Junior Sous Chef

Reports To: Head Chef Responsible For: Chefs de Partie, Cooks, Kitchen Assistants, Cleaners

Job Summary The Junior Sous Chef supports the Executive Chef and Head Chef to deliver high standards of food production and customer satisfaction across the main kitchen, events, and school catering. The role runs the kitchen when the Head Chef is off, helps hit Gross Profit and food cost targets, keeps the kitchen safe and hygienic, and trains and develops the team. Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Deputize for the Head Chef when they are off and run the kitchen and service to the same standard.
• Run daily production for the main kitchen, events and school catering, working to the agreed prep lists, recipes and timings.
• Allocate daily work areas to staff in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
• Place orders and receive deliveries in MarketMan within agreed budgets. Check all deliveries for quality, temperature and spec before signing for them.
• Make sure staff follow the rules on stock rotation (FIFO), dating, labelling and storage. Complete stock counts and record waste in MarketMan and keep an eye on cleaning and kitchen supplies.
• Achieve the food cost targets set by the Executive Chef by controlling portions, over-production and waste.
• Make sure allergen information is correct for every dish, food is labelled and kept separate where needed, and every event and school order is checked for allergens before it leaves the kitchen.
• Work with the Head Chef to keep the HACCP system up to date, including temperature logs, cleaning schedules, pest control reports and risk assessments.
• Make sure all staff follow health and safety and fire procedures and have been trained on them. Report faulty equipment straight away.
• Keep the kitchen and surrounding areas clean and tidy to a high standard, and control the use of cleaning materials and equipment.
• Work to agreed recipes and make sure junior chefs do the same. Check food quality and presentation before it goes out.
• Contribute to daily and seasonal menu changes, including menu plans, descriptions, costings and dish specs. Keep recipes and costings up to date in MarketMan.
• Help the Head Chef train and develop the team, and assist with recruitment and selection when required.
• Report staff absence, sickness and notifiable illness to the Head Chef. Follow company policy, employment law and disciplinary procedures, and speak to the Head Chef where anything is unclear.
• Plan prep for events from the event sheets, and make sure every event order is complete, labelled and packed correctly before it leaves the kitchen.
• Lead the kitchen team on site at events when required, including setup, service and breakdown.
• Drive company vehicles to deliver food to events and client sites when required, keeping food at safe temperatures during transport.
• Attend event briefings and team meetings, and carry out any other duties that fit the role.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience

• Formal culinary qualification (Diploma, Degree, Professional Cookery, or equivalent)
• 4 years in a professional kitchen, including at least 2 years at Chef de Partie level or above
• Food safety certification.
• Working knowledge of HACCP, allergen management, and FIFO stock control
• Experience in high-volume production, catering and off-site events
• Experience with MarketMan or a similar inventory system preferred
• Able to run a shift and stay calm under pressure
• Good communicator with staff at all levels
• Basic food costing, ordering and stock records

Working Hours Hours follow the needs of the business and include early starts, weekends, public holidays and event nights.

Physical Requirements

• Able to stand for extended periods
• Able to lift up to 50lbs
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-temperature kitchen

Other Requirements

• Valid Cayman Islands driver's license and willing to drive company vehicles for deliveries
• Clear police clearance

This list of duties is not exhaustive, and duties are not listed in order of priority.