How to Use the Head Chef One-to-One Template

Why structured head chef one-to-ones matter

Your head chef runs the engine room of your operation. They control food quality, kitchen costs, brigade management, and the creative direction of your menu. When they're thriving, your food is consistent, your kitchen runs smoothly, and your costs are controlled. When they're struggling, you see declining standards, rising food costs, staff walking out, and a kitchen that feels chaotic rather than disciplined.

The challenge is that head chefs work in an intense, high-pressure environment with little time for reflection. They're running service, managing prep, controlling costs, training their team, and creating menus — often for 60+ hours a week. Without intentional one-to-ones, you'll only hear about problems when food costs spike, a sous chef hands in their notice, or guest complaints pile up.

This template structures your weekly conversations around the areas that matter most for kitchen performance and retention. Each section builds on the last: preparation gives you context, their agenda shows you what's on their mind, the discussion sections cover role performance, team dynamics, growth, and wellbeing, and the engagement indicators give you an early-warning system for disengagement.

Preparation

Complete these steps before each meeting to ensure a focused and productive conversation. Arriving prepared shows your head chef that you take this time seriously.

Review notes from previous one-to-one — Pull up the notes from your last session. What actions did you commit to? What did they commit to? If you promised to approve a new piece of equipment, discuss a supplier change, or address an FOH communication issue, check whether you followed through. Walking in without knowing what was agreed last time undermines the entire process.

Check recent performance data or feedback — Look at food cost percentage for the past week or period, kitchen labour costs, and any guest feedback specifically about food quality. Check waste reports if you have them. This takes five minutes and gives you specific talking points instead of vague impressions.

Note any observations from the past week — Think about what you've noticed during service. Was food going out consistently? Were there any returns? Did the kitchen seem under pressure on Saturday, or did they handle it smoothly? Did you notice anything about team dynamics — tension between sections, someone struggling on their station? Write down two or three specific observations before the meeting.

Send agenda prompt to employee ahead of time — Message them mid-morning: "We're catching up at 3. Anything from the last few days I should know about?" This gives them time to think. Head chefs are in execution mode most of the day; asking them to suddenly reflect requires mental preparation. If they reply "all good," try: "What's the one thing that frustrated you most about last weekend's service?"

Customisation tips:

• Schedule at the same time weekly — mid-afternoon between lunch service and dinner prep works well, when the kitchen is at its calmest
• 20-30 minutes is enough for a weekly check-in. Don't let it stretch unless something significant comes up
• Meet outside the kitchen — a quiet table, an office, anywhere that feels different from their work environment. Kitchens are hierarchical spaces; changing the setting changes the dynamic
• Bring the food cost report and any guest feedback. Having data prevents the conversation drifting into generalities

Their Agenda

Start every one-to-one by asking: "What's been on your mind?" Record whatever they raise before covering your own items.

If they say "nothing really," don't fill the silence immediately. Count to five. Head chefs are used to giving instructions, not sharing concerns. If they still don't, offer a specific opener: "Talk me through Saturday night — when was the hardest moment and what caused it?" The specific framing works because "How was your week?" is too vague for someone who ran 15 services.

Once they're talking, ask "What else?" until they run out. Don't jump to solutions or share your perspective yet. This section is about understanding their world, not managing it. A head chef who feels heard will eventually share the real issues — the ones they'd otherwise just absorb.

If you have items to cover — menu changes, upcoming events, cost concerns — mention them at the start so they know it's coming, then let them go first: "I want to talk about the Easter menu before we finish, but first — what's been on your mind this week?"

What to record: Their exact concerns in their own words. Don't paraphrase into management language — "the combi oven keeps cutting out during service" captures reality better than "discussed equipment maintenance."

Role Performance

These four questions are designed to uncover how the kitchen is truly operating from your head chef's perspective. Work through each one during the conversation and tick it off as you cover it.

"Walk me through your typical week. Where are you spending most of your time, and is that the right balance?"

This reveals whether your head chef is spending their time where it matters most. A head chef buried in admin and ordering isn't leading their brigade. One who's on every section because they don't trust their team isn't developing anyone. The right balance varies by kitchen, but you want to hear a mix of service leadership, menu development, team management, and cost control. If they're spending 80% of their time on one thing, something else is being neglected.

What good answers sound like:

• Breaks down their week with honest time allocation
• Identifies where they're spending too much or too little time
• Shows awareness of what they should be delegating

What to do with the answer: If they're stuck on a section because they don't trust a chef de partie, that's a team development conversation. If they're drowning in admin, discuss what can be systemised or delegated. Help them protect their time for the work only they can do.

"When you look at the food going out right now, what's the gap between where you are and where you want to be?"

