The various stations you can have in a commercial kitchen

The success of any restaurant or commercial food catering business depends considerably on the back-of-house part of the establishment. How smoothly it runs and how it performs, is mostly determined by the level of organization of the cooking area and the expertise of the chefs and other staff who prepare and serve the food. 

A commercial cooking space typically has multiple parts or divisions stocked with different commercial kitchen equipment but the whole layout of the cooking area often depends on the size, budget, and expected production volume. Different sections basically divide the cooking area into separate parts or segments according to the type of cooking activity performed in the area.

The Kitchen Brigade

Historically, the station-concept in large kitchens were adopted from the army or navy, where jobs were typically broken down into structured subdivisions to perform it with high efficiency in minimum time. This system of dividing the designated cooking area is known as the Kitchen Brigade System.

With the advancement of technology and easy availability of fine benchtop catering equipment, the full kitchen brigade systems have been compressed considerably and often more than one segment is combined to fit the space and budget. Most of the fine commercial cookeries now run on a modified version but often retains the traditional names.  

Instead of going into the exact and detailed kitchen brigade system, here we will be discussing the various sections most seen in fine cooking areas running at a commercial scale today. You can have these different platforms in your cooking area depending on the requirements of your business.

The arrangement

The combination of segments in a commercial kitchen mostly depends on two factors,

  1. The cuisine

The cuisine served in a restaurant or hotel naturally dictates the arrangement. An upscale cooking unit that specializes in fish-based dishes does not need to have a detailed Rotisseur section, which handles the meat-based culinary. 

         2. The size

While grand hotels and big establishments might run a full brigade system, for pantries of comparatively smaller size and budget multiple sections are often combined.  

The different stations

  • The Saucier or sauté station

One of the most vital sections in every professional cooking unit, this segment is particularly responsible for preparing the sauces that make an essential part of different cuisines. The saucier segment is in a big way responsible for creating a restaurant’s signature tastes.  

Apart from the sauces, pan fried, and sautéed items are also prepared in this part, and in many fine cookeries, this is one of the most elaborate segments manned by a highly experienced and adept chef. To run this platform efficiently equip it with the best commercial catering equipment.

  • The Poissonnier or the fish station

Poissonnier is the division of a cooking space where all types of fish, seafood-related dishes, and accompanying sauces are prepared.

If your restaurant specializes in seafood or fishes, this is the segment you should be most concerned about. For proper functioning, this part should be equipped with quality tools from the top commercial kitchen equipment supplier, just like the other sections of the cooking area.

  • The Rotisseur or the meat station

This is the place where all kinds of meat-based foods are processed and prepared including the marinades. While roasting is the primary process to be carried out in this segment, all types of meat preparations, including grilling and frying are also done by the chef in command of this section. For the proper functioning of this area always depend on professional appliances from the commercial kitchen supplier Sydney.

Marinades are essential for bringing out the right flavour in meat dishes and there are different types of marinades that work best with different meats. Preparing the right marinades entails extreme meat-based culinary knowledge and expertise.        

  • The Entremetier station

This is the division responsible for preparing vegetable and egg dishes. Stocks and soup-based cuisines are also prepared here. So, if your restaurant specializes in veg dishes and soups, this is the section that needs to be elaborate.

On the other hand, if veg and egg items are not your primary cuisines, you might think of combining it with other divisions.   

  • The Patissier or pastry station

It might look like a haven for the ‘dessert lovers’ by the name of it but actually, in most of the cookeries, except the premium ones, this section is not dedicated only to pastries and desserts. Along with desserts, pasta, bread, and other baking-based items are prepared here.    

Icing and embellishment of desserts are also carried out in this section and it is essentially equipped with commercial refrigeration systems.

So, now you know the different segments of a fine-dining cookery as per the kitchen brigade system. While having all these sections is best for a big-budget establishment serving to many customers every day, if your business is not on that large scale till now, you can customize the segments as mentioned below to fit into your requirements and budget.

Stations for a smaller commercial kitchen

  • The sauté station – This is a must have one. If you are into catering business, we recommend, your cooking area should have this section.
  • The grill station – All types of grilling, including both meat and fish are performed here.
  • The fry station – Dedicated to any and every frying task. This area should be equipped with proper commercial fryers.   
  • The pizza or dessert station – Pizza, pasta, deserts all can be prepared in this section. You can have a separate salad area depending on the cuisine or you can prepare it here as well.

Apart from all the above, there is one more vital section in cookeries of every size, and it is the kitchen line. This is the area from where the prepared foods are picked up by the servers.  

You should decide the number and type of divisions in your cooking area depending on your budget, cuisine, and the maximum number of customers you will serve on any given day. To ensure the best functioning of every cooking space, sourcing proper tools and appliances from the commercial kitchen supplier is important.