Head Chef

Under the general guidance of the General Manager provides the highest food quality consistent with cost control and profitability margins of the hotel’s kitchen to maximise guest satisfaction and food profitability. All work is carried out in line with the hotel’s guidelines, the departmental business plan, and the Radisson Hotel Group’s corporate guidelines, and service concepts.

 

TASKS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 MANAGE FOOD PRODUCTION AND PROVIDE THE HIGHEST FOOD QUALITY

 ·       Manages all activities in the kitchen, including production, stewarding and management of food production staff

·       Maximises guest satisfaction by providing the highest food quality consistent with cost control and profitability margins of the hotel kitchen

·       Assures adherence to Radisson Hotel Group standards of food quality, preparation, recipes, and presentation

·       Assures proper staffing and adequate supplies for all stations

·       Oversees all food production related areas

·       Co-ordinates activities, times and communicates priorities to ensure correct preparation, and delivery time to provide food for functions, a la carte, groups, breakfast and rooms service

·       Maintains product consistency by conducting inspections of seasonings, portions, and food appearance, and follows-up appropriately

·       Oversees inventory disbursement of all food supplies

·       Controls and orders all fresh products and dry storage items required by kitchen and related departments to ensure correct quality and par stock

·       Monitors and facilitates communication between kitchen production and service staff

·       Assures that proper safety, hygiene, and sanitation practices are followed

·       Co-ordinates operation of kitchen with other Food & Drinks departments

·       Together with Meeting & Events Manager, Food and Drinks Director, and Director of Sales, makes suggestions for sales promotions with F&D and to increase sales

·       Ensures readiness and compliance in case of last minute changes to reservations

·       Ensures that prices and portions are offered in accordance with F&D profit objectives

 

 

MANAGE FOOD PRODUCTION STAFF, AND STEWARD FUNCTION

 ·       Manages all food production staff, and the steward function

·       Utilises leadership skills and motivation to maximise employee productivity and satisfaction

·       Challenges employees to achieve optimum quality while minimising cost

·       Monitors department’s overall service, interaction with other departments, and team work daily, and takes action to improve

 

 

LAWS, REGULATIONS AND POLICIES

 ·       Monitors and makes sure staff follows all applicable laws, especially in regards to food safety and sanitation

 

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

 ·       Screens, interviews and selects potential employees

·       Checks that staff meets and exceeds internal customer service expectations by training and encouraging staff to use Yes I Can! principles and standards

·       Identifies training needs, and makes sure staff receives training, including skills training to produce consistent results

·       Identifies employees with potential for promotion and/or transfer and makes recommendation to Operations Manager.

·       Works closely with the Human Resources Manager on the following Human Resources related tasks:
- Performance appraisals
- Coaching
- Counselling
- Discipline and grievance

 EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

 ·       Fosters and develops effective employee relations between kitchen production and restaurant service, as well as with other departments within the hotel

·       Keeps effective internal communications, including daily meetings with all staff to ensure optimum team work and productivity

·       Looks for ways to motivate and challenge employees

·       Responsible Business: show involvement and be interested in environmental and/or social issues by participating in Responsible Business hotel and departmental activities

 

 HEALTH AND SAFETY

 ·       Adheres to all health, sanitation and food safety rules and regulations, and makes sure that all staff adheres to these

·       Ensures that all potential and real hazards are reported and reduced immediately

·       Fully understands the hotel’s fire, emergency, and bomb procedures

·       Ensures that emergency procedures are practised and enforced to provide for the security and safety of guests and employees

·       Ensures that employees work in a safe manner that does not harm or injure self or others

·       Stimulates and encourages a general awareness of Health and Safety.

·       Anticipates possible and probable hazards and conditions and either corrects them or takes action to prevent them from happening

·       Ensures that the highest standards of personal hygiene, dress, appropriate uniform, appearance, and conduct is maintained by all employees in the department

MISCELLANEOUS

 ·       Develops guest/market oriented menus, and changes menus regularly to reflect local, seasonal and national trends

·       Attends restaurant and/or catering fairs and conferences regularly to develop food knowledge

·       Monitors industry trends and recommends appropriate action to maintain the competitive status and profitability

·       Monitors competitions’ pricing and menus

·       Reviews and follows-up on food sales statistics per menu item

·       Recommends better operational practises, procedures and concepts to the Operations Manager

·       Conducts formal tasting as part of new recipe development and product testing regularly

·       Prepares reports to develop a more informative database for improved management decision making, and critical evaluation of work activities and preparation techniques

·       Minimises spoilage, waste and overproduction

·       Controls payroll cost

·       Assists in the review, selection, determination of specifications and pricing of proposed hotel menus

·       Works pro-actively to minimise complaints from guests

·       Informs Food & Drinks staff of applicable food laws and limitations within policies and guidelines

·       Follows-up with F&D Outlet Manager and Meeting & Events Manager to determine guest satisfaction; measures these results and establishes strategies to improve the food quality

·       Checks the restaurant reservations and VIP list

·       Prepares the food production department’s business plan

·       Attends meetings and training required by the Operations Manager

·       Assists colleagues to perform similar or related jobs when necessary

·       Accepts flexible work schedule necessary for uninterrupted service to hotel guests

·       Maintains own working area, materials and company property clean, tidy and in good shape; reports defective materials and equipment to the appropriate individual

·       Continuously seeks to endeavour and improve the department’s efficient operation, and knowledge of own job function

 

·       Is well updated on, and possesses solid knowledge of the following:

- Hotel fire, bomb and emergency procedures
- Hotel health and safety policies and procedures
- Current licensing relating to own department
- Hotel and restaurant corporate marketing and promotional programmes
- Corporate clients and clients generating high business volume
- Union agreements

 

REQUIREMENTS

 ·       Creativity, in the menu composition as well as in the implementation.

·       Innovative, in the cooking techniques as well as in the menu composition.

·       Teamplayer

·       Assign tasks to employees

·       Yielding (no 9 to 5 mentality)

·       Stress resistant

·       Good overview of the situation

·       Can bear with criticism

·       Knowledge of Microsoft Office

·       Yes I Can! Attitude

·       Leadership skills

·       Quality focused