Prep Cook

Prep Cooks are kitchen helpers who perform a wide variety of tasks, ranging from preparing ingredients and basic cooking to cleaning kitchen surfaces and mopping floors. In this entry-level position, workers lean an array of kitchen skills, recipes and the regulations required to advance in the culinary field.

Prep Cook Duties and Responsibilities

Prepare Food:Prep Cooks are in charge of preparing cold foods, including vegetables, salads and fruits. This includes preparing these ingredients for more complicated recipes – such as chopping onions, peeling potatoes and crushing garlic etc.

Provide Customer Service: Prep Cooks sometimes work with wait staff and customers to address their concerns, such as mistakes made on a person’s order, quickly preparing a minor replacement dish, such as a salad, or conveying any more complicated issues to the rest of the kitchen staff.

Stock the Kitchen: Organizing, stocking and dating newly delivered ingredients are important tasks for Prep Cooks. This ensures no time is wasted on the part of the kitchen staff when trying to locate key ingredients, as well as ensuring that the ingredients most readily available are the ones closest to expiration.

Daily Inventory and Supply Record: Prep Cooks are often asked to record and report the status of various ingredients. This includes letting management know when the kitchen is running low on supplies. They also must ensure the chef’s preparation requirements and production schedules are met, so the kitchen can run at maximum efficiency.

Successful Prep Cooks thrive in a fast-paced environment, where they may have to address multiple tasks or issues simultaneously. They complete each task as quickly as possible, without sacrificing quality or safety. They enjoy working with their hands, preparing food and helping out with various kitchen duties.

Core skills: Based on job listings we looked at, employers want Prep Cooks with these core skills. If you want to work as a Prep Cook, focus on the following.

• Following orders promptly and efficiently
• Being able to spend hours on your feet, in places of extreme heat or cold
• Knowing state and federal regulations regarding safe food handling
• Managing stress
• Learning new skills quickly