Successfully Run Your Culinary Operation so it's NOT Running You
Beyond the Food: Mise en Place for the Executive Chef
An Online Program with Certified Master Chef Gerald L. Ford
Cooking is Only 20% Of the Job
I see the Executive Chef as an EXECUTIVE ROLE, not that different from a CEO. Primarily, it’s a leadership role which requires executive function.
Yet, Chefs are promoted to Executive based on their ability to cook.
I’ve found, if you’re lucky, once you become an Executive Chef cooking is only 20% of the job- a small fraction of the whole.
The Executive Chef role requires the skills to effectively manage time, a budget, a staff, build a culinary culture, organize, communicate, lead, and motivate your team...the stuff that is often overlooked and rarely taught yet makes up 80% of the responsibilities.
Beyond the Food: Mise en Place for The Executive Chef was created to take you from feeling frustrated with staffing and exhausted from constantly running in operations to systemized, organized, and highly productive so that you have more time to focus on mentoring your team and getting back to doing what you love…creating in the kitchen.
I’ve created a blueprint and an action plan to get you Successfully Running your Culinary Operation So It’s NOT Running You.
- Chef Ford
About Beyond the Food
In Beyond the Food, we will be building 2 principle tools that will allow you to run, manage & administrate your operations:
1: The Culinary Program Playbook
So you have your standards clearly defined, using a brand approach to SOP’s, employee attraction, onboarding, evolution, culture development, expectations, management & production.
2: The Executive Chef Score Card
So you can measure what matters most to you and make the micro-adjustments necessary to run your operation on databased decisions.
Beyond the Food is for Executive Chefs who can relate to any of the following:
- You feel like your culinary operation is running you
- You can’t take a day off without emergency calls
- You feel like you are carrying the program
- You’re trying to focus on higher level work but are constantly getting pulled into line level operations
Once graduating from the program, Executive Chefs will have the most up to date & comprehensive blueprint & systems to operate as executive leaders, on the path to operational excellence.
This program is approved for 30 continuing education hours toward the initial or recertification application for ACF certification. Note: These programs are not endorsed, accredited, or affiliated with ACF or the ACF Certification Program.
About Master Chef Ford
One of 73 Certified Master Chefs and former Captain of the National Culinary Team USA, Chef Ford had stops in Michelin Starred Restaurants, The Moulin de Mougins and Eleven Madison Park. Over his career, Master Chef Ford has established himself as a professional who is focused, driven, innovative and organized beyond obsessive.
During his 30 years in the food service industry, Master Chef Ford was part of the opening team at The Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle, NYC. He also served as part of the opening team of several restaurants in New York State and worked for the Four Seasons & Ritz Carlton Hotel Companies. For the last thirteen years he has been working in Platinum-Level Private Clubs in the role of Executive Chef, Culinary Director, Executive Sous Chef & Sous Chef.
Earning medals at the highest level of international competition and the Culinary Olympics, Chef Ford has proven his resourcefulness and honed his leadership, leading and developing the best chefs in the world.
If you are an Executive Chef and want to join me in this transformation, click below to apply for the program. Once your application is reviewed, I will reach out to schedule a 45 minute free discovery zoom call.
