You can assess the quality of an operation and the effectiveness of a chef to lead a team within the first minutes of walking into a kitchen. It can be done without tasting food or even seeing a single plate presented in the pass and it is visible without asking a guest for comments on a meal. Assessment is vividly apparent by simply viewing the integration of mise en place throughout the operation.

Those first few steps into the kitchen will reveal the operation’s attention to detail. The general sense of cleanliness and order speaks to the chef’s attention to leading an organized operation. The attention to detail at every workstation is a perfect indication of the training and unity of purpose that every cook shares, and the sense of calm that this organization brings is a strong indicator of how the unit works towards plate perfection and a great customer experience.

Mise en place, when properly viewed as core to the operation of a kitchen, is not a goal but more importantly a part of the culture. Cooks don’t have to work at mise en place, it simply “is.” Observing kitchens with this culture, you begin to understand why their cooks will proclaim: “of course, our mise en place is tight, it’s the only way to work.”

So, here’s the thing – when mise en place permeates everything you do, how you work, act, and present yourself, then competence finds a home and confidence leads the charge. You can handle anything if your mise en place is spot on. If your station is organized like the cockpit in an airplane – then clarity wins over any sense of confusion. When the ingredients you need for the effective functioning of a kitchen line are prepped in sufficient quantity, then the time-of-service flows like an orchestra attacking a masterful piece of music; and when the steps in assembling a recipe are followed with precision (all part of mise en place) then the results will be as they should be. Mise, when integrated into every phase of a kitchen’s operation is apparent to the observer during those first few steps into the kitchen.

Keep in mind, that mise en place rarely just happens without leadership setting the example and building in those expectations. It rarely happens without a commitment to teaching, training, observation, and measurement. It never happens unless it is already a way of life for the chef. Mise en place is even more important in a kitchen than talent because undisciplined talent often leads to chaos rather than positive results.

When you walk into a kitchen take those first few moments to scan the landscape and look for those indicators of commitment to mise en place. Are the floors clean (yes, even during the height of service); is the dish area organized with scraping, rinsing, loading and unloading; are cook’s work stations set-up like a pilots cockpit knowing without looking where every piece of equipment sits; are prep stations clean with sharp knifes, sani-buckets close at hand, and only ingredients out that are being worked on; and is there a sense of organized calm permeating the operation? If the answer is yes then you can rest assured that the food will look, smell, and taste great, and that the customer experience will be top notch.

Mise en place stretches beyond the physical look and feel of the kitchen – it encompasses how chefs and their cooks approach every aspect of work from scheduling, to purchasing, cooler and storeroom organization, menu planning, production sheets, interactions with front of the house, and the way that orders are called out and plates checked by the expeditor. Mise en place is a way of life. This is what you not only see but feel when you step into a well-run kitchen.

A kitchen that looks in chaos – is in chaos. A kitchen without attention to detail is a kitchen that is incapable of producing delicious, beautiful food and operating profitably. It’s that important, and it’s that simple. When asked” what does it take to run a successful kitchen in every aspect of the term,” the answer is: MISE EN PLACE.

“A Cook’s life revolves around mise en place and it’s what makes you or breaks you. You’re only as good as your mise en place.”

-Randy Burns

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

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