This surfaces their honest self-assessment of quality. Every head chef has a vision for their food, and the gap between that vision and reality tells you a lot about their standards, their team's capability, and the constraints they're working within. If they say "no gap," they're either dishonest or lacking ambition. If the gap is huge, explore what's preventing them from closing it.

What good answers sound like:

• Identifies specific quality issues rather than vague dissatisfaction
• Connects quality gaps to causes (team skills, equipment, time, ingredients)
• Shows they're actively working to close the gap rather than just accepting it

What to do with the answer: If it's a team capability issue, discuss training and development. If it's equipment or ingredients, explore the investment case. If it's time, review their workload and delegation.

"How are the food costs looking? Anything worrying you about GP this month?"

This tests their commercial awareness alongside their culinary focus. A head chef who can talk about food costs with specificity — naming variances, identifying waste sources, understanding yield — is managing the whole picture. One who dismisses cost concerns or can't engage with the numbers needs development in this area.

What good answers sound like:

• Cites specific cost percentages and trends
• Identifies drivers of any variance (supplier price increases, waste, menu mix)
• Shows they're balancing quality with commercial reality

What to do with the answer: If costs are controlled, acknowledge it. If there are concerns, discuss specific actions — portion control, supplier negotiation, menu engineering. Don't just tell them to cut costs; work through the detail together.

"What's the most frustrating thing about the kitchen setup right now? If you could change one thing about equipment or layout, what would it be?"

Every kitchen has constraints — equipment that doesn't work properly, layouts that create bottlenecks, storage that's inadequate. Head chefs adapt to these daily but rarely get asked about them. This question surfaces the physical barriers to performance. Sometimes the fix is cheap (rearranging a section, replacing a broken seal); sometimes it's a bigger investment (new equipment, layout changes). Either way, asking shows you care about their working conditions.

What good answers sound like:

• Names something specific with a clear impact on performance
• Explains how it affects service or efficiency
• Distinguishes between nice-to-haves and genuine operational barriers

What to do with the answer: If it's a quick fix, do it this week. If it's a bigger investment, discuss the business case and timeline. Don't dismiss their frustration — they live with these constraints every day.

Record the key points from your discussion, focusing on time allocation patterns, quality gaps, cost trends, and equipment concerns. Note specific examples — these are valuable evidence for performance reviews.

Team and Relationships

These questions surface the brigade dynamics that affect kitchen performance — talent risks, team relationships, FOH coordination, and succession readiness.

"Which member of your team worries you most right now? What's the concern?"

This cuts straight to the personnel issue that's keeping them up at night. It might be a chef de partie who's not performing, a commis who's thinking about leaving, or someone whose attitude is affecting the brigade. The answer tells you where the team risk is and whether your head chef is managing it proactively or hoping it resolves itself.

What good answers sound like:

• Names a specific person with a clear concern
• Explains what they've already done to address it
• Asks for support or input where needed

What to do with the answer: If it's a performance issue, discuss the approach and support. If someone's at flight risk, talk about retention. If it's an attitude problem, agree on the intervention. Don't take over — support their management of the situation.

"Who's your strongest performer? What are you doing to keep them?"

Retention of top talent is as important as managing underperformers. A head chef who knows who their best people are — and is actively investing in keeping them — is building a sustainable kitchen. If they can't name anyone or haven't thought about retention, their best people may already be looking.

What good answers sound like:

• Names someone specific with evidence of their performance
• Describes what they're doing to develop and retain them
• Shows awareness that good people have options

What to do with the answer: Support their retention efforts. If the strongest performer needs a pay review, progression, or development opportunity, help make it happen. Losing a strong chef de partie costs far more than investing in them.

"How's the relationship with front of house? Any friction I should know about?"

Kitchen-FOH friction is one of the most common sources of operational tension. This question surfaces whether communication is working, whether FOH feels supported by the kitchen, and whether there are personality clashes affecting service. A head chef who dismisses FOH concerns isn't seeing the full picture.

What good answers sound like:

• Gives an honest assessment rather than blaming FOH
• Identifies specific communication breakdowns
• Shows willingness to improve the relationship

What to do with the answer: If friction exists, facilitate a conversation between kitchen and FOH leadership. Don't just relay messages between them — get them in a room together. If communication systems are broken, fix the system.

"How's your sous chef doing? Are they ready to step up if you're away?"

The sous chef is the head chef's most critical relationship. This question reveals two things: whether the sous chef is developing properly, and whether the head chef is delegating enough. If the sous chef can't run the kitchen independently, either they're not ready or the head chef isn't letting go. Both are development conversations.

