Relevant workplaces

Places of employment for a cook are in kitchens at service locations – from fast food to gourmet restaurants, hotels, and other overnighting companies, tourist ships, drilling rigs, trade ships, and fishing vessels – as well as fresh produce departments in grocery stores.

Key tasks

Key tasks include:

• making food and meals to meet the needs of guests and users: ordinary fare, food for parties or special needs
• use of different raw goods and preparation methods for making food
• developing new products, dishes, and recipes
• composing menus, setting prices
• preparing baked and pastry dishes for the day’s meals and desserts
• choice of beverages appropriate for each dish

Personal qualities

A cook should be able to prepare food for all kinds of people and occasions, should work systematically, be independent, and able to work in groups. You should enjoy making food, have a sense for the aesthetic, be creative and precise, and have good personal hygiene and a sense for figures. You should enjoy creating pleasurable environments, have good communications skill, and be service-minded. A cook often works in shifts.