WHY DO CHEFS WEAR WHITE?

The most popular style of chef’s jacket is a white coat...but why?

ORIGINS OF THE WHITE CHEFS JACKET

Marie-Antoine Careme is widely regarded as the reason why chefs wear white. He is said to have created the current style of chef’s uniform in the mid 19th century, and the tradition is still strong in today’s culinary culture.

Marie-Antoine chose white as the colour of his chef’s uniform to signify cleanliness. This was important in 19th century Paris as it gave customers a positive perception of chefs, giving the restaurant and its chefs a more professional and respectable reputation. The white design makes it extremely easy to see mess and so, in theory, is easy to identify a bad chef from a good chef; a good chef making no mess.

EVOLUTION OF THE CHEFS JACKET

Now, over 200 years later, chefs across the world still adorn a white jacket and uniform, following the age-old tradition started in Paris. However, the colour of the jacket is now also used as a way to distinguish a hierarchy in kitchens, with different employees wearing different colours depending on their role. Some head chefs like to wear black whilst everyone else wears white, helping them to stand out and be easily recognised.

INTRODUCTION OF THE COLOURED CHEFS JACKET

Many restaurants and cafes have abandoned the tradition all together, choosing to use colourful chef jackets to match their brand or theme. Coloured chef jackets look great, particularly in open kitchens and teppanyaki restaurants. Although, they aren’t often seen in professional or high-end restaurants, as they don’t command the respect a crisp, white jacket can.