CULINARY ART TECHNICIAN

The Culinary Art Technician is responsible for the preparation of food and dishes in the various types of catering establishments/restaurants.

Description of the occupation

The Culinary Art Technician is the immediate co-worker of the cook, mainly engaging in the preparation of dishes in food industry businesses. S/he prepares dishes of various kinds using all types of animal and plant products (meat, legumes, vegetables, etc.). S/he also takes care of the overall organisation of the kitchen and helps check the goods delivered. S/he makes sure the overall area is tidy and clean and, together with the cook, is responsible for the overall performance of the kitchen.

His/her key duty is quality control, proper maintenance and effective utilization of foods.

Personal traits and competences

S/he has to be creative and imaginative so that s/he can create new recipes. She also needs to have dexterity. Furthermore, s/he needs to be co-operative, polite and willing, and also have team spirit and good organisational skills.

It is important that s/he has good taste, so that s/he can distinguish what is tasty and what is not. S/he should also be able to distinguish and detect differences in taste and smell. Finally, s/he should be particularly cautious with the ingredients used and meticulously follow personal and food hygiene rules.

Technical knowledge and skills

Upon graduating, Culinary Art Technicians are able to:

perform quality controls and care for the maintenance and utilization of raw materials
prepare various types of dishes
create food combinations and present new and original dishes
organise the kitchen and segregate the various relevant tasks
apply costing principles, choose dishes and create the menu
undertake – according to the applicable market regulations – food portioning
have good knowledge of serving methods
respond satisfactorily to the orders’ serving time requirements
understand basic terms of Mathematics and Chemistry
understand special terms in topics relating to goods, menus, and business letters
use a personal computer
use the English language at a satisfactory level.

Employment prospects

Culinary Art Technicians can work:

as freelancers
in catering establishments / restaurants in the private and public sector, including:
- restaurants with Greek or international cuisine
- hotel restaurants
- institutions, hospitals, modern catering businesses, cruise ships or other types of ships
in educational institutions of the private and public sector.

Working conditions

S/he works in the food preparation area of a business. His/her work is considered to be rather tiring since it involves standing and supervising the food preparation throughout his/her work shift.

Due to the fact that s/he is constantly in the kitchen area, s/he has to work in high temperatures, facing rather difficult working conditions, which, however, can significantly improve provided that health and safety regulations are observed. The cleaner and more spacious the workspace is, the better the working conditions are.

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