1. Kitchen Brigade
System

2. Background
• Developed by Escoffier
• Streamlines and simplifies work in hotel
kitchens
• Eliminates chaos and duplication of effort
• Each position has a station and defined tasks.

3. Chef (chief)
• Responsible for all kitchen operations
• Ordering
• Supervision of all stations
• Development of menu items
• a.k.a.– “chef de cuisine” or executive chef

4. Sous (under) Chef
• 2nd in command
• Answers to chef
• Responsible for scheduling
• Fills in for chef
• Assists the station chefs as needed
• Smaller operation may not have a sous chef

5. Station Chefs (chefs de partie)
A.K.A. “line cooks” and include:
Saucier – sauté́ station
Poissonier – fish station
Rôtisseur – roast station
Grillardin – grill station
Friturier – fry station
Entremetier – vegetable station
Tournant – roundsman
Garde-manger – pantry chef
Boucher – butcher
Pâtissier – pastry chef

6. Saucier
• Sauté station
• Responsible for all sautéed items and sauces
• Considered the most demanding, responsible,
and glamorous on the line

7. Poissonier
• Fish station
• Responsible for fish items
• Includes butchering
• Their sauces
• Sometimes combined with saucier position

8. Rôtisseur
• Roast station
• Responsible for all roasted foods and related
jus or other sauces.

9. Grillardin
• Grill station
• Responsible for all grilled foods
• May be combined with Rôtisseur

10. Friturier
• Responsible for all fried foods
• May be combined with Rôtisseur

11. Entremetier
• Responsible for hot appetizers
• Frequently does the soups and vegetables,
starches and pastas
• May also do egg dishes
• In a fully traditional brigade system:
– Potager – soup station
– Legumier - vegetables

12. Tournant
• Roundsman
• a.k.a. – swing cook
• Works as needed throughout kitchen

13. Garde-manger
• Pantry chef
• Considered separate category of kitchen work
• Cold food preparations
– Salads
– Cold appetizers
– Pâtés

14. Boucher
• Butcher
• Butchers meats, poultry, and occasionally fish
• May bread meat and fish items
• Often considered part of garde-manger

15. Pâtissier
• Pastry chef
• Responsible for baked items, pastries and
desserts
• Often supervises separate kitchen area or
separate shop in larger operations
• Areas of specialization:
• Confiseur – prepares candies, petits fours
• Boulanger – prepares non-sweetened doughs
• Glacier prepares frozen and cold desserts
• Cecorateur – prepares show pieces and special cakes

16. Other brigade positions:
• Aboyeur – expediter or announcer:
• accepts orders from dining room and relays to
various stations chefs
– Is last person to see plate before it leaves kitchen.
– This could also be the sous chef or kitchen
steward
• Communard – cooks for the staff
– Assistant – works under a chef de partie to learn
the station and its responsibilities

17. Dining Room
Brigade System
• “Front of the House”
• Chain of command:
– Maître d’hôtel – dining room manager, host or
hostess
– Chef de vin or sommelier – wine steward
– Chef de salle – head waiter
– Chef d’étage - captain
– Chef de rang – front waiter
– Demi-chef de rang or commis de rang – back
waiter or busboy

18. Maître d’hôtel
• Dining room manager, host, or hostess
• Most responsible for front-of-the-house
operation
• Trains all service personnel
• Oversees wine selection
• Works with chef to determine the menu
• Organizes seating throughout service

19. Chef de vin
• Wine steward
• Responsible for all aspects of restaurant wine
service
– Includes:
• Purchasing wines
• Preparing a wine list
• Assisting guests in wine selection
• Serving wine properly
• Ma be assumed by the Maître d’hôtel

20. Chef de salle
• Head waiter
• In charge of service for entire dining room
• Position is often included in either captain or
maître d’hôtel

21. Chef d'étage
• Captain
• Deals directly with guests once seated
• Explains menu
• Answers any question
• Takes order
• Does tableside food preparation
• If no captain responsibilities fall to front
waiter

22. Chef de rang
• Front waiter
• Assures table is properly set for each course
• Food is properly delivered to table
• Sees that needs of guests are promptly and
courteously met.

23. Demi-chef de rang
• Back waiter or busboy
• Normally first position assisgned to new
dining room workers
• Clears plates between courses
• Fills water glasses, bread baskets
• Assists the front waiter and/or captain as
needed.

24. Summary
• Brigade systems used in both kitchen and
dining rooms have clearly defined jobs.
• Having clearly defined job descriptions keeps
a restaurant organized.
• A good manager creates an environment
where everyone feels they have a distinct and
measurable contribution to make within the
organization.
• Recruitment and retention of employees is
easier with proper management.

25. The End