Sous Chef

Sous Chef – Briquette restaurant

Located in the heart of Gardens Cape Town, Briquette is looking for a strong, service-driven Sous Chef to assist our Head Chef with dinner operations.

This role is suited to a chef with solid operational experience, calm leadership under pressure, and a passion for quality, consistency, and team development.

Key Responsibilities

• Dinner Service Management: Lead kitchen operations during dinner service, ensuring smooth coordination from prep through to close. Manage the pass when required and maintain speed, presentation, and consistency during busy periods.
• Kitchen Leadership: Supervise chefs, commis chefs, scullery staff, and other BOH team members on shift. Allocate sections and daily duties and ensure the team is ready before service.
• Food Cost & Wastage: Control portions, minimise unnecessary waste, record wastage correctly, and help maintain the restaurant's required food-cost/GP targets.
• Food Safety & Hygiene: Maintain HACCP/food-safety standards, temperature controls, correct storage, labelling, FIFO rotation, cleaning schedules, and general kitchen hygiene.
• Closing Procedures: Ensure food is correctly stored and labelled after service, wastage is recorded, equipment is switched off safely, cleaning is completed, and the kitchen is ready for the following shift.
• Communication: Maintain clear communication between BOH, FOH, management, and the pass regarding specials, sold-out items, dietary requirements, allergens, delays, and operational issues.
• Leadership in Chef's Absence: Take responsibility for kitchen operations when the Head Chef/Executive Chef is unavailable.

Requirements

· Minimum 5 years’ experience in a 5* hotel or high-volume restaurant

· Proven experience working in a busy à la carte dinner restaurant and handling high-pressure service periods.

· Takes responsibility for food quality, kitchen cleanliness, team performance, wastage, and service standards.

· Preference for candidates with a stable employment history and verifiable references

· Confident in leading and motivating a team

· Excellent organisational and time-management skills

· Ability to remain composed under pressure

· Strong focus on cleanliness, systems, and consistency

· Relevant culinary qualification preferred

What We’re Looking For

• Professional and hands-on leadership style
• Passion for hospitality and guest experience
• Attention to detail and pride in execution
• Creative but operationally grounded
• Team player with a growth mindset

· Must be able to work evenings, weekends, public holidays, and late shifts

To Apply

Please send your CV, a short introduction, and portfolio/photos of your work (if available) to: [email protected]

Pay: R22 000,00 - R30 000,00 per month

Application Question(s):

• -It's 7:30 PM on Saturday. You have a full restaurant, your grill chef is falling behind, two dishes have been returned and FOH is asking why food is taking 40 minutes. The Head Chef isn't there. Talk me through exactly what you do.

-We're extremely busy and you notice three plates on the pass that don't meet the restaurant's presentation standard. Sending them back will increase ticket times. What do you do?

-Our food-cost target is 32%, but this month we're running at 38%. Supplier pricing hasn't changed significantly. You're asked to investigate. Where do you start?

Work Location: In person