Have you ever wondered why chefs wear white (whites)?

We covered some catering history when I was at catering college in wakefield which at the time as a sixteen year old I thought was dull but now I am old find fascinating

Most chefs, wear their uniforms (PPE) almost every day of their working lives.

Pleated Hat (toque), double-breasted, neckerchief,white jacket, checked pants, rubber and apron.

These are standard all over the world, but it wasn’t always so they are often taken for granted and worn without much thought.

I found out the reasons why and origins behind traditional chef's wear is fascinating, like most workwear the chef's uniform has developed out of necessity.

History

In the middle 1800's chef Marie-Antoine Carême redesigned his team’s uniforms. Carême felt the colour white looked hygienic and clean in the kitchen; it was also at this time that he and his staff began to wear double-breasted jackets.

Carême also thought that the hats should be different sizes, to distinguish the cooks from the chefs 

Escoffier, thought the cleanliness of the chef's uniform was very important, and that it showed professionalism.

His team had to maintain clean and complete uniforms in the kitchen and were also expected to wear jacket shirt and ties when off duty.

The history of our chefs uniforms can be traced back more than 400 years.

Here’s what I’ve discovered:

Starting at the top with the hat.

Toque Blanche/traditional chef's hat,

The tall white, hat is what’s most is distinguishing and recognisable of the chefs uniform, and often causes the most debate.

Chefs as far back as the 16th century wore toques. At that time artisans of all types (including chefs) were often imprisoned, or even executed, because of their freethinking.

Chefs found sanctuary in the Orthodox Church and hid amongst the priests of the monasteries.

There they wore the same clothes as the priests-including their tall hats and long robes-with the exception of one deviating trait: the chef's clothes were grey and the priests were black.

Pleats, too, are steeped in a rich history.

Their origin came from the idea that the more experience a chef had, the more pleats his hat had. A pleat could signify a technique or recipe he had mastered.

At one time, a chef had 100 pleats in his hat to signify the 100 ways to prepare eggs. Chef hats today don’t have so many pleats, but they still can signify a chef’s level of experience.

Today chefs wear a whole host of differnt hats from basball hats to beanies.

Neckerchiefs

Now mainly worn as a fashion statement, but originally cotton cloths were draped around your neck to soak up the sweat and stop it running down your back, while working in the hot kitchens often in the cellar of the building with poor ventilation an few windows.

The jacket,

Double-breasted so it can be reversed to hide stains; the double layer of cotton is also designed to insulate against the intense heat of the stove or an accidental splattering of hot liquids

Knotted cloth buttons

were for a reason-cloth will withstand the frequent starching, washings and abuse buttons often take from contact with hot trays, pans and other heavy equipment.

Today many buttons are heat resistant plastic but some chefs have zips not great when the get hot.

Trousers/ Checks

Office based executive chefs used to wear plain black trousers, bakers wear white, and working chefs usually wear blue and white checks the pattern hides minor spills and look clean for longer.

Aprons are usually folded double and shield the chefs uniform from heat, food splatters and stains they are quick to reverse and change during service.

The torchon/rubber/tea towel

The torchon (which is French for dishcloth) is used to wipe a plate clean or protect the hands while handling hot plates, trays and pans.

Chefs need two torchons, one clean folded neatly and hung on the apron string at all times.

The cloth needs to be kept dry especially if handling a hot pans.

Chef Shoes [wear all day clogs]

Chef Shoes are an essential part of the chef’s uniform providing support and protection for long days on your feet.

In even the best restaurants, the kitchen floor is often hard, unforgiving, concrete covered with stiff rubber mats. And no matter how clean it is at the beginning of the day, as soon as prep and service begin, it quickly becomes slippery with grease and water spills. making non slip comfortable shoes a must the backs of the cloggs are open to keep your feet cool.

As a professional chocolatier myself, I wear the traditional chef's attire-including torque, for two reasons one because it’s practical and its history is something to be proud of.