| Job description: | Inverlochy Castle Hotel is located 2 miles from Fort William which is the outdoors capital of the UK. Part of the ICMI collection. Leading the team in the Head Chefs absence; the Sous Chef must be an inspirational leader, motivating and developing the team with their correct example and creating a culture of passion and enthusiasm for the preparation and service of food. The Sous chef will cultivate an excellent working partnership with the restaurant management team.
They must assist in providing food that not only exceeds our guest expectations in flavor, substance and presentation, but is also in line with agreed company & legal standards. This is in addition to ensuring that the food costs of the business are well managed. Key Responsibilities:
To work with the restaurant team to understand customer expectations, comments and to handle any complaints to satisfy the customer promptly
To consistently prepare and cook all food to the standards and dish specifications, and train the team to do the same
To be hands on and present during the busy service periods
To be a team player at all times and be prepared to be flexible in order to ensure that all operations are always as guest-focused, efficient and profitable as possible.
To ensure that the hotel’s Health & Safety Policy and Food Safety Management System are adhered to in the kitchen including all related paperwork checks & record keeping
To ensure the menu, daily specials and special menus are available, as appropriate
To ensure functions menus are managed effectively in conjunction with the manager in charge
To ensure that the kitchen team are fully prepared, stocked and set for service
To be responsible for the performance of the whole kitchen team and the delivery of quality food in the absence of the head chef
Be a role model for the team by actively displaying consistent cooking skills, a positive & proactive attitude and hygienic appearance at all times
To assist the Head Chef with recruitment, supervision, planning, training, coaching and developing of the kitchen team to meet the needs of the guest, the business and the company
To be responsible for the performance of the whole kitchen team and the delivery of quality food in the absence of the Head chef
Be a role model for the team by actively displaying consistent cooking skills, a positive & proactive attitude and hygienic appearance at all times
To carry out recruitment, supervision, planning, training, coaching and developing of the kitchen team to meet the needs of the guest, the business and the company
To actively be part of the kitchen management team, ensuring on-job training for the team
Assist in the training and coaching of the floor team, especially in relation to food and kitchen matters, lead tastings and food training at shift briefings
To establish and maintain good front of house relations at all times.
To promote best practice within the kitchen & constantly look to improve processes & procedures
To assist the head chef responsibly and make follow-up checks to ensure the performance of the kitchen and kitchen team
To lead tastings and train all team members in food knowledge at every opportunity
To encourage team members to continually improve their performance – recognizing, praising and rewarding excellent performance in the team
To develop strong team relations by encouraging open communication between all members of the restaurant team both front and back of house
To spot talent and assist with succession planning for kitchen team & recruit the ‘correct’ people.
To ensure that kitchen team understands the correct preparation, cooking, presentation & service of food
In the head chefs absence; To carry out formal discussions with the team, provide updates & evidence for your Manager to support possible disciplinary processes
In the absence of the head chef, to attend, communicate effectively at & contribute to weekly management meetings and shift briefings every day
To work with the Head Chef and Chez Roux to collaborate and devise an inspiring and engaging ongoing training and development calendar for chefs
To take responsibility for your own career path and continuous self-improvement Detail and Quality:
To lead by example and ensure the kitchen team have excellent levels of personal hygiene and presentation standards
To be consistently punctual for all shifts & demand the same discipline amongst the team
Ensuring the aesthetic standards of presentation of the kitchen & the pass are excellent at all times from all areas of the restaurant and the team are consistently focused on maintaining this
To ensure that the kitchen is clean using effective cleaning rotas and keeping records
To clean and maintain all kitchen equipment to maximise efficiency & prolong life
To follow the agreed seasonal menu change calendar and procedure
To assist with the food information and menu descriptions – keeping them up to date. Working closely with the head chef, this responsibility includes necessary preparation for seasonal menu changes, including staff food tastings and menu layout as well as taking control and responsibility for the Allergen menu folder and training the team on the importance of allergens
Liaise with the Head chef, Chez Roux and suppliers to ensure effective use of purchasing
To order and accept all deliveries to Chez Roux standards and to ensure that all stock meets both company and legal standards
To be responsible for accurate record keeping, security and safe storage of all deliveries
To operate and have a thorough understanding of all statutory requirements under Environmental Health regulations such as Food Hygiene, Fire Safety, COSHH and HACAPS
To review Quarterly Hygiene & Safety Reviews and EHO audits and take appropriate action
To assist the head chef in making sure all members of the kitchen team are up to date with their statutory training requirements such as Food Hygiene, COSCHH and HACAPS
To ensure the whole team, including waiting & bar team, are trained in the safe handling and usage of knives and supervised for safety regularly
To assist with the implementation of all fire regulations and procedures and assist in evacuations as necessary
To monitor all equipment & resolve any maintenance issues in cooperation with the Head chef and General Manager
To assist in keeping the equipment log book up to date in order to aid with decision making on new equipment or repairs
To assist with the ordering, storage and careful use of all kitchen supplies
To maintain all Kitchen Equipment as well as possible to minimise maintenance costs
To incorporate required in house maintenance into the weekly cleaning checklists
In the absence of the head chef, to compile and email the Chez Roux weekly kitchen report as per the provided template, in time as agreed.
Supporting the Head Chef To liaise with the Gardeners and Chez Roux regarding the correct upkeep and effective use of the kitchen garden.
Supporting the Head Chef To maintain the Chez Roux Resort software database and ensure that it is up to date with current prices and menu data including costings.
To maintain the Chez Roux kitchen manuals and make sure these are current in line with the company specs. Financial:
Administer the Chef Profit calculator to agreed levels
To ensure accurate weekly staff rotas have been compiled, ensuring quality service levels are maintained, employee work patterns are considered and employment costs are well managed
To ensure rota is signed each day.
To ensure rotas are corrected as necessary, to ensure staff are paid correctly.
To ensure team holidays & time off are planned fairly & rotas are completed in advance, assisting the head chef in the planning process
To accurately count food stock on a weekly basis, report factually and all food wastage is recorded and minimised by the whole team
To maintain appropriate stock levels in the restaurant
To be able to identify variances in stock & then be able to implement positive actions to address the variances
To work with the G M and Head Chef to minimise waste of gas, water & electricity
To maximise on sales through regular review of stock par levels, ensuring adequate preparation for each shift and efficiency with the kitchen set up
To assist in the control of costs, such as; consumables including paper & chemicals by agreeing on weekly usage requirements dictated by the needs of the business
To monitor correct product storage, stock rotation, food quality and portion control |
