Why is Mise en Place So Important

The origin of the phrase Mise en Place was first recorded in 1860-65; French: literally, “a putting in place.” The gathering and preliminary preparation of the ingredients and equipment to be used in cooking or serving food.

In the foodservice industry, we organize things or Mise en Place to make it easier. Most of us make a daily prep list, this list guarantees we will not run out of needed menu components during service that day. There are also some Chefs that prefer to keep a running prep list so that daily tasks are more manageable and prepared items never run out. A great way to keep your inventory in check is to keep a few dry erase boards close by and highly accessible. Having one board dedicated to prep and another one for employees to list items that are low or out of stock will save you time and expenses on inventory, as well as ensure that you will not run out of Necessary Items.

Now let us look at your actual kitchen line, is it organized? Are your cooking utensils, knives, pots, plates, and takeout containers all in within an arm’s length? What about your sandwich unit, is it set up in the most efficient way? Do you need to leave your line mid-service for crucial items?

Being organized can save you a ton of time and in this business, time is money. Having an organized line will save you steps, which saves preparation time, making you faster and your guests’ wait shorter. This is even more important if you have an open kitchen, all eyes are on you. Do you want customers to see you scrambling over the line or would you rather hear a guest claim that your kitchen looks like a choreographed dance as you and your team smoothly glide through service?

How Does Mise En Place Help Your Kitchen

• Helps your staff to be more consistently prepared and ready for service
• Makes it easy for someone to step in and help prep a station
• Makes it easy for someone to fill in and help with a station other than the assigned cook. 
• Ensures that ingredients  and equipment is not missing
• Saves time while cooking

Why Chef Blog August 2021

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