Banquet/Production Cook

Position Summary

We are seeking a dependable Banquet / Production Cook to join our culinary operations team. This position is responsible for preparing high-volume food for daily meal service, banquets, events, and special functions while maintaining consistency, quality, proper portions, and food-safety standards.

The ideal candidate is comfortable with large-batch cooking, banquet production, standardized recipes, and working efficiently under production deadlines.

Core Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook food according to standardized recipes, production sheets, menus, and event requirements.
• Produce high-volume batches of proteins, vegetables, starches, soups, sauces, and other menu items.
• Prepare and execute food for banquets, catered events, and large-volume meal service.
• Properly cook and portion proteins including poultry, beef, pork, seafood, and eggs.
• Prepare soups, gravies, sauces, dressings, and other scratch-made components.
• Maintain proper cooking temperatures, food quality, consistency, and presentation.
• Adjust production quantities based on meal counts, event requirements, and expected volume.
• Follow recipes and maintain consistency throughout large-batch production.
• Properly operate ovens, steamers, grills, fryers, kettles, tilt skillets, and other commercial kitchen equipment.
• Maintain proper cooking, cooling, reheating, hot-holding, and cold-holding procedures.
• Complete prep and production efficiently while meeting established deadlines.
• Assist with banquet setup, service, replenishment, and breakdown as needed.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and properly stocked workstation.
• Follow HACCP, sanitation, FIFO, and food-safety procedures.
• Minimize waste through proper portioning, production, storage, and product utilization.
• Communicate shortages, quality concerns, and production issues to culinary leadership.
• Assist other kitchen stations and production areas as needed.

Required Skills

• Previous professional kitchen or high-volume production experience preferred.
• Experience with large-batch and banquet cooking.
• Strong understanding of cooking temperatures and food safety.
• Ability to consistently produce large quantities of food while maintaining quality.
• Ability to follow standardized recipes and production quantities.
• Comfortable operating commercial kitchen equipment.
• Strong organization and time-management skills.
• Ability to work efficiently and meet production deadlines.
• Reliable attendance and professional conduct.

Preferred Experience

Experience in senior living, healthcare dining, hotels, resorts, banquet operations, catering, institutional foodservice, or other high-volume kitchens is preferred.

This is a hands-on production position for a cook who is comfortable working in volume, meeting deadlines, and maintaining consistent quality from the first batch to the last.