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3 Interview Questions all Good Executive Chefs Should be Able to Answer

An executive chef should not be hired into a permanent role lightly. The most senior employee in the kitchen, the head chef often manages the kitchen staff in their day-to-day tasks, plans menus, and oversees all aspects of food preparation along with the sous chef. The executive chef can make or break a restaurant, especially if they have full autonomy over the menu and how the kitchen is run. That is why the interview is such an important part of the hiring process when searching for a new executive chef.

What is Your Culinary Background?

This question is important both because it will help you gauge the level of experience of the candidate and because it will tell you what types of cuisines they have worked with in the past. If your restaurant serves primarily Mexican food, and the applicant has no experience with Mexican food, then your job is likely not a good fit. If you run a restaurant with a casual menu that you expect to remain the same from chef to chef, you may not need to look for someone with experience in menu planning. Each restaurant will have its own needs, which is why digging into a candidate’s specific experience is so important.

How Would you Describe Your Management Style?

A head chef may not be the sole person managing kitchen personnel (a general restaurant manager likely does at least some of that), but they do need to give day-to-day instructions to line cooks and other back-of-house staff. Executive chefs will also likely function as mentors for line cooks and sous chefs who wish to rise in the ranks, and you will do well to hire a chef de cuisine who can work well with others, serving as a role model.

How do you React in Stressful Situations?

Kitchens are stressful places, and the executive chef often sets the tone or mood for the whole kitchen staff. A good executive chef should have some tolerance for mistakes or mishaps. If the chef you hire comes into work every day in a foul mood or reacts to problems in a way that makes it difficult for the rest of the team to complete their duties, then you’re going to have a hard time retaining your employees. 

A good executive chef will be prepared for questions like these. We hope that you find these useful while preparing to interview a candidate who will ideally become your next head chef.