Chef Resume Examples for 2026 (12 One-Page Samples)

Chef resume examples

This page has 12 one-page chef resume examples, from a lead cook and a chef de partie to sous chef, sushi chef, banquet chef, kitchen supervisor, kitchen manager, chef de cuisine, head chef, executive sous chef and executive chef. Each one is checked against 11,973 US postings from 2,147 employers, and the note under each sample says which covers, food cost and team numbers it puts first.

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Sous Chef Resume Example

Sous chef postings ask for 2-3 years in a professional kitchen, staff training, food safety and sanitation, consistent food preparation and help with inventory, and every one of those duties appears here with a number, from 350-cover nights to 12% less waste. The ServSafe manager certificate and culinary degree cover the credentials employers list most often.

Why this resume works:

• Run the line on 350-cover weekend nights, holding average ticket times under 14 minutes.
• Train 9 line cooks on knife skills, station setup and cooking techniques for each seasonal menu.
• Handle inventory management for proteins and dairy with weekly counts in Excel, cutting waste by 12%.

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Kitchen Manager Resume Example

Kitchen manager postings ask for leadership, inventory management, food safety, sanitation and kitchen operations, and this resume shows each at restaurant scale, including a 22-person team at 27% labor and a 29% food cost on $1.1 million in spend. Eight years that run from line cook to manager, plus a ServSafe manager certificate, show the seniority and credentials employers screen for.

Why this resume works:

• Manage a kitchen team of 22 and build weekly schedules in Microsoft Office, holding labor at 27% of sales.
• Run inventory management and purchasing for $1.1 million in yearly food spend, keeping food cost at 29%.
• Train every new hire on food safety, sanitation and food preparation standards within their first 2 shifts.

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Executive Chef Resume Example

Executive chef postings ask for leadership, menu development, budgeting, cost control, HACCP and food safety, and this resume ties each to a result, such as food cost cut from 34% to 29% across a $6.5 million program. Thirteen years with steady promotions, the CEC credential and a CIA degree show the depth employers expect above their 5-year median.

Why this resume works:

• Direct 3 kitchens and 45 culinary staff producing $6.5 million in food revenue a year.
• Lead menu development for 4 seasonal menus, testing every dish for cost, plating time and guest feedback.
• Cut food cost from 34% to 29% through supplier bids, yield testing and weekly inventory reviews in Excel.

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Chef Resume Example

Chef postings ask for leadership, sanitation, food safety, food handling and food preparation, along with a few years in a professional kitchen, and each appears here with a number, from a 98 health score to specials that make up 22% of dinner sales. Four years of experience fits the level, and the culinary degree and ServSafe certificate cover the credentials employers name.

Why this resume works:

• Lead a team of 5 cooks and 2 dishwashers through 200-cover Saturday nights and 150-cover brunches.
• Create 6 weekly specials from Gulf seafood and local produce, with specials making up 22% of dinner sales.
• Enforce food handling, food safety and sanitation routines, scoring 98 on the latest health inspection.

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Kitchen Supervisor Resume Example

Kitchen supervisor postings ask for leadership, food safety, sanitation, food preparation, inventory management and menu planning, and this resume shows each on a 2,500-meal-a-day operation with numbers attached. Three years in institutional kitchens fits the 2-year median employers ask for, and the ServSafe manager certificate sits where recruiters look first.

Why this resume works:

• Lead a shift crew of 14 cooks and student workers producing 2,500 meals a day across 5 stations.
• Plan production sheets from the 4-week cycle menu with the chef manager, keeping overproduction under 5%.
• Check allergen labels, holding temperatures and sanitation logs every 2 hours during service.

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Executive Sous Chef Resume Example

Executive sous chef postings ask for leadership, inventory, sanitation, scheduling, purchasing and food cost control, and each appears here at resort scale, from 70 staff scheduled to a 28% food cost on $3 million in spend. Nine years with a clear climb from line cook, plus the ACF sous chef credential and ServSafe certificate, match the senior level employers hire for.

Why this resume works:

• Direct daily kitchen operations across 4 outlets and 70 culinary staff, with 6 sous chefs reporting in.
• Build weekly schedules for 70 cooks and stewards, cutting overtime hours by 35% in the first year.
• Handle purchasing and inventory management for $3 million in yearly food spend, holding food cost at 28%.

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Chef de Cuisine Resume Example

Chef de cuisine postings ask for leadership, menu development, food safety, sanitation, inventory control and labor management, and this resume shows each with a result, such as a 28% food cost and kitchen labor at 24% of revenue. Nine years that move from line cook to sous chef to chef de cuisine show the culinary experience employers want at this level.

Why this resume works:

• Lead a kitchen team of 16 through 220 covers a night and a 7-course tasting menu at the counter.
• Develop 4 seasonal menus a year with the chef-owner, costing every dish to a 28% food cost target.
• Plan weekly labor schedules against sales forecasts, keeping kitchen labor at 24% of revenue.

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Lead Cook Resume Example

Lead cook postings ask for food safety, sanitation, food preparation, knife skills and cooking techniques along with customer service and teamwork, and each appears here in shift work with numbers such as 12-minute ticket times and 15% less waste. Two years from line cook to lead cook matches the median employers ask for, and the ServSafe Food Handler card covers the certification they list.

Why this resume works:

• Lead a 4-cook morning line, keeping ticket times under 12 minutes on 400-guest weekend days and holiday brunches.
• Set prep lists and par levels each morning from sales history, cutting end-of-day waste by 15% in 6 months.
• Train 6 new cooks on knife skills, cooking techniques and station cleanup during their first week on the line.

