The chef responsible for cold food preparation in a professional kitchen brigade, known in French as the chef garde-manger. This role covers salads and salad dressings, cold starters, sandwiches, pâtés, terrines, cured meats, and buffet presentations, as well as butchering and portioning meat and fish ready for the hot sections to cook. The larder chef manages cold storage, curing, pickling, and smoking, requiring strong skills in food safety because cold foods receive no final heat kill step. Historically the garde-manger guarded the larder’s provisions; today the role demands creativity in cold presentation alongside rigorous hygiene and precise knife work.