SUMMARY:
The Group Executive Chef will lead and oversee all culinary and operational activities across all Group Brands restaurants.
POSITION INFO:
Job Purpose:
The Group Executive Chef will lead and oversee all culinary and operational activities across all Group Brands restaurants. This includes staff recruitment, training, menu development, recipe management, procurement, food cost control, hygiene and safety compliance, maintenance, and reporting. The role ensures operational excellence, consistent food quality, and efficient management of resources.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Hiring of Staff – Higher Management Positions
- Sets up and conducts initial interviews.
- Ensures Company Brands recruitment process is followed.
- Attracts and retains staff.
- Liaises with recruitment companies.
- Monitors performance of newly hired staff members to consider for contract extension.
2. Staff Administration & Issues
- Escalation of staff queries beyond GM levels.
- Working with Kompany Brands admin office and HR department on HR and IR related issues.
3. Staff Productivity
- Looks for ways to improve staff productivity and efficiency.
- Training staff and management on processes to be applied.
- Follows up on progress of improving staff productivity and efficiency.
4. Menu Content, Development and Implementation
- Facilitating the implementation of new menu items as and when required by the owners.
- Working with chefs of the respective restaurants in the group to find new dishes once a menu change is required.
- Testing of new menu items for approval by the owners.
- Training of management and chefs with regards to menu changes – new processes, ingredients, combinations, preparation, and general menu knowledge.
- Costing of all new menu items and collaborating with owners on pricing of dishes.
- Market information gathering on competitive offerings.
5. Recipe Development
- Overseeing the development of recipes for a la carte menu items and adding them to the POS system for all restaurants in the group.
- Ensuring that kitchen management is trained on the use of recipes.
- Ensuring that kitchen staff members are trained on the use of recipes.
- Continually updating recipes as menus and trends change.
6. Chef’s Recommendations
- Oversee the development of dishes within the group restaurants for the off-menu chef’s recommendations.
7. Liaising with Suppliers
- Communicating with suppliers regarding out-of-stock issues, pricing, and overall service delivery for all restaurants in the group.
- Working in collaboration with the store GMs to improve quality and supply reliability and reduce cost of purchases.
8. Procurement – Kitchen
- Procurement of new ingredients as required with menu changes or chef’s recommendations.
- Procurement management of kitchen equipment, cutlery, and crockery as and when needed according to the procurement policy of the company for all restaurants in the group.
- Procurement management of services to be delivered to the kitchen, e.g., extraction maintenance, plumbing, general maintenance, electrical maintenance, etc.
9. Procurement – Front of House
- Assisting GMs with the procurement management of new items to be introduced to the bar as per the policy of the company at all restaurants in the group.
- Procurement management of equipment, cutlery, and crockery required by front of house according to the policy of the company.
- Procurement management of services to be delivered to the kitchen, e.g., extraction maintenance, plumbing, general maintenance, electrical maintenance, etc.
10. Stock Holding
- Oversee the stock holding of all restaurants within the group.
- Management oversight with the objective of improving the stock holding wherever necessary.
11. Stock Take
- Oversight of the weekly/monthly stock take of all food cost related items, as well as expense items at all shops within the group. This includes perishable items, dry goods, cutlery, crockery, cleaning chemicals, packaging, etc.
- On occasion, physically assist with the stock take wherever necessary.
12. Food Cost
- Oversight of the food cost percentages attained by all shops within the group.
- Verification and confirmation of all stock take entries made onto the systems at all shops to ensure accuracy when it comes to possible incentives to be paid out.
- On a weekly and monthly basis, supply a full set of reports to the owners regarding the food cost percentages attained within each shop.
- Collaborate with restaurant management to keep restaurant food cost to a minimum, without compromising quality.
13. Hygiene Policies
- Overseeing the general hygiene and cleanliness of all restaurants within the group.
- Hygiene and cleanliness refers to both the kitchen and front of house.
- Coordinating with health inspectors to keep the shops within an acceptable standard.
- Coordinating with Occupational Health and Safety officer to keep hygiene standards in all shops according to a set standard.
14. OHS Policies
- Coordinating with the OHS officer to ensure compliance to Occupational Health and Safety standards and policies for all shops within the group.
- Coordinating with the OHS officer to ensure that OHS requirements are met according to South African legislation and requirements of landlords.
- Planning with OHS officer for getting all shops compliant with OHS standards.
- Facilitating training required per shop, e.g., fire fighting, first aid, etc.
15. SOP File
- Ensuring that all shops within the group have the SOP file for the store and that it is kept up to date.
- Training all management on the requirements of the SOP file.
16. Food Quality
- Coordinating and collaborating with management and chefs to ensure that the quality of food within the store meets company standards.
- Sampling and quality control of various items of each restaurant within the group to ensure that they are of the quality required.
- Coordinating training of prep-staff and management to ensure that quality standards are adhered to.
- Ensuring best possible quality at the optimal price point.
- Collaborating with management over the labelling and dating of shelves and food items within the restaurant to ensure freshness and organisation.
17. Customer Feedback and Complaints
- Assisting store GMs and other management with dealing with customer feedback and complaints.
- Implementing and monitoring corrective procedures, especially with unhappy guests.
- Implementing preventative measures to attempt to prevent the same issue in future.
18. Maintenance
- Oversee the function of maintenance.
- Management of store repair function.
- Management of internal repair resources, including job specs, prioritising, scheduling, monitoring.
- Management of external repair function, including obtaining quotes, following approval process, ensuring completion according to satisfactory company standards.
19. Training
- Facilitating the training of management, both on the job and more formally during sit-down sessions.
20. Store Operational Reports and Scoring
- Weekly operational reports for management.
- Audit reports monthly.
Requirements
Education & Qualifications
- Culinary degree or diploma from a recognized institution (e.g., National Diploma in Culinary Arts) advantage
- Additional certifications in food safety, hygiene, or nutrition are advantageous.
- Management or leadership training/certification is a plus.
- Experience
- Extensive executive-level culinary experience, preferably in a multi-unit or high-volume restaurant environment.
- Proven experience in menu development, recipe creation, and cost control.
- Strong background in staff management, including recruitment, training, and performance monitoring.
- Experience liaising with suppliers and managing procurement.
- Exposure to multi-site operational management, including hygiene, safety, and compliance oversight.
- Core Skills
- Leadership & Team Management: Ability to lead multiple teams across different locations.
- Culinary Expertise: Knowledge of modern cuisine, plating, and menu innovation.
- Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of food costing, budgeting, and profitability.
- Operational Excellence: Ability to enforce SOPs, compliance, and quality standards.
- Problem Solving & Decision Making: Handle operational, HR, and customer issues effectively.
- Communication & Collaboration: Work with GMs, suppliers, and owners to achieve company goals.
- Personal Attributes
- High attention to detail with a focus on quality and consistency.
- Proactive and results-oriented, with strong organizational skills.
- Adaptable and innovative, keeping up with culinary trends.
- Customer-focused, ensuring high standards for guest experience.
- Ethical and professional, particularly regarding labor laws, food safety, and OHS compliance.
- Technical Knowledge
- Knowledge of food safety regulations and OHS policies in South Africa.
- Familiarity with POS systems, recipe management software, and inventory systems.
- Understanding of procurement and supplier management processes.
