VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

head chef

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌhed ˈʃef/
US/ˌhed ˈʃef/

Meaning

  1. nouncountable

    The person in charge of a restaurant kitchen, who plans menus, directs the cooks and takes responsibility for the food.

    Grammar: Takes an or the: she became the head chef.

    Patterns

    • the head chef at a place
    • become head chef

    The head chef tasted every sauce before service began.

    After ten years as a cook, she became head chef of a small bistro.

    The head chef designed a new autumn menu.

Word forms

pluralhead chefs

Common combinations

the head chef at the restaurant
The head chef at the restaurant trained in Paris.
appoint a head chef
The hotel appointed a new head chef.
train under a head chef
He trained under a famous head chef.
the head chef's menu
The head chef's menu changes daily.
work as a head chef
She works as a head chef in London.

Synonyms and how they differ

executive chef
An executive chef often manages several kitchens or restaurants, and so is above a single head chef.
chef de cuisine
This is the French term and sounds formal, used in fine-dining restaurants.
kitchen manager
This focuses on administration and costs, not on the creative role.
head cook
This is plainer and used in less formal places such as schools.

Opposites

commis chefkitchen assistant

Word family

chef noun
a professional cook
sous-chef noun
the second in command in a kitchen
cuisine noun
a style of cooking
head adjective
chief or main

Commonly confused: head chef or sous-chef?

head chef vs sous-chef

A sous-chef is the deputy of the head chef, not the person in overall charge.

Practice

The restaurant's _____ decides which dishes go on the menu and directs the cooks.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “head chef”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words