Sous Chef - Wokingham

Sous Chef - Easthampstead Park, Wokingham

Hours: Full-time

Purpose of the role

The Sous Chef will assist the Head Chef in both culinary and administrative tasks while communicating with the Assistant Kitchen and General Manager. We’re looking for a professional who is dedicated to food quality and sets high standards for their output.

Responsibilities

Primary

• Leads kitchen team in Head Chef's absence
• Create schedules for kitchen staff to ensure optimum resource management and speed of service
• Contribute to business strategy discussions to ensure the maximum results for the business are achieved.
• Work alongside the Head Chef ensuring that standards of both food production and service are consistently high and that the agreed standards are maintained and regularly tested and reviewed.
• Review on a regular basis the guest feedback obtained from clients, both internally and externally, and to ensure quality levels are consistently maintained to the agreed levels.
• Minimise waste of man hours through effective rostering.  Ensuring no unnecessary Casuals/Overtime/Temporary Agency Staff and to work to budgeted payroll targets set against revenue.
• Train new and existing kitchen staff on the preparation, arrangement and plating of dishes per the current menu
• Ensure the Kitchen is always organised to meet business demands, with particular attention being given to Food costing and restaurant payroll
• Encourage ethos of driving for results ensuring quality is not compromised
• Take responsibility for all food related stock items and to order all food items in accordance with business levels and to ensure that only agreed suppliers are utilised.
• Produce, in good time, all dishes to the agreed specifications and profitability.
• Motivate the kitchen team by being confident through your personality, being dynamic and positive at all times, and leading from the front.
• Promote a positive attitude and display the ability to ‘make things happen’ to achieve or exceed anticipated results and encourage the same in the team.
• Create and subsequently develop the recipe manuals/SOPs as new dishes and menus are introduced. These are to be databased and fully specified with photographs.
• Ensure all Training provided is documented and signed off by relevant staff, and that a personal development plan is in place for every member of the team.
• Be actively involved in the recruitment and selection of the Kitchen team members
• Take responsibility for implementing and continually reviewing the effectiveness of all Food Hygiene Practises and procedures to ensure that you fully comply with all food Hygiene legislation and the Company’s Food Hygiene Policy.
• Responsible for inspecting the physical aspects of all kitchen areas, cold rooms and equipment and report any defects immediately to the Hotel’s Maintenance.
• Ensure compliance within the Kitchen with Legal, Government and Company Policies relating to, Fire, Health and Safety procedures and ensure team are fully conversant with their responsibilities also.
• Ensure that Risk Assessments and COSHH Assessments are carried out, reviewed yearly, training staff in all aspects.
• Take responsibility for ensuring all administrative work is completed in a timely manner i.e. completion of employee timesheets, rotas.

The Ideal Candidate

• 2+ years’ culinary experience in a high-volume, full-service restaurant
• Four-year degree or culinary school completion
• Knowledge of best practices for training kitchen staff and implementing kitchen procedures
• High level of creativity and reliability
• Ability to work under pressure
• Flexible schedule required
• Familiarity with menu costing procedures
• Strong leadership skills combined with a team player attitude.
• It is essential that you hold NVQ, 1,2,3 or City & Guilds equivalent in Intermediate Food Hygiene and in possession of the following: