A commis chef is the junior cook in a professional kitchen: the first rung of the classical brigade, working under a chef de partie and learning a section by doing the preparation that section runs on.
This guide sets out commis chef duties and responsibilities, the shift routine and how the role changes by kitchen. It sits in the Hospitality and cleaning duties and responsibilities cluster, part of the wider job duties guide.
What Does a Commis Chef Do?
A commis chef does the mise en place: the washing, peeling, portioning, stock-making and sauce work that must be finished before service starts. During service they support a section, plate simple items and keep the station stocked and clean.
The role is deliberately structured as an apprenticeship. A commis rotates through sections, learns each one’s preparation and standards, and is judged on consistency, speed of prep and whether the section is ready when service opens. Chefs promote the commis who never has to be asked twice and whose station is clean.
It is physically demanding work with split shifts, weekend service and long hours on your feet, and most South African kitchens expect a commis to arrive early and stay until the section is closed down properly.
Key Commis Chef Duties and Responsibilities
- Preparing mise en place for the assigned section before service.
- Washing, peeling, cutting and portioning vegetables, meat and fish to specification.
- Making stocks, sauces, dressings and basic components under supervision.
- Cooking and plating simple dishes during service as directed.
- Keeping the section stocked, organised and clean throughout service.
- Receiving and checking deliveries against orders and quality standards.
- Storing food correctly, labelling and dating and rotating on a first-in first-out basis.
- Following food safety and hygiene requirements including temperature records.
- Minimising food waste through accurate portioning and correct storage.
- Cleaning equipment, surfaces and the section at close-down.
- Reporting shortages, spoilage and equipment faults to the section chef.
- Learning recipes, standards and techniques across sections as rotated.
Daily Tasks of a Commis Chef
- Arrival: check the prep list, take fridge temperatures and set up the station.
- Morning: work through mise en place, make stocks and sauces, portion proteins.
- Pre-service: stock the section, taste and check components, set up plating equipment.
- Service: support the chef de partie, plate assigned items and replenish as you go.
- Close-down: wrap, label and store food, clean the section and record temperatures.
Commis Chef Skills and Competencies
- Knife skills: accurate, consistent cuts at reasonable speed.
- Organisation: a station where everything has a place and nothing runs out mid-service.
- Following instruction: cooking to the recipe and the chef’s standard, not your own.
- Hygiene discipline: labelling, temperatures and storage done every time.
- Resilience: long hours, heat, pressure and direct criticism during service.
- Willingness to learn: asking, watching and taking correction without argument.
Commis Chef Duties by Workplace or Industry
Fine Dining Restaurants
Prep is exacting and repetitive, with tight specifications, long mise en place lists and high expectations on consistency and cleanliness.
Hotels and Banqueting
Volume drives the work: bulk preparation, buffet replenishment, breakfast service and function plating on a schedule set by the events diary.
Lodges and Remote Kitchens
Duties widen because the brigade is small: a commis may cover several sections, help with ordering and work around limited deliveries and storage.
Contract and Institutional Catering
Standardised recipes, portion control, allergen management and documented food safety records take precedence over creative work.
Commis Chef Duties for a CV
Name the kitchen, the sections you worked and the covers per service. Use the duties for a CV guide for the method.
- Worked larder, grill and sauce sections in a 120-cover restaurant kitchen.
- Completed daily mise en place for the section ahead of every service.
- Maintained food safety records including fridge and cooking temperatures.
- Reduced section wastage through accurate portioning and stock rotation.
Related Job Roles and Responsibilities
These guides cover the roles and next steps most closely related to this one.
- Chef duties and responsibilities
- Kitchen Assistant duties and responsibilities
- Waiter duties and responsibilities
- General Assistant duties and responsibilities
- Hospitality and cleaning duties
Frequently Asked Questions About Commis Chef Duties
What are the duties of a commis chef?
Preparing mise en place for the section, cutting and portioning ingredients, making stocks and sauces, cooking and plating simple dishes during service, keeping the station stocked and clean, checking deliveries, storing and rotating food correctly, following food safety requirements and closing down the section.
What is the difference between a commis chef and a chef de partie?
A chef de partie runs a section and is accountable for its output during service. A commis chef works under them, doing the preparation and supporting the section while learning it. Commis is the junior position and chef de partie is the next step.
Do you need a qualification to be a commis chef?
Many commis chefs hold a professional cookery certificate or diploma, and some enter through an apprenticeship or in-house training. Employers differ, and a good attitude with basic knife skills will get some candidates in without a formal qualification.
What are the working hours of a commis chef?
Long and unsocial. Split shifts, weekends, public holidays and late finishes are normal in restaurant kitchens. Hours must still comply with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and any applicable sectoral determination.
Duties vary by kitchen size and brigade structure. Check your job description for which sections you will cover and what you are expected to produce unsupervised.
Last reviewed: 2 September 2026