Description
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
- • Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets.
- • Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
- • Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.
- • Portion and wrap food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons.
- • Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets.
- • Weigh or measure ingredients.
- • Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
- • Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas.
- • Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals.
- • Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
- • Prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
- • Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
- • Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches.
- • Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers.
- • Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.
- • Stir and strain soups and sauces.
- • Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers.
- • Keep records of the quantities of food used.
- • Load dishes, glasses, and tableware into dishwashing machines.
- • Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving.
- • Cut, slice or grind meat, poultry, and seafood to prepare for cooking.
- • Add cutlery, napkins, food, and other items to trays on assembly lines in hospitals, cafeterias, airline kitchens, and similar establishments.
- • Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads.
- • Distribute menus to hospital patients, collect diet sheets, and deliver food trays and snacks to nursing units or directly to patients.
- • Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
- • Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.
- • Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
- • Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving.
- • Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.
- • Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.
- • Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
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Related Pathways
Hospitality, Events & Tourism
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
