Head Chef

The newest and best pub in Nelson is on the lookout for a talented back of house leader!

Your experience will be put to good use!  We are seeking an experienced Head Chef to lead our kitchen.

As the Head Chef your job will be to oversee and direct all aspects of the kitchen. As a department head, you will be a senior member of the management team and an integral part of our business for our future growth.

Main Job Duties and Responsibilities

● Prepare a weekly roster for all kitchen staff

● Foresee any changes in staffing requirements and communicate with senior management when and how changes will be made

● Complete consistent and regular performance reviews with all kitchen team members

● Providing ongoing training to all kitchen team members

● Assisting with and conducting interviews of possible candidates alongside other senior management

● Reviewing the food offering and developing new menus for seasonal changes as requested by senior management

● Prepare the company’s food offerings in alignment with the company branding, message, positioning, market and vision

● Being proactive around ensuring the entire team understand and can communicate the menu to customers and other team members

● Managing and motivating kitchen staff to all work to a high standard and in a productive manner

● Maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of the kitchen

● Implementing and monitoring a food safety plan that meets legal requirements

● Promote and practice compliance with fire, health, and hygiene standards and regulations

● Ensuring the recipes and methods of production are communicated clearly and are standardized

● Coordinating with the FOH management to ensure that the service runs smoothly at all times

● Ensuring the kitchen department adheres to all relevant labor legislation. This includes managing/rostering the kitchen in a way that allows for the adherence to the break entitlement laws

● Keeping track of trends in the restaurant market and relevant legislation/regulations

● Take the lead on the pricing of meals in alignment with the market and cost of goods

● Manage kitchen stock, supplies, and ordering

● Ensuring that equipment and appliances are used correctly and kept in good order by kitchen staff

● Implementing strong stock control procedures that are reviewed regularly

● Managing wastage and coming up with strategies to reduce wastage

● Ensuring the consumption of food by all team members stays in line with the company policy regarding staff entitlements

● Perform monthly stock takes of the entire kitchen at the conclusion of service on the last day of each month, OR before the start of service on the first day of each month. This is extremely important as the figure must be accurate in order to calculate the cost of goods

correctly. Should the day required to do a stock take fall on a normal day off, or during the holiday, it remains the Head Chef’s

responsibility to ensure it is completed to the same standard

● Liaise with suppliers and sales representatives when appropriate

● Make certain all deliveries are checked in correctly and documentation is correct

● Assist in generating and presenting financial reports

● Maintain regular communication with staff and management through meetings and discussions

The Head Chef role requires extreme attention to detail and a strong knowledge of financial data. You will be responsible for the kitchen roster and food purchases which together account for up to 25% of the company’s expenses, hence you are expected to act and make informed decisions at all times that show you are acting in the best interest of the company. Where any rostering decisions or purchases are delegated to

other team members, the responsibility still lies with the Head Chef to ensure these are carried out in the best interest of the company