(, "kitchen brigade") is a system of hierarchy found in restaurants and hotels employing extensive staff, commonly referred to as "kitchen staff" in English-speaking countries.

The concept was developed by Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935). This structured team system delegates responsibilities to different individuals who specialize in certain tasks in the kitchen or in the dining room.

List of positions
This is a comprehensive list of the members of a full kitchen brigade. Only the largest of establishments would have a staff of this size. As noted under some titles, certain positions are combined into other positions when such a large staff is unnecessary. Note: Despite the use of  in English as the title for a cook, the word actually means "chief" or "head" in French. Similarly,  means "kitchen", but also refers to food or cooking generally, or a type of food or cooking.
  (kitchen chef; "chief of the kitchen") is responsible for overall management of kitchen; supervises staff, creates menus and new recipes with the assistance of the restaurant manager, makes purchases of raw food items, trains apprentices, and maintains a sanitary and hygienic environment for the preparation of food.
  (deputy or second kitchen chef; "under-chief") receives orders directly from the  for the management of the kitchen, and often serves as the representative when the  is not present.
  (sauce maker or sauté cook) prepares sauces and warm , completes meat dishes, and in smaller restaurants, may work on fish dishes and prepare sautéed items. This is one of the most respected positions in the kitchen brigade.
  (senior chef; "chief of the group") is responsible for managing a given station in the kitchen, specializing in preparing particular dishes there. Those who work in a lesser station are commonly referred to as a .
  (cook) is an independent position, usually preparing specific dishes in a station; may also be referred to as a .
  (junior cook / assistant cook) also works in a specific station, but reports directly to the  and takes care of the tools for the station. A woman is a .
  (apprentice) are often students gaining theoretical and practical training in school and work experience in the kitchen. They perform preparatory work and/or cleaning work. An  is a male, and  female.
  (dishwasher or kitchen porter) cleans dishes and utensils, and may be entrusted with basic preparatory jobs.
  (pot and pan washer; kitchen porter) in larger restaurants, takes care of all the pots and pans instead of the .
  (roast cook) manages a team of cooks that roasts, broils, and deep fries dishes.
  (grill cook) in larger kitchens, prepares grilled foods instead of the .
  (fry cook) in larger kitchens, prepares fried foods instead of the .
  (fish cook) prepares fish and seafood dishes.
  or  (entrée preparer) prepares soups and other dishes not involving meat or fish, including vegetable dishes and egg dishes. Originally the entremets preparer.
  (soup cook) in larger kitchens, reports to the  and prepares the soups. (Cf. )
  (vegetable cook) in larger kitchens, also reports to the  and prepares the vegetable dishes.
  (pantry supervisor; "food keeper") is responsible for preparation of cold , pâtés, terrines and aspics; prepares salads; organizes large buffet displays; and prepares charcuterie items.
  (spare hand/roundsman) moves throughout the kitchen, assisting other positions in kitchen.
  (pastry cook) prepares desserts and other meal-end sweets, and for locations without a , also prepares breads and other baked items; may also prepare pasta.
  in larger restaurants, prepares candies and  instead of the .
  in larger restaurants, prepares frozen and cold desserts instead of the .
  in larger restaurants, prepares show pieces and specialty cakes instead of the .
  (baker) in larger restaurants, prepares bread, cakes, and breakfast pastries instead of the .
  (butcher) butchers meats, poultry, and sometimes fish; may also be in charge of breading meat and fish items.
  (announcer/expediter) takes orders from the dining room and distributes them to the various stations; may also be performed by the .
  (staff cook) prepares the meal for the restaurant staff.
  ("kitchen boy") in larger restaurants, performs preparatory and auxiliary work for support.
  (busser) clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables, refilling

Summary table

In popular culture
Kitchen Brigade, or La Brigade, a 2022 film directed by Louis-Julien Petit (in 2023 available in Prime Video).
The Bear, a comedy-drama television series with 18 episodes in 2022-2023 seasons, presents difficulties of a trained chef introducing the kitchen brigade system in a family-owned Chicago sandwich shop (available in Hulu).

See also

 Chef
 List of restaurant terminology
 Waiting staff
 Maître d'hôtel, a front of house head

Notes

References

 Dominé, André (ed.). Culinaria France. Cologne: Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbh, 1998. 
 
 Patrick Rambourg, Histoire de la cuisine et de la gastronomie françaises, Paris, Ed. Perrin (coll. tempus n° 359), 2010, 381 pages. 

Restaurant terminology
Culinary terminology
Hospitality management