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Sushi Chef Resume Example

Sushi chef postings ask for knife skills, sushi experience, nigiri, HACCP, food safety and sanitation, plus a professional manner with guests, and this resume shows each at a busy bar with numbers such as 180 guests a night and a 72% fish yield. Five years behind the bar fits the level, and the state food worker card and ServSafe certificate cover the required paperwork.

Why this resume works:

• Produce nigiri, sashimi and maki for up to 180 guests a night, including a 14-course omakase.
• Fabricate 150 pounds of salmon, tuna and yellowtail a week, raising usable yield to 72%.
• Maintain the HACCP plan for acidified sushi rice and raw fish, with sanitation logs that passed 3 county inspections.

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Head Chef Resume Example

Head chef postings ask for leadership, menu development, food costing, food safety, HACCP and inventory, and this resume shows each with a result, including food cost lowered from 33% to 29% on $2.8 million in sales. Eight years from line cook to head chef fits the senior level, and the ServSafe manager certificate covers the credential employers list.

Why this resume works:

• Lead a kitchen of 12 cooks and 3 dishwashers through 240-cover Friday and Saturday dinners.
• Develop 5 seasonal menus a year with 9 local farms, with food costing in Excel for every plate.
• Lower food cost from 33% to 29% through whole-animal butchery, menu engineering and weekly inventory counts.

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Chef de Partie Resume Example

Chef de partie postings ask for knife skills, food safety, sanitation, HACCP, portion control and food preparation, and every one of these appears here in station work at a 250-cover brasserie. Two years from commis cook to chef de partie keeps the resume at entry level, and the city food protection certificate covers the credential New York kitchens require.

Why this resume works:

• Run the fish station for up to 250 covers a night with 1 commis cook, plating 5 fish dishes to spec.
• Fabricate 80 pounds of whole fish daily, using strict portion control to protect food cost and plate consistency.
• Maintain HACCP logs and food safety checks for the station's cold storage, blast chiller and daily fish deliveries.

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Banquet Chef Resume Example

Banquet chef postings ask for attention to detail, Excel, planning, cooking techniques, presentation, sanitation and supervisory experience, and this resume shows each at event scale, from 1,500-guest galas to a 26% banquet food cost. Five years in hotel and conference kitchens fits the mid level, and the ServSafe manager certificate covers the food safety credential employers list.

Why this resume works:

• Plan banquet production for 600 events a year, including galas of up to 1,500 guests.
• Lead 18 banquet cooks and 3 supervisors, building weekly schedules from banquet event orders.
• Track food cost per event in Excel, holding banquet food cost at 26% across 2025.

What employers ask for in chef job postings

Technical skills and tools employers name

Make sure your resume shows

• Organization, communication and leadership skills (40% of employers)
• 2 to 3 years in a professional kitchen or food service (40% of employers)
• Knowledge of food preparation, cooking techniques and kitchen operations (30% of employers)
• Culinary degree or equivalent certification (preferred) (24% of employers)
• Stays calm in a fast-paced kitchen (22% of employers)
• Lifts and carries up to 50 lbs (22% of employers)
• Works evenings, weekends and holidays (21% of employers)
• ServSafe Food Manager or Food Handler certification (20% of employers)

Duties to build your bullet points around

What employers write most often under responsibilities. Show each one with a result (numbers, scale, outcome), not a copy of the duty.

• Manage and train kitchen staff (38%)
• Keep food safety, sanitation and health code compliance (38%)
• Prepare food consistently to recipes and presentation standards (35%)
• Help with inventory, ordering and food cost control (25%)
• Keep the kitchen and equipment clean and organized (20%)
• Support the executive chef in daily operations and menu execution (10%)

The examples on this page, in job postings

Which job title to put on your resume: the titles employers use most, so recruiters and applicant tracking systems search for them: Sous Chef (739 employers), Kitchen Manager (404 employers), Executive Chef (370 employers), Chef (288 employers), Kitchen Supervisor (142 employers).

Source: Owlapply analysis of active US job postings, October 2026. Requirements and duties are grouped by meaning from the postings' own bullet lists and counted once per employer.

Advertised pay, experience and the skills employers ask for: Chef pay and requirements.

Chef resume sample (text you can copy)

This is the text of the Sous Chef example above. Paste it into the resume builder and replace the details with your own.

How to write a chef resume

Write a chef resume summary

• Open with your title, years in professional kitchens and the type of operation: fine dining, hotel, banquet, institutional or high-volume casual.
• Give the size of the kitchen in one figure, such as seats, covers a night, meals a day or annual food sales.
• Name the cuisine or station you are known for, such as sushi, fish, Southern or seasonal tasting menus.
• Mention your ServSafe or culinary credential; about 20% of employers ask for ServSafe Food Manager or Food Handler certification.

Write chef experience bullets

• Show volume and speed: covers on a busy night, meals a day or ticket times held during service.
• Report food cost and labor as percentages, and how you moved them, such as food cost cut from 34% to 29%.
• Count the people you train or lead; about 38% of employers list managing and training kitchen staff as a duty.
• Back food safety with results, such as health inspection scores or inspections passed with no critical violations.

Pick the skills for a chef resume

• Leadership (about 22% of postings), food preparation (about 8%), food safety (about 8%) and sanitation (about 7%) are the kitchen skills employers name most; show each in a bullet, not only in a list.
• Add the work behind them: menu development, inventory, purchasing, food costing, knife skills and HACCP, plus Excel if you track cost or inventory in it.
• Communication (about 36%) and organization (about 18%) read best as proof, such as a smooth 350-cover night or a cooler that passes every check.

Do's and don'ts

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