How do you make a prep list any lead can run when you are out?
Get the day's prep out of one person's head and onto a shared system.
Get the day out of one person's head. Document the pars in a shared system so the list builds itself from a count, and attach yields and simple method notes so batches come out right. Make the shared, live list the everyday norm, so a sick day or vacation never leaves the kitchen scrambling.
The one-person risk
When only the head prep cook knows the day, their day off becomes a crisis. Knowledge trapped in one head is a single point of failure. Related: How much prep labor does a restaurant kitchen really need on a given day?
A written, shared list removes that risk, so any capable lead can open the kitchen without guessing. Related: What should a kitchen do when a large party books on top of normal prep?
Keep reading: How do you build a daily prep list from par levels the right way?, What causes over prep and under prep, and how do you stop both?, How should you assign prep tasks across stations so nothing gets missed?. See how PrepDeckr helps you kitchen prep lists and par-based prep sheets.
Write the pars down
Pars in someone's memory cannot be handed off, but pars in a system can. Documenting them is the first step to a portable prep list. Related: How do you build a daily prep list from par levels the right way?
With pars recorded, the list builds itself from a count, and the lead just executes it.
Attach the how
A list of amounts is not enough if the method lives only in one cook's hands. Attach yields and simple notes so the batch comes out right. Related: How do recipe yields turn a prep par into the right batch size?
The goal is a list a competent lead can follow to the same result, not a reminder only the author understands.
Make handoff normal
The list should not feel like an emergency backup, but the everyday way the kitchen runs. When it is routine, any handoff is smooth.
A shared, live list means a sick day or a vacation never leaves the kitchen scrambling at six in the morning.
- Do not trap prep knowledge in one head
- Record pars in a shared system
- Attach yields and method notes
- Make the shared list the everyday norm
Julien Jimenez
Julien Jimenez is an independent software builder based in Paris. He designs, ships, and operates focused SaaS products for small businesses and independent professionals. Read the full author page.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a prep list in one cook's head a risk?
When only the head prep cook knows the day, their day off becomes a crisis. Knowledge trapped in one head is a single point of failure, which a written, shared list removes.
Is method enough, or do you need amounts too?
You need both. A list of amounts is not enough if the method lives only in one cook's hands, so attach yields and simple notes. The goal is a list a competent lead can follow to the same result.
Build Prep Lists That Match The Day
Kitchen prep lists and par-based prep sheets. PrepDeckr is built to help you put this into practice.
Start free trialMore from the PrepDeckr blog
How do you build a daily prep list from par levels the right way?
What causes over prep and under prep, and how do you stop both?
How should you assign prep tasks across stations so nothing gets missed?
Get the PrepDeckr playbook
Practical guides on kitchen prep and production, straight to your inbox as we publish them. No spam, unsubscribe any time.