When a new team member joins, the way they’re trained will shape how your kitchen runs for weeks and months after.
The difference between strong and inconsistent sites usually comes down to this moment - not the launch, not the menu, but how standards are passed on day to day. Instead of relying on shadowing or quick explanations, the best kitchens follow a simple structure that keeps standards consistent every time.
Most importantly, they don’t just explain the standard - they show it. Every build, every pack, every check is demonstrated clearly first, so the new starter sees exactly what “right” looks like before they try it themselves.
If you want someone to be ready to run a section or the Sessions brands properly, these are the key things to walk them through.
New Starter Checklist: Before a New Starter Works Independently
🔪 Start with the core cooking methods that define the brand - the fundamentals such as smashing a patty, steaming a bao etc., before moving onto full menu items
Call out what “right” looks like - heat, pressure, timing, texture, colour
Point out the common mistakes - under-smashing, overcooking, poor steaming, inconsistent shape
Get them to describe what they’re seeing so they’re actively reading the standard, not just watching
🎥 Watch the training video for each menu item together - not from memory, not summarised. Use the pause button.
Pick the two or three core menu items for that brand and watch each video in full, side by side
Pause at the portioning stage and ask them to call out the quantities before you confirm
Pause again at the finished item and ask them to describe what they're looking at - build, presentation, portion size
👥 Make the item alongside them first, following the exact build order, portioning, and presentation shown.
Make the item yourself from scratch while they watch, narrating each step as you go
Have them lay out all the components before you start so they're thinking about mise en place from the beginning
Point out the details that are easy to miss - where the sauce goes, how the item sits in the box, what the finished weight or portion should look like
👤 Have them make the same item independently - then look at what they've understood and what they haven't.
Step back fully and let them work without prompting - resist the urge to correct as they go
Once they're done, compare their build directly against a reference image or the video still
Note what landed and what didn't before giving feedback - be specific, not general
👁️ Check the result against the actual standard - build accuracy, correct portions, clean finish. If it's wrong, explain why and repeat it.
Use a set of scales to check portioning on any item where weight matters - don't eyeball it during training
Hold their finished item next to yours and point out the differences visually
If anything's off, make them rebuild it from scratch rather than adjusting what's already there
🛍️ Walk through a complete order from food to bag - box setup, item placement, sauces and drinks, bag organisation, and what to avoid crushing or leaking.
Build a live two- or three-item order together, talking through every packing decision as you make it
Deliberately show what bad packing looks like - a sauce tub loose in the bag, a box stacked wrong - so they can see the problem before it becomes a habit
Have them pack the next order themselves while you watch, then open it back up and review it together
🔏 Run through the final mile checks - confirm every item against the ticket, check presentation, and confirm the order is complete before it goes anywhere.
Print or pull up a test ticket and have them check a packed order against it item by item, out loud
Ask them to find the deliberate mistake - remove one item from a packed bag before the exercise and see if they catch it
Time the check so they understand it should be thorough but not slow
❌ Show them a bad example alongside a good one - wrong portioning, messy build, poor packing. Make the difference visible.
Make a deliberately incorrect version of a key item —-short portion, wrong build order, messy finish - and put it next to the correct one
Ask them to tell you what's wrong before you explain it, so they're actively reading the standard rather than just listening to it
Discuss why each failure matters - not just aesthetically, but in terms of customer experience and brand consistency
♻️ Repeat key items after feedback - consistency means getting it right more than once.
After the first full round of feedback, have them make the same two or three items again from the beginning
Don't move them on to new items until the original ones are consistently correct
If time allows, have them make a core item at the start and end of the training session to show their own progression
🧠 Make sure they know where to go when they're unsure - back to the training videos, every time, without exception.
Show them exactly where to find the training videos on the device used in your kitchen - don't assume they'll work it out
At the end of the session, close the videos and ask them to find a specific one themselves
Make it explicit: if they're not sure, they watch the video before they make the item - not after
New Starter Checklist: The Why Behind the Checklist
The goal of onboarding a new starter on Sessions brands (or even your own for that matter) isn’t to tell them how things work - it’s to show them, have them do it, and check it’s right before they’re ever working alone. That sequence is what builds consistency and allows them to enforce standards independently of oversight.
Start with the Fundamentals (Core Cooking Methods)
Start with what everything depends on. Show what a correct smash looks like. Show how a bao should come out of the steamer. If they see the standard clearly, they don’t guess later.
Use the Training Videos Properly
The training videos are the standard. Watch them properly. Pause on the details. Call things out. If something isn’t clear, go back to the video - not memory.
Show, Then Do (Guided Builds)
Don’t move from watching straight into working. Walk through builds together, step by step, following the exact process. This is where the method locks in before habits form.
Test Understanding Through Independent Builds
Then step back and let them do it alone. Their first independent build shows what’s been understood and what hasn’t. Fix what you see, not what you assume.
Hold the Standard (Check Against “What Good Looks Like”)
Judge everything against what “good” actually looks like. Not what feels close. If it’s wrong, reset and rebuild it properly. That’s how consistency is formed.
Train the Full Order, Not Just the Food
Remember, the product isn’t just the food - it’s the full order. Train how items are packed, how they travel, and what a good order looks like when opened.
Make Final Checks a Habit
Before anything leaves the kitchen, build the habit of checking properly. Match the ticket. Confirm every item. Make sure it’s complete. No shortcuts here.
Show What Wrong Looks Like
Make the difference visible. Put a correct item next to an incorrect one. Remove any ambiguity. That’s how judgement improves.
Repetition Builds Consistency
Getting something right once isn’t enough. Repeat after feedback and keep going until it’s consistent. That’s when it’s actually learned.
Always Go Back to the Standard
If anything is unclear, don’t guess and don’t rely on memory. Go back to the training videos. That’s what keeps every team member aligned.
New Starter Checklist: The Downloadable Checklist
To make this easier to use on shift, we’ve turned the full process into a downloadable checklist you can keep on hand whenever someone new joins your team.
Use it to guide the session, check each stage properly, and make sure new starters are shown the standard, practise it themselves, and are signed off only when they’re genuinely ready.
Whether you print it in the kitchen, keep it on a device, or use it alongside your training videos, the goal is the same: train it properly once, and protect the standard every shift after.
Download the New Starter Checklist below: