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Update: My station's mise en place went from a mess to a system in about a month | Chefs - Free To Speak

Update: My station's mise en place went from a mess to a system in about a month

I used to have a chaotic setup with my prep bowls everywhere, which added maybe 15 minutes to my service start. A sous from another kitchen visited and just said, 'Your reach is too far.' I started grouping everything by cooking stage instead of ingredient type. Now my raw veg for the first dishes is closest, proteins for the mid-service push are next, and finishing garnishes are right by the pass. It cut my setup time down and I'm not hunting for things. Has anyone else tried reorganizing their station by service flow instead?

4 comments

4 Comments

nancyjones5mo ago

Wait, you were adding a whole 15 minutes just from a bad setup? That's wild, I can't imagine losing that much time every single day. How did you even keep up with tickets before? I'd be so stressed reaching for stuff while the printer is going off.

john_fisher5mo ago

Yeah, that's the real trick. I had the same problem with my saute station. Everything was sorted by what it was, like all the veggies together, but then I'd be reaching across hot pans for a shallot during the rush. Switched it to order of fire, so the stuff for the first tickets is right at my left hand. It feels obvious now, but it took a new guy asking why I was set up that way to make me change it. The move count alone saves my back.