In the late 1800s, at grand hotels such as the Savoy and the Carlton in London, Auguste Escoffier organized big kitchens like a well-run team. Each group of cooks had one job and one leader. His system, the brigade de cuisine, still shapes kitchen titles today.
Key idea
Chef de cuisine (head chef) runs the kitchen; the sous-chef ("under-chef") is second in command and runs service. Chefs de partie (station chefs) each lead a station, helped by cooks and commis (junior cooks). Plongeurs wash dishes; the aboyeur ("barker") calls orders. Most kitchens today combine stations, but the titles live on.
| Station chef | Job |
|---|---|
| Saucier | Sauces and sautéed dishes; often the most senior station |
| Poissonnier | Fish |
| Rôtisseur | Roasts and their jus |
| Grillardin | Grilled foods |
| Friturier | Fried foods |
| Entremetier | Vegetables, starches, soups and eggs (sometimes split into potager and legumier) |
| Garde manger | Cold foods: salads, cold appetizers, pâtés |
| Pâtissier | Pastry and desserts |
| Boucher | Butchery |
| Tournant | Fills in at any station |
Why it works
The brigade divides a huge menu into parts that one person can master, and makes it clear who answers to whom when service gets hectic.
Worked example: Who?
Who makes the béarnaise and the pan sauces in a classical brigade?
- Sauces and sautés belong to one station.
Answer: The saucier.
Common mistake
Thinking every restaurant has every station. A small kitchen might have a chef, a sous-chef and three cooks covering everything.
Practice at home
- Write the brigade for your home kitchen on a holiday: who is chef, who is garde manger, who is plongeur?
In Meal Prep
- From the Great Kitchens: Escoffier's recipes from the Savoy and the Carlton