All You Need To Know About Chef’s Jackets: Take the Pressure Out Of the Kitchen

Running any form of catering business or professional kitchen whether it is a restaurant, pub or a residential home, requires a high level of hygiene and it is important that the appearance of catering staff is both professional and presentable to the public. Chefs and other catering staff normally wear uniforms which not only make them appear smart but also need to be practical and enduring. It is also important for chefs to be feeling comfortable as they work hard in an often hot kitchen. Uniforms need to be hard-wearing so value for money is important too. Chefs’ uniforms generally consist of a jacket, a pair of room trousers, hard-wearing shoes for pacing up and down in the kitchen and sometimes a skull cap hat and a neckerchief.

For obvious reasons, chefs do need to wear a jacket. It covers their everyday clothes and can withstand lots of washes. They would probably need more than one. Kitchens have a legal responsibility to adhere to strict food hygiene laws and this involves wearing clean protective clothing. Due to the shift work nature of the catering business it isn’t always possible to keep on top of those washes. Chefs’ jackets tend to be made from poly/ cotton because it is a light material that can be regularly washed and helps uniforms keep their shape. Its light texture helps the skin breathe. There are differing styles of jackets such as long-sleeved and short-sleeved, double-breasted, stud fastening options and even sport styles. They tend to come in two colours- black and white and are often unisex.

Manufacturers of chefs clothing try to keep their designs both up-to-date and stylish. Leading names are Genwear, Chef Works, Alexandra and Denny to name a few. They vary quite a bit in price and it is worth shopping around. The cheapest jacket retails for around the £10 mark but prices can shoot a bit nearer to £50 for some designs.

In this day and age, kitchen suppliers tend to have their own websites replacing the traditional catalogue and mail order facility, although this is still used. For orders of chefs’ clothing internet shopping is easier, quicker and more convenient. Most shopping sites provide up-to-date prices, latest offers and a virtual customer basket to add items required if you are buying in multiple. It is immediately apparent to see what is on offer, what is out of stock and what items such as chefs clothing, can be sold in multiples that are worth a discount.

If buying in bulk it is easier to have items delivered. If for any reason the goods have to be returned it can be arranged for the company to pick them up again. So, when running a catering business take the pressure out of the kitchen and make ordering staff uniforms an easy process.

Jeffry Hopkins is the owner of a leading cutlery and crockery company. His hobby is to write articles and blogs on various items of catering industry. In this article he is providing us some valuable information on chef’s jackets.