Road Mates EnterHow to become a Chef, phase by phase: what you do in each one, how long it takes, and the proof that shows you're done.
5 phases4.5–9 years or longer10 resources
Practicing knife cuts, mother sauces, stocks, and basic techniques daily from a structured curriculum or culinary course. By the end, the person can reliably execute a set of classic dishes and has earned a basic food safety certification.
You're done when you can show
A food handler or food safety certificate (e.g. ServSafe in the US) plus photos of 10 executed classic dishes.
Resources
Getting hired in a professional kitchen as a dishwasher or prep cook, doing high-volume mise en place, learning kitchen hierarchy, speed, and cleanliness standards. Proves the person can survive full service shifts and handle repetitive prep at professional pace.
You're done when you can show
A pay stub or employer reference confirming paid kitchen work.
Resources
Owning a station such as garde manger, sauté, or grill during live service, rotating through stations to build range. Produces consistent plates under ticket pressure and the ability to set up, run, and break down a station independently.
You're done when you can show
A reference from a sous or head chef confirming you ran a station solo.
Resources
Stepping into sous chef duties: running the pass, training cooks, writing prep lists, ordering, managing inventory, and calculating food cost. Proves the person can keep a kitchen on standard and on budget without the head chef present.
You're done when you can show
A costed recipe sheet or inventory/order log you managed, with a sous chef title reference.
Resources
Creating original dishes, developing full seasonal menus, setting margins, and taking final responsibility for a kitchen as head or executive chef. Produces a live menu under the person's name that sells profitably and is consistently executed by their team.
You're done when you can show
A published restaurant menu crediting you as head or executive chef.
Resources
Walk this road with people on it.
Track each phase, post your proofs, and get matched with people in the same phase.