Cooks and chefs for restaurants and events
We recruit cooks for every station — cold line, hot line, grill, pizza, pastry, pasta — plus chefs de partie, sous-chefs and executive chefs for fine-dining restaurants and premium events. 55 active candidates, many with 5★ restaurant experience and culinary school training (Chef School, Le Cordon Bleu). For permanent roles, restaurants and hotels recruit directly through the PHE platform.
Cooks by station (specializations)
In a professional kitchen, each cook specializes in one or more „stations” — dedicated kitchen sections with their own equipment and workflow. PHE recruits across all of them:
- Garde manger (cold line)
- Cold starters, salads, cold platters, charcuterie, dressings, marinades. The busiest station at weddings (simultaneous service for 200+ guests).
- Saucier (hot line)
- Sauces, soups, dishes with complex sauces. At weddings: goulash, sauced schnitzels, stuffed chicken breast.
- Rotisseur (grill)
- Grilled meat, steak, BBQ. For outdoor events and grill restaurants.
- Poissonnier (fish)
- Fish and seafood. For fine-dining restaurants and special menus.
- Pâtissier (pastry)
- Desserts, wedding cakes, chocolate work, fine baking. Many candidates also moonlight with partner patisseries.
- Pizzaiolo / pasta cook
- Authentic pizza (wood-fired or electric oven), fresh pasta. For Italian events and specialized restaurants.
- Boulanger (baker)
- Fresh bread, focaccia, flatbread. For artisanal restaurants.
Professional kitchen hierarchy
Opening a restaurant or running an event with a full kitchen team? Here's the standard brigade structure with indicative 2026 rates:
| Role | Responsibility | Event rate (10h) | Permanent / monthly gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen helper | Cleaning, mise en place, station support | 350–500 RON | 3.000–3.800 RON |
| Commis | Single-station support, cold line | 500–700 RON | 3.500–4.500 RON |
| Cook | Full station, autonomous | 700–1.000 RON | 4.500–6.500 RON |
| Chef de partie | Station lead, trains juniors | 1.000–1.400 RON | 6.500–9.000 RON |
| Sous-chef | Executive deputy, operations lead | 1.400–1.900 RON | 9.000–14.000 RON |
| Executive chef | Kitchen lead, menu, costs | 1.800–2.500 RON | 14.000–25.000 RON |
Rates vary by kitchen type (fine-dining vs. casual), restaurant reputation and candidate seniority. Market norms for permanent placement run 1.5–2× one month's gross salary — PHE configures the rate per client; request a personalised quote.
Active jobs for chefs (2)
How it works for cooks
- 01Detailed brief
For events: menu type, guest count, duration, location. For restaurants: role, seniority, salary, shifts, benefits, kitchen style.
- 02Shortlist 3–5 candidates
We propose matched profiles from the active pool. For permanent roles, detailed CVs with prior restaurants, stations mastered, references from former chefs.
- 03Paid trial day
For permanent roles: the candidate works 4–8h in your kitchen as a paid trial. You decide on real performance, not just the CV.
- 04Contract signed + guarantee
For events: service contract with PHE invoice. For permanent: the candidate signs directly with you; PHE guarantees replacement within 90 days if they leave.
FAQ — cooks
Do you have HACCP-certified cooks?+
All 55 active cooks hold a valid food-safety (HACCP) certificate. For restaurants that need additional specific certifications (ANSVSA, individual sanitary authorization), we filter on request.
How much does a cook cost for a wedding?+
Usually no separate cook is needed for a wedding — the catering team includes them. If you need extra cooks (over 300 guests or special menus — kosher, halal, vegan, gluten-free with cross-contamination protocol), 800–1,200 RON / 10h.
Do you recruit for small restaurants too?+
Yes. We work with restaurants of all sizes — from 4-table bistros to chains with dozens of locations. For new restaurants we also consult on kitchen team structure.
Do you have executive chefs for new-restaurant openings?+
Yes. Senior executive chefs can run pre-opening consultancy: menu planning, food costing, brigade structure, junior-team recruitment. Consultancy rate: 150–300 RON/h, or a pre-opening package at 8,000–15,000 RON.
Difference between chef de partie and sous-chef?+
Chef de partie = in charge of a specific station (e.g. saucier on sauces). Reports to the sous-chef. Sous-chef = the executive chef's deputy, coordinates all stations, stands in for the executive, runs day-to-day operations.
Do you have cooks specialized in vegan / vegetarian / gluten-free?+
Yes. 12 of the 55 cooks have confirmed plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) experience. 8 have gluten-free menu experience with cross-contamination control. We filter on request.
How long does executive-chef placement take for a new restaurant?+
Typically 4–8 weeks from first contact to signed contract: detailed brief (1 week), shortlist 3–5 candidates (1 week), interviews + trial cooking (2–3 weeks), offer negotiation (1–2 weeks). For urgent roles, we can compress to 2–3 weeks with senior candidates from the active pool.
I'm a cook — how do I join?+
Sign up from the „I'm a candidate” page. For senior roles we ask for a detailed CV with prior restaurants and 2–3 references from former chefs. For juniors and commis — short CV + phone interview. Registration is free.
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