What good answers sound like:

• Gives an honest assessment of the sous chef's capability
• Identifies what the sous chef needs to develop
• Shows they're actively coaching rather than just expecting

What to do with the answer: If the sous chef is ready, create opportunities for them to lead. If they're not, discuss the development plan. If the head chef is reluctant to delegate, explore why — it often comes down to trust or control.

Capture the brigade dynamics discussed, talent risks, FOH relationship status, and sous chef development progress. Note any staffing concerns that need follow-up — kitchen staff turnover is expensive and disruptive.

Growth and Development

These questions explore career aspirations and development needs. The answers shape how you invest in your head chef's growth.

"Where do you see yourself going from here — executive chef, your own place, something else?"

There's no wrong answer, but the answer changes everything about how you develop them. A head chef who wants to become an executive chef needs multi-kitchen exposure, P&L depth, and strategic thinking. One who dreams of their own restaurant needs business planning and financial literacy. Someone who wants to stay as a head chef for the long term needs creative challenges and mastery goals. Be honest about what your organisation can offer.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about their trajectory without feeling they need to perform loyalty
• Specific about what interests them
• Shows they've thought about it seriously

What to do with the answer: Align development opportunities with their ambition. If it's executive chef, involve them in multi-outlet discussions. If it's their own place, support their commercial development. Don't hold people back because you need them where they are — develop them and earn their loyalty.

"What would you need to learn to be ready for your next step?"

This surfaces their honest self-assessment of their development gaps. If they name something specific — P&L management, team leadership, menu costing, working with suppliers — you've found a concrete development opportunity. If they say "nothing" or "I don't know," they may lack self-awareness or be disengaged from their own growth.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific skills or knowledge gaps
• Shows ambition to improve rather than defensiveness
• Connects development to their career goals

What to do with the answer: Create a plan to build the skill they name. If it's P&L skills, schedule regular reviews together. If it's leadership, create coaching opportunities. If it's commercial awareness, involve them in supplier meetings and business reviews.

"What's a dish or technique you've been wanting to develop but haven't had time for?"

This connects to their creative motivation — the reason most head chefs became chefs in the first place. If they light up talking about a technique they want to master or a dish they want to develop, they're still creatively engaged. If they can't name anything, the operational demands of the role may have crowded out their passion. Protecting creative space is a retention tool.

What good answers sound like:

• Names something specific with genuine enthusiasm
• Shows they're still thinking about food beyond the daily menu
• Connects their creative interests to what they could bring to your operation

What to do with the answer: Help them find time to develop it. Even one afternoon a month for R&D can reignite creative engagement. If the dish or technique could work on your menu, even better — you both win.

Record their career direction, development interests, and creative ambitions. This feeds directly into performance review objectives and helps you plan training investment and succession.

Wellbeing and Support

These questions catch burnout, frustration, and unmet needs before they cause resignations. Head chefs are particularly prone to absorbing pressure without showing it — ask these questions genuinely.

"What's the single biggest thing holding your kitchen back? If you could fix one thing this month, what would it be?"

This cuts through politeness to their top priority. Whatever they name is the thing most likely to affect performance — and potentially drive them out. The "single biggest" framing forces them to prioritise rather than list everything. The "this month" framing makes it feel actionable, not hypothetical.

What good answers sound like:

• Names something specific and fixable
• Differentiates between persistent problems and temporary annoyances
• Shows they've thought about solutions, not just the problem

What to do with the answer: Fix it if you can. If you can't fix it this month, explain why and offer a timeline. Speed of response matters more than the outcome — a head chef who sees you act on their concerns will trust you with bigger ones.

"Are there decisions you feel you should be able to make that currently need approval?"

Head chefs who can't make operational decisions feel micromanaged. If they need to check before changing a supplier, adjusting a portion, or addressing a team issue, they can't run their kitchen effectively. This question reveals whether you've given them enough autonomy — and where the boundaries need adjusting.

What good answers sound like:

• Clear about where they feel empowered and where they feel restricted
• Gives examples of situations where approval processes slowed them down
• Shows good judgement about when to act and when to escalate

What to do with the answer: Clarify their authority explicitly. Expand it where appropriate — "You can change daily specials, adjust portions, and manage suppliers under £500 without asking me. Menu changes and orders over £500, discuss with me first." Clear boundaries are better than vague expectations.

"How's the schedule working? Are you getting enough time off, or is it wearing you down?"

