Chef de Nuit

Chef de nuit is the French term for a night chef: a cook responsible for food preparation and kitchen operations during the overnight shift. The exact duties depend on the establishment. In a hotel, the role may support overnight room service, prepare mise en place for breakfast and the following day, and complete scheduled production while the main kitchen team is off duty.

Typical responsibilities

• Prepare and organize ingredients and mise en place for the next service.
• Complete assigned stocks, sauces, soups, braises, pastry or other production tasks.
• Handle late room-service or guest requests when the hotel operates overnight food service.
• Maintain food-safety controls, correct storage, labelling and temperature records.
• Clean and close down work areas and leave clear handover notes for the incoming team.

Position in the kitchen brigade

The chef de nuit is defined primarily by the shift worked, rather than by one fixed station such as saucier or pâtissier. In a large hotel, the position may be a dedicated overnight role. In a smaller operation, overnight duties may be shared by a reduced team or assigned to the closing cook.

Example: In a hotel kitchen, the chef de nuit prepares breakfast mise en place, checks overnight deliveries where applicable, completes scheduled production and responds to late room-service orders before handing over to the morning brigade.

Chef’s note: A good overnight handover is essential. Record what has been prepared, quantities, cooling and storage details, outstanding tasks and any issues that the morning chef needs to know.