Cutting master in a commercial kitchen or catering department (sometimes also called a vegetable master or prep cook / butcher) is a specialized kitchen staff member responsible for high volume precision food preparation.
Key Responsibilities
- Bulk Vegetable & Fruit Prep: Rapidly washing, peeling, slicing, dicing, julienning, and chopping large quantities of produce according to daily menu needs.
- Basic Cooking: Parboil food, blanch vegetables, reduce sauces, make dressings, or assemble simple dishes like salads.
- Stocking and Organization: Label, date, and store food items in walk-ins, freezers, and line stations following safety rules.
- Kitchen Sanitation: Wash utensils, clean cutting boards, take out the trash, and sanitize workstations.
- Mise en Place Support: Organizing and timing prep work so line cooks and chef de partie have steady, uniform ingredients ready before service begins.