Burnout is endemic in kitchens. Head chefs routinely work 50-70 hour weeks and rarely admit they're struggling until it's too late. This question gives them permission to be honest about sustainability. Back-to-back doubles, inadequate rest days, and the inability to switch off during time off take a cumulative toll.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about energy levels and sustainability
• Identifies specific schedule patterns that are problematic
• Distinguishes between manageable intensity and unsustainable workload

What to do with the answer: If they're burning out, look at the schedule together. Can the sous chef take more services? Can admin tasks be redistributed? Small adjustments — an extra day off after a busy week, protected time for menu development — can prevent burnout.

"Is there anything you need from me that you're not getting?"

This directly asks whether you're doing your job as their manager. Whatever they say, write it down. Then deliver — within 48 hours, not at the next meeting. Head chefs are self-reliant by nature; if they're asking for something, they really need it.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific and actionable
• Trusts you enough to ask
• Acknowledges what you're already doing well alongside the gap

What to do with the answer: Deliver on it. Fast. If you make commitments and don't follow through, trust disappears and future one-to-ones become surface-level exercises.

Record barriers, autonomy concerns, schedule sustainability, and support requests. Flag anything that suggests burnout or flight risk — these notes are critical early-warning signs that need action, not just documentation.

Engagement Indicators

These are observational indicators you assess based on what you've seen during the week, not questions you ask directly. Tick each indicator that's genuinely present. Anything you can't tick is worth exploring — either in this meeting or through closer observation before the next one.

Maintaining usual food standards and execution quality — Is the food going out at the standard they set, or has quality slipped? A head chef whose standards decline is either overwhelmed, disengaged, or both. Watch the pass during service — are they tasting, checking, and sending back plates that aren't right?

Visible in kitchen during service, actively leading the pass — Are they on the pass calling orders, or have they retreated to the office or a section? A head chef who stops leading service has disengaged from the core of their role. The pass is where they control quality, pace, and team energy.

Developing menu ideas and bringing creative input — Are they still proposing specials, seasonal changes, and new dishes? A head chef who stops creating has either run out of ideas or stopped caring. Creative stagnation is one of the earliest disengagement signals in a chef.

Addressing team issues proactively — Are they dealing with performance issues, attitude problems, and team dynamics before you raise them? A head chef who avoids difficult conversations is either exhausted or checking out. Proactive team management is a sign of investment in the kitchen's future.

Delegating appropriately to sous chef — Are they sharing responsibility with their sous chef, or doing everything themselves? Effective delegation indicates trust, succession planning, and sustainable leadership. Refusal to delegate suggests either control issues or lack of confidence in their team.

Engaged in industry developments and external learning — Are they reading, visiting other restaurants, attending events, or learning new techniques? Or have they withdrawn from the wider industry? Chefs who stay curious stay engaged. Those who stop looking outward are often preparing to look inward — at whether they want to stay.

Note which indicators you couldn't tick and what you've observed. If multiple indicators are absent, this head chef needs urgent attention — increase frequency to twice-weekly and focus on understanding what's changed.

Actions and Follow-Up

At the end of every one-to-one, summarise what you've both agreed to do. Say it out loud before you finish:

"So by next week I'm going to: [your actions]. And you're going to: [their actions]. Is that right?"

Then send a brief message confirming: "From today: I'm sorting [X] + [Y]. You're working on [Z]. Chat next [day] at [time]."

What to record:

• Your commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Approve the new combi oven request by Friday")
• Their commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Present revised menu costings by next meeting")
• Any items to escalate to your manager
• Topics to revisit next time

Follow-through matters more than anything else in this template. If you promise something, tell them when you've done it — don't wait for the next meeting. Message: "Approved the equipment repair — engineer coming Wednesday." Head chefs are used to promises that don't materialise. Being reliable sets you apart. If you can't do something you promised, tell them immediately and offer an alternative.

Session Notes

Record your overall impressions from the conversation: patterns you're noticing, changes in their engagement or mood, anything you want to revisit in future sessions.

This is also where you note how your approach should adapt:

• First 6 months: Focus on understanding their kitchen, their standards, and their leadership style. Listen more than direct.
• Established relationship: Push into development territory. Creative challenges, commercial depth, leadership growth.
• When things are going well: Share business context, ask for their input on F&B strategy, acknowledge their kitchen's contribution to the operation.
• When things are struggling: Increase frequency, ask diagnostic questions, focus on support rather than criticism. Remove obstacles faster.

Over time, these session notes create a narrative of your working relationship — invaluable for performance reviews and progression decisions.

What's next

Once you've established regular one-to-ones, the conversations you have will feed directly into formal performance reviews. See our guide on Head Chef performance reviews for how to use the evidence you gather in these sessions to write a thorough, fair assessment.

• Check out our Head Chef onboarding guide if you're supporting someone in their first 90 days
• See our Head Chef interview questions for hiring guidance