Appreciating Tradition - Chef's Clothing

When starting a restaurant or catering business, think about the items you may need. Most people would first say that cooking equipment like pots and pans are the most imperative tools for a business of this nature. Others could say that a good knowledge of cooking and some wonderful recipes would do the trick, or having a loyal and talented team of staff is the key element to a successful company. In reality, all of these things are vital to a successful restaurant.

When considering catering supplies, many people don't think about what this talented team of staff will wear when they are working, or how important a part this can play in the way a company is perceived by its clients. Buying good quality catering clothes is necessary for any catering company or restaurant.

If you think about a chef in a kitchen, the first thing you probably think about is the tall hat that most chefs wear. This hat is now an iconic symbol of a cook, though similar styles date back to the 16th century when this kind of headgear was popular, especially in France. This style of hat is called a toque blanche (white hat).

After hats, you will probably think about the double breasted white jacket and traditional black and white chequered trousers that are synonymous with the profession. There are practicalities behind the design of all catering clothes, and the trousers are no exception. The material they are made from often has a chequered pattern as this effectively makes stains harder to see, therefore maximising the chances of the kitchen staff looking presentable at all times. Many kinds of catering clothes can be used to distinguish different sorts of chefs in the kitchen - for example, a head chef may wear different coloured trousers to a sous chef.

Catering clothes provide a uniform look amongst kitchen staff and are a way to make key members easily identifiable. Catering clothes can come in the form of chef's jackets, tunics, shirts and trousers. Also, aprons are useful for those in the kitchen. In a restaurant, waiters may need money pockets to hold pens and pads as well as wearing a shirt and tie which makes them appear presentable to the customers inside the restaurant.

In the kitchen at a catering company, it may be necessary for staff to wear protective workwear or hygiene coats and it's often important to wear hats and headwear to prevent stray hairs from falling into the food. Name badges are also a key element to catering clothes as they can make the service friendlier if customers know the name of the individual serving them.

Catering clothes can also be worn at home whilst you're cooking. Tabards are very useful for this as they are shorter than an apron and easily slip on over your own clothes, fastening at the sides with poppers, so there's no tricky bow to tie behind your back.

For that reason, they're very useful for kids to use in cookery classes or when cooking at home.

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