Garde Manger Chef

A Garde Manger Chef maintains and prepares primarily cold foods for a restaurant. An ability to work quickly, impressive food presentation skills and—most importantly—a talent for preparing great-tasting food are necessary if you’re interested in pursuing this career.

As a Garde Manger Chef, you’ll typically be called upon to start the meals off at a restaurant. The cold foods you prepare, like salads, fresh fruit, and chilled soups, are generally served as appetizers, and are likely to be ordered first by guests. Some entry-level Garde Manger Chef jobs require that you simply prepare and plate these foods. But most positions will have you working in conjunction with other Chefs at the restaurant to ensure that each course is prepared and served at the proper time and order.

A restaurant kitchen is a busy and fast-paced work environment, so nothing should slow you down. You ensure this by keeping all ingredients and supplies stocked and arranged properly. Additionally, you’re concerned not only with taste, but also with presentation. You’ll have to ensure that garnishes and arrangements look palatable and delicious, which can be a fun test of your artistic skills.

Although you might often be tempted to sample your own tasty dishes, you’ll have to rely on your knowledge of ingredients and flavors to ensure that your meal will be enticing to someone besides yourself. Typically, you learn this by taking a degree in culinary arts and practicing for hours and hours in the kitchen.