Assistant Executive Chef

Food Whisperer; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Food Whisperer is seeking an Assistant Executive Chef to support the Executive Chef in overseeing the Central Kitchen operations in Bengaluru. You will manage daily production, ensure quality and safety, and coordinate with procurement, quality, and HR teams to meet client specifications.

You will supervise kitchen staff, standardize recipes, control food costs, and drive HACCP/GMP compliance in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Diploma/Degree in Hotel Management, Culinary Arts, Food Production or related field is required.
• Culinary certifications will be an added advantage.
• Experience: 8–12 years in professional kitchen operations; central kitchen/large-scale food production preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Executive Chef in day-to-day Central Kitchen operations.
• Plan and supervise daily food production per schedules and business needs.
• Ensure timely preparation and dispatch of food to client sites/outlets.
• Monitor production quantities and adherence to production plans.
• Maintain consistency in taste, texture, portion size, appearance, and quality.
• Work with the Executive Chef to develop recipes and production processes.

Skills

Large-scale production

Kitchen operations management

Menu and recipe standardization

Food costing

Food safety & hygiene

HACCP knowledge

Production planning

Manpower management

Inventory and wastage control

Quality control

Team leadership

Problem-solving

Vendor/Stores coordination

MIS and reporting

Education

Diploma / Degree in Hotel Management, Culinary Arts, Food Production, or a related field

Culinary certifications from recognized institutes

Job description

Role Summary

The Assistant Executive Chef will support the Executive Chef in managing the overall kitchen and food production operations at Food Whisperer's Central Kitchen. The role will be responsible for ensuring consistent food quality, taste, presentation, hygiene, food safety, production planning, manpower management, and cost control.

The position will play a key role in ensuring that food is produced as per approved recipes, SOPs, quality standards, production plans, and customer requirements while maintaining efficient kitchen operations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Kitchen & Production Management

• Assist the Executive Chef in managing day-to-day Central Kitchen operations.
• Plan and supervise daily food production as per production schedules and business requirements.
• Ensure timely preparation and dispatch of food to respective client sites/outlets.
• Monitor production quantities and ensure adherence to approved production plans.
• Ensure smooth coordination between various kitchen sections.
• Monitor workflow and ensure optimum utilization of kitchen resources.

2. Food Quality & Consistency

• Ensure food is prepared according to approved recipes, specifications, and SOPs.
• Maintain consistency in taste, texture, portion size, appearance, and overall quality.
• Conduct regular quality checks during food preparation and before dispatch.
• Ensure proper portion control and standardization.
• Work with the Executive Chef to develop and improve recipes and production processes.
• Identify and address quality deviations immediately.

3. Menu & Recipe Management

• Support menu planning and recipe development.
• Standardize recipes and maintain recipe cards.
• Ensure accurate implementation of standardized recipes across production.
• Provide inputs on ingredient availability, seasonality, food cost, and production feasibility.
• Conduct trials for new dishes and menu items where required.

4. Food Safety & Hygiene

• Ensure strict compliance with food safety and hygiene standards.
• Implement and monitor HACCP, GMP, personal hygiene, cleaning, sanitation, and food handling practices.
• Ensure proper temperature control for cooking, chilling, holding, storage, and dispatch.
• Monitor food storage and handling practices.
• Ensure proper segregation and prevention of cross‑contamination.
• Coordinate with the Quality/HSEQ team during audits and inspections.
• Ensure corrective actions are implemented for identified non-conformities.

5. Manpower Management

• Supervise and manage chefs, CDPs, commis, kitchen helpers, and other kitchen staff.
• Plan manpower deployment based on production requirements.
• Allocate daily duties and responsibilities to kitchen team members.
• Monitor attendance, discipline, productivity, and performance.
• Train and develop kitchen employees on recipes, SOPs, hygiene, safety, and production standards.
• Identify skill gaps and coordinate with L&D/HR for training requirements.

6. Food Cost & Wastage Control

• Support the Executive Chef in maintaining food cost within approved budgets.
• Monitor raw material consumption and portion control.
• Identify and minimize food wastage during preparation and production.
• Monitor yield and utilization of key ingredients.
• Coordinate with Procurement and Stores teams to ensure appropriate raw material availability.
• Investigate abnormal consumption and wastage and implement corrective actions.

7. Production Planning & Dispatch

• Coordinate with Planning, Operations, Stores, and Dispatch teams for daily requirements.
• Ensure production is completed within defined timelines.Monitor batch production and ensure correct quantities are prepared.
• Ensure proper packing, labeling, portioning, and dispatch of food.
• Ensure food is dispatched within required temperature and quality parameters.
• Address production-related issues that may affect timely dispatch.

8. Equipment & Kitchen Operations

• Ensure proper utilization and maintenance of kitchen equipment.
• Report equipment breakdowns and coordinate with Engineering/Admin for timely resolution.
• Ensure kitchen equipment is used safely and efficiently.
• Monitor availability of essential kitchen tools, utensils, and consumables.
• Ensure proper cleaning and maintenance of kitchen work areas.

9. Inventory & Stores Coordination

• Coordinate with the Stores team for daily raw material requirements.
• Monitor availability and quality of ingredients.
• Ensure proper FIFO/FEFO practices.
• Communicate shortages, quality issues, and urgent requirements to the relevant teams.
• Support inventory optimization and reduction of wastage/expiry.

10. Reporting & Compliance

• Maintain production-related records and reports.
• Monitor daily production, wastage, yield, and food cost data.
• Prepare and share required kitchen MIS with the Executive Chef/Management.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, kitchen SOPs, and food safety requirements.
• Support internal and external audits.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Food quality and consistency
• On-time production and dispatch
• Food cost percentage
• Food wastage percentage
• Recipe and portion compliance
• Production efficiency
• Food safety and hygiene audit scores
• Customer/client complaints
• Kitchen productivity
• Manpower utilization
• Inventory/yield variance
• Compliance with kitchen SOPs

Educational Qualification

• Diploma / Degree in Hotel Management, Culinary Arts, Food Production, or a related field.
• Culinary certifications from recognized institutes will be an added advantage.

Experience

• 8–12 years of experience in professional kitchen operations.
• Experience as Sous Chef / Executive Sous Chef / Senior Sous Chef / Central Kitchen Chef will be preferred.
• Experience in Central Kitchen, QSR, Catering, Food Production, Hospitality, Restaurants, or large-scale food operations is preferred.
• Experience in high-volume food production and managing large kitchen teams is highly desirable.

Required Skills

• Large-scale food production
• Kitchen operations management
• Menu and recipe standardization
• Food costing
• Food safety & hygiene
• HACCP / GMP knowledge
• Production planning
• Manpower management
• Inventory and wastage control
• Quality control
• Team leadership
• Problem-solving
• Vendor/Stores coordination
• MIS and reporting

Key Competencies

• Strong culinary expertise
• Leadership and people management
• Operational excellence
• Quality consciousness
• Cost-conscious approach
• Planning and organization
• Decision-making ability
• Problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Ability to work under pressure
• Strong communication and coordination

Working Conditions

The position will be based at the Food Whisperer Central Kitchen, Hoodi, Bangalore. The role requires active involvement in kitchen and production areas and coordination with Kitchen, Procurement, Stores, Quality/HSEQ, Operations, Dispatch, and HR teams. The candidate should be comfortable working in a fast‑paced, high-volume food production environment.