Sous Chef / Head Chef

Responsibilities:

- Plan and direct food preparation and culinary activities
- Modify menus or create new ones that meet quality standards
- Estimate food requirements and food costs
- Supervise kitchen staff’s activities
- Arrange with your Executive Chef for equipment repairs/purchases
- Manage your kitchen staff – including changing of rosters and corrective disciplinary actions
- Rectify arising problems or complaints
- Give prepared plates the “final touch”
- Perform administrative duties
- Comply with nutrition and sanitation regulations and safety standards
- Maintain a positive and professional approach with co-workers and customers
- Ensure all kitchen equipment, surfaces and utensils is washed, sanitised and packed neatly
- Ensure scullery area is cleaned, Crockery cutlery and glassware is washed and packed away neatly
Prerequisites:
- Trains, develops and motivates supervisors and culinary staff to meet and exceed established food preparation standards on a consistent basis.
- Teaches preparation according to well defined recipes and follows up and discusses ways of constantly improving the cuisine at the property.
- Display exceptional leadership by providing a positive work environment, counselling employees as appropriate and demonstrating a dedicated and professional approach to management.
- Should be able to provide direction for all day-to-day operations in the kitchen.
- Understand employee positions well enough to perform duties in employees' absence or determine appropriate replacement to fill gaps.
- Provides guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
- Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and kitchen staff.
- He should advocate sound financial/business decision making, demonstrates honesty, integrity and also leads by example.
- Provides and supports service behaviours that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction and retention.
- Improves service by communicating and assisting individuals to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed.
- Delegates as appropriate to develop supervisors and subordinates to accept responsibility and meet clearly defined goals and objectives.
- Reviews staffing levels to ensure that guest service, operational needs and financial objectives are met.
-Actively involved in menu development and maintaining updated and accurate costing of all dishes prepared and sold in the Food and Beverage operation.
- Recognizes superior quality products, presentations and flavour.
- Ensures compliance with food handling and sanitation standards.
- Follows proper handling and right temperature of all food products.
- Ensures all equipment in the kitchen is properly maintained and in working order in accordance with local Health department and hotel standards.
- Coordinates with the purchase department for acquisition of needed goods and services.
- Ensure all products are prepared in a consistent manner and meet departmental appearance/quality standards.
- Ensure proper grooming and hygiene standards for all kitchen staffs.
- Ensures all kitchen employees maintain required food handling and sanitation certifications.
- Ensure proper purchasing, receiving and food storage standards in the kitchen.
- Interacts with guests to obtain feedback on food quality, presentation and service levels.
- Actively responds to and handles guest problems and complaints.
- Maintain Quality levels of receiving, storage, production and presentation of food.
- Ensure sufficient staffing levels are scheduled to accommodate business demands.
- Follows and enforces all applicable safety procedures specified for kitchen and food servers.
- Discuss daily food cost reports with key kitchen and F&B team members.
- Review weekly and monthly schedules to meet forecast and budget.
- Attend the daily morning meetings and other administrative sessions.
- Identifies the developmental needs of kitchen staffs and provide coaching, mentoring, and also helping them to improve their knowledge or skills.
- Trains kitchen associates on the fundamentals of good cooking and excellent plate presentations. Also interview and hire new applicants for kitchen.
- Frequently review finished products for quality and presentation before the orders are send to guest.
- Able to perform additional duties as requested by your Executive Chef as and when required.
- Ensures disciplinary procedures and documentation are completed according to operational Standard and Management Policy.