It implies that both the chef and the restaurant have been evaluated and deemed the best of the best. Michelin Stars set the standard for ranking the finest in the restaurant industry and the culinary world, so being a Michelin Starred Chef is of the highest honor.
Gordon Ramsay – 7 Michelin stars
Although he's been awarded 16 Michelin stars throughout his career, he currently holds seven. His signature restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, has held 3 stars since 2001, making it London's longest-running three Michelin-starred restaurant.
Head Chef (Chef de Cuisine)
The head chef remains at the top of the hierarchy in restaurant kitchens without an executive chef. Like an executive chef, this person controls all aspects of the kitchen. They are responsible for creating menus, controlling kitchen costs, and managing the kitchen staff.
Five-star chefs have high standards, an eye for detail and managerial skills to hire, train and supervise kitchen staff. Creativity, imagination and vision are important in developing a unique brand that distinguishes the restaurant.
Plain and simple, a Michelin star is a badge of honor, regardless of how many Michelin stars a restaurant receives (between one and three, with three being the highest caliber).
The Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide's awarded Michelin Stars have become the most coveted and respected culinary award a restaurant or chef can receive.
This Professional Development Award (PDA) Professional Cookery (SCQF level 7) is designed to support continuing professional development for individuals in professional kitchens and to help address the well-documented and ongoing skill shortages for highly skilled chefs and pastry chefs.
Sous Chef (aka Second Chef, Under Chef, Assistant Chef)
Some smaller kitchens may not even have a sous chef, while larger operations can have more than one – there are also a few variations that can precede the title to further specify hierarchy; executive, junior or senior.
The title of Certified Master Chef® (CMC®), presented solely by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) in the U.S., is the highest level of certification a chef can achieve. It represents the pinnacle of professionalism and skill.
A master or executive chef is the ultimate leader of a kitchen and its staff. His/her role is to ensure exceptional customer service, and that requires menu and recipe creation, staff hiring, training, and management, food ordering, order expediting, and improving workflow processes in the back of house.
Sam Yorke, aged 25, was awarded a highly coveted Michelin star alongside fellow head chef Tomás Gormley, 28, for their Edinburgh restaurant Heron this week.
Chef Yoshihiro Murata is the only chef in the world to hold seven Michelin stars. He is the third generation of Japanese super chefs to run the century-old Kikunoi restaurant in the Japanese city of Kyoto.
Instead he wrote many cookbooks with memorable, easy food. How many Michelin stars does Jamie Oliver have? Jamie Oliver still hasn't received any Michelin Star.
The Executive chef sits at the top of the kitchen hierarchy; their role is primarily managerial. Executive chefs tend to manage kitchens at multiple outlets and are not usually directly responsible for cooking.
Certified Master Chef®
This is the highest certification granted by ACF in culinary arts. CMCs® are experts in cooking techniques and culinary knowledge. Only current Certified Executive Chefs® or Certified Culinary Educators® are eligible to apply.
The average Head Chef salary in the United States is $92,400 as of May 01, 2023, but the range typically falls between $79,600 and $106,700.
As Carmen says, “I refer to everybody as 'chef' because it's a sign of respect.” It's an easy stand-in for “dude,” “bro,” and, when plural, “guys.” It's extremely gender neutral. And it's surprisingly helpful in a wide variety of situations.
The title of Certified Master Chef (CMC), presented solely by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) in the U.S., is the highest level of certification a chef can receive. It represents the pinnacle of professionalism and skill. Today, there are only 67 CMCs and 11 Certified Master Pastry Chefs® (CMPC) in the nation.
Chefs have a higher degree of responsibility than cooks and must be leaders as well as culinary experts. This means that they also must possess a high skill level of problem solving while under high pressure — being able to assess situations and create solutions quickly is imperative.
Chefs with most Michelin stars worldwide 2022
Late French chef and restaurateur Joël Robuchon was the chef with the most Michelin stars worldwide as of October 2022, with 32 stars and more than 20 restaurants operating under his name across three continents.
To earn one Michelin star, a restaurant needs to be “a very good restaurant in this category”. For two stars, it needs to be “excellent cooking, worth a detour”. For three stars, a restaurant must serve “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
Chef Executif (Executive Chief) Chef de Cuisine (Head/Chief of the Kitchen) Sous Chef (Under Chief/Deputy Head Chef) Chef de Partie (Chief of the Group/Senior Chef) Commis Chef (Junior or Assistant)