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Skills that move you up faster

• Butchery

  Breaking down whole animals saves a restaurant real money and makes you hard to replace.

• Bread and pastry

  A savory cook who can also bake is worth two hires to a small kitchen.

• Food cost and inventory control

  The single skill that turns a good cook into a chef an owner will hire.

• Volume and banquet cooking

  Feeding 400 people at once is a different craft, and hotels pay for it.

• Chef certification

  The American Culinary Federation certifies cooks and chefs at levels running from Certified Culinarian up to Certified Master Chef.