What does it mean to be part of a kitchen brigade?

When chefs refer to a kitchen brigade, what do they mean?

If you watch Hell’s Kitchen, the term kitchen brigade has been a popular term in the most recent season. While certain kitchen terms, like mise en place, are commonly known by home cooks, this term and its concept doesn’t apply to the home kitchen. Why is the kitchen brigade such a focus?

For any restaurant to succeed, it must be efficient. When a customer sits at a table, she wants a well-executed meal that is served in a timely fashion. Although the fiery commentary seen on the Hell’s Kitchen show is entertaining, the reality is that the diners should never hear that raised voice, thrown away food or chefs been thrown out of a service. With a strong order, the dinner service should be flawless.

The idea of a kitchen brigade can be traced back to Georges-Auguste Escoffier. While Escoffier is also know for creating the five mother sauces, he is credited with creating the “brigade de cuisine.” Using his French army background, he assigned specific duties around a kitchen.

Through these specific duties, it is believed that a kitchen would be more efficient. Since each chef has a specific purpose, the whole process would streamlined and maximum efficiency would be achieved.

While the concept has evolved, the hierarchy in a professional kitchen is still quite common. Generally, there are five roles in a kitchen, executive chef, head chef/chef de cuisine, sous chef, chef de partie (a chef in charge of a particular station) and a commis chef (or junior chef).

Whether you watch Hell’s Kitchen or even watched Ratatouille, those roles are common. While most chefs start in a lower position, the goal is to rise to the top of the hierarchy. By mastering each position, working as a team and developing as a leader, the goal is possible.

As seen in the recent season of Hell’s Kitchen, the term brigade comes up more and more often. Whether it is a reference to the leadership capabilities of fellow chefs or the lack of communication from other chefs, certain attributes make some chefs more likely to succeed than others.

Although some viewers might have wondered why it is important to call back orders or respond yes chef, there is a reason and a purpose that goes back to the kitchen brigade system. The success and failure comes down to every person in that kitchen. The old saying still applies, you’re only as strong as your weakest link. If the leader cannot bring out the best of the team, the group will fail.

During the next episode of Hell’s Kitchen, all that calling out orders and talking about the kitchen brigade isn’t just for an entertaining show. It is the reason why that restaurant meal goes from your order to your table efficiently, and hopefully perfectly executed.

Do you know any kitchen secrets that you can share? What should a regular diner know about the insides of a working kitchen?