A chef garde manager is a person who is in charge of a specific area of a kitchen where cold foods are prepared or otherwise stored before being served to customers. Salads and hors d'oeuvres are usually prepared and stored here, and the chef in this area will often prepare such foods. There are a few different ways to become a garde manger: you can be hired to work in a restaurant kitchen and learn on the job, or you can enroll in a culinary school that will teach you the skills necessary to become a garde manger.
If you choose to become a garde manger by getting a job in a restaurant kitchen, you will likely need to start with an entry-level position such as a dishwasher. Once you secure a job, be sure to work hard and be punctual and responsible. Managers will choose hard-working employees to job shadow more experienced kitchen staff; this is a good way to get an apprenticeship or job shadowing position with a chef. A head chef can help you become a garde manger by teaching you the responsibilities of the position, and if a garde manger is already employed by the restaurant, you may job shadow him or her instead.
Higher-end restaurants will want you to become a garde manger by attending a culinary school. Such schools will prepare you to work any position in the kitchen, and you will be able to try different kitchen positions to find the one that suits you best. While many students at a culinary school have aspirations to become a head chef, it is a wise decision to try to become a garde manger at first so you can work your way up through the ranks in the kitchen. Some people choose to make the garde manger position a career, and many chefs get exceptionally good at it; the pay may not be as good as that of a chef, but it will be possible to make a good living in many restaurants.
An interest in culinary arts will be necessary, and you can begin preparing to become a garde manger by cooking on your own in your home kitchen. Try new recipes and techniques in your own kitchen so you will be better prepared for the rigors of the job once you get hired in a professional restaurant kitchen.
