With more than 40,000 restaurant-pizzerias, Italy is a country where pizza is also an important channel of employment.

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In addition to the pizza chef, there are several professionals who work behind the counter and help fuel the artisan pizza industry: among these there is the pizza chef assistant.

While listing the duties of a pizza chef can be relatively easy, it is not so easy to go into detail to understand what the assistant pizza chef does, one of the important elements of the daily life of a pizzeria.

In this article we will see what a pizza chef assistant does specifically, what his / her duties are within the pizzeria and what are the most sought-after characteristics to work in this role.

A fundamental support role: what the pizza assistant does

According to a 2018 research by Italian Catering magazine , in Italy there are more than 40,000 restaurants- pizzerias and about 28,000 pizzerias for takeaway, slicing and gastronomy. Also based on data from Italian Catering, which also consulted the Pizzaioli Academy, it is estimated that around 6 million pizzas are sold every day in Italy. An exorbitant number!

If artisanal pizzerias are above all individual businesses, restaurant-pizzerias are instead more complex structures in which different people participate in the preparation of one of the most loved foods in the world.
We usually tend to think that the success of a pizzeria depends on the person who prepares the pizza, and in part it is. Yet, any pizza maker who finds himself churning out dozens and dozens of pizzas every night, and at a frenetic pace, will tell us that the work would not be sustainable without the support of another important figure who is wandering behind the counters of pizzerias: the help pizza chef.

The duties of the assistant cook: behind the counter of a pizzeria

Below we present the main tasks that pizza chefs and assistant cooks perform most commonly; as you will see, only some of them are directly visible to customers, and for this reason we have divided them into tasks before and after the opening of the pizzeria:

Before the pizzeria opens:

  1. Prepare the pizza doughs (they can be different, for example when the menu includes wholemeal or gluten-free pizzas);
  2. Buy fresh ingredients for the pizzas on the menu;
  3. Manage any orders with suppliers who deliver frozen or fresh ingredients;
  4. Prepare the ingredients (clean the vegetables, take care of sauces and condiments, etc.);
  5. Shape the pizza dough into loaves, so that they are ready to use;
  6. Make sure the oven is clean and, if it is a wood-burning oven, that there is enough fuel to feed it during the working day;
  7. Create the menu (depending on the type of pizzeria and the role of the pizza chef);
  8. Prepare the boxes for take-away pizzas.

During the opening of the pizzeria:

  1. Organize the dough loaves, so that the pizza chef always has them at hand;
  2. Manage customer orders;
  3. When the kitchen is open, answer any questions from customers waiting for the pizzas;
  4. Prepare the pizzas and bake them;
  5. Make sure the pizzas do not burn, turning them when necessary;
  6. Arrange the boxes for take-away pizzas;
  7. Clean rooms and utensils at the end of the day.

In this scenario, the person who works as a pizza assistant can take care of some of the support tasks that we have listed in the list : from the preparation and cleaning of the ingredients, to the organization of the pizza loaves, until the counter is cleaned at the end of the day.

It all depends on the organization of the owner of the pizzeria and the pizza chef.

In general, we can say that the aim of the assistant cook is to facilitate the work of the pizza maker and ensure that the frenetic pace during the opening of the restaurant does not affect the punctuality of the service and the organization of orders.

Certainly, the understanding between the assistant cook and the pizza chef is a fundamental element of the success of the collaboration.

For this reason, if you want to look for a job as a pizza assistant, consider these elements:

  • Experience in catering : having already had the opportunity to know the dynamics behind the scenes of the kitchens of restaurants and pizzerias, especially during peak hours, can only be to your advantage;
  • Punctuality : it is important not only to respect working hours but also to support the fast pace of operations behind the pizzeria counter;
  • Time flexibility : even if the standard legislation provides for a 40-hour week, you will probably find yourself working overtime and working 6 days a week, sometimes even with double shifts (lunch and dinner);

To conclude

In this article we have seen what are the tasks of a pizza maker assistant and what characteristics are required to do this job.

Love for pizza is not enough: you also need a lot of organization, flexibility and attention in handling food.

Are you thinking that you would like to work as a pizza assistant? Now that we have revealed so many details about this profession, you can open your profile on Jopla and start making yourself known to those who manage a pizzeria in your area!

Have a nice job!