Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Standard Recipe • Equipment Operation • Food Safety

Production Planning

Term from Professional Cooking industry explained for recruiters

Production Planning in professional cooking is the process of organizing and scheduling food preparation to ensure smooth kitchen operations. It's like creating a detailed roadmap that tells kitchen staff what to make, when to make it, and how much to prepare. This includes planning daily menus, calculating ingredient quantities, scheduling staff, and making sure everything is ready for service times. Other terms for this might include "kitchen planning" or "food production scheduling." It's a crucial skill that helps prevent food waste, maintain quality, and keep operations running efficiently in restaurants, hotels, or catering businesses.

Examples in Resumes

Developed and implemented Production Planning systems that reduced food waste by 25%

Managed daily Production Planning for a 200-seat restaurant

Created Production Planning schedules and prep lists for major catering events

Improved kitchen efficiency through detailed Production Planning and Kitchen Planning

Typical job title: "Production Planners"

Also try searching for:

Kitchen Manager Production Manager Food Service Manager Kitchen Production Planner Catering Operations Manager Food Production Supervisor

Where to Find Production Planners

Professional Associations

Online Communities

Job Resources

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you handle production planning for a large-scale catering event with multiple dietary restrictions?

Expected Answer: A senior planner should discuss creating detailed timelines, managing staff schedules, calculating portions for different dietary needs, organizing prep lists, and having contingency plans for unexpected issues.

Q: How do you minimize food waste while ensuring you don't run out of items during service?

Expected Answer: Should explain methods for forecasting demand based on historical data, proper inventory rotation, portion control, and flexible preparation schedules that allow for adjusting production based on real-time needs.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you create an effective prep list for your kitchen team?

Expected Answer: Should describe organizing tasks by priority, considering prep time, equipment availability, and staff skills. Should mention how to break down large tasks into manageable steps.

Q: What factors do you consider when planning production quantities?

Expected Answer: Should discuss previous sales data, seasonality, local events, weather impact, and current reservations. Should mention how to adjust quantities based on these factors.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What is mise en place and why is it important in production planning?

Expected Answer: Should explain that mise en place means 'everything in its place' - having all ingredients and equipment ready before starting production. Should understand its importance in smooth kitchen operations.

Q: How do you prioritize tasks in a prep list?

Expected Answer: Should explain basic principles of organizing tasks by cooking time, complexity, and service deadlines. Should understand which items need to be prepared first.