.
b) Weekly average earnings
$400-$599
c) What training is needed for the occupation
Training in Hospitality or in a Baking course through tafe etc.
d) What are the prospects of this occupation in terms of career pathways?
Could start running own business or cafe
Follow the following link to:
My Future Career information website
> In the Work and Employment section click on Occupation search
>Type in the search box 'food and beverage services'
>From here you can choose occupations within the hospitality industry to research. Scroll down on the occupation page to find details of related occupations, earnings and training requirements.
(the website is poorly laid out so please ask for help if you struggle to find information)
1. List 5 Hospitality related occupations
Cook
Food Technician
Baker
Food Process Worker
Vending Machine Servicer :D hee hee
2. Choose 2 of these occupations that interest you, and for each one, complete the following questions:
Cook
a) General description of the occupation, what tasks are involved?
Cooks prepare, cook and provide foods for customers in rester aunts, food ventures or other similar establishments
b) Weekly average earnings
$400-$599
c) What training is needed for the occupation
A cert 1V or diploma in hospitality
d) What are the prospects of this occupation in terms of career pathways?
You could open and run your own business, or you could become a cook for a High end restaurant.
Baker
a) General description of the occupation, what tasks are involved?
Bakers make bread, cakes and pastries using flour and other ingredients.
b) Weekly average earnings
$400-$599
c) What training is needed for the occupation
Training in Hospitality or in a Baking course through tafe etc.
d) What are the prospects of this occupation in terms of career pathways?
Could start running own business or cafe