Sous Chef

Brik Oven; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,600,000; Full time

Job summary

Brine is seeking a Sous Chef to be the operational backbone of the kitchen in Bengaluru. You will ensure that the Head Chef’s designs are executed daily, maintaining consistent standards across services. This is a systems-driven role, requiring you to run the kitchen independently when needed and manage par stocks and hygiene.

You will also contribute to menu development, mentor junior staff, and uphold HACCP and FSSAI compliance while delivering high-end dining experiences.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years in a professional kitchen at CDP level or above.
• Experience in a high-end, fine-dining or chef-driven restaurant.
• Proven ability to run a kitchen independently and cover for Head Chef.
• Strong command of stock control, par levels and food cost.

Responsibilities

• Run daily service on the pass; hold the line on timing, plating and standards.
• Take full charge of the kitchen in Head Chef’s absence — service, team, and decisions.
• Build and run the daily prep schedule; ensure every section starts service ready.
• Own par stocks: set them, review them, adjust by season and covers.
• Manage ordering, receiving, stock rotation and month-end inventory.
• Control waste, yields and utilisation across every station.
• Build and maintain systems: recipe cards, prep sheets, station checklists, opening/closing routines.
• Document processes to preserve standards during staff changes and days off.
• Train the team to the documented standard, then audit against it.

Skills

CDP level

Stock control

Food cost

Mise en place

HACCP & FSSAI

Leadership

Job description

Brine is a modern restaurant built on a simple idea: technique is universal, dishes are not.

We borrow methods from kitchens around the world and apply them to what grows around us — never copying the plate, always learning the craft.

We are a small, ambitious kitchen. Standards are high, egos are not welcome, and the people who do well here are the ones who care about the twentieth cover as much as the first.

The Role

The Sous Chef is the operational backbone of the kitchen. You are the person who makes sure that what the Head Chef designs actually happens — every service, every day, at the same standard.

This is a systems role as much as a cooking role. We are looking for someone who thinks in par levels, prep lists, schedules and checklists, and who can run the kitchen independently when the Head Chef is not on the floor.

What You’ll Own

• Run daily service on the pass; hold the line on timing, plating and standards
• Take full charge of the kitchen in the Head Chef’s absence — service, team, and decisions
• Build and run the daily prep schedule; make sure every section starts service ready
• Own par stocks: set them, review them, adjust them by season and covers
• Manage ordering, receiving, stock rotation and month-end inventory
• Control waste, yields and utilisation across every station

Systems & Consistency

• Build and maintain the systems that make consistency possible — recipe cards, prep sheets, station checklists, opening and closing routines
• Document processes so standards survive staff changes and days off
• Train the team to the documented standard, then audit against it
• Identify where the kitchen is running on memory instead of process, and fix it.
• Own hygiene standards across the kitchen, cold rooms and stores — non-negotiable
• Maintain temperature logs, labelling, FIFO discipline and cleaning schedules
• Ensure FSSAI compliance and keep the kitchen audit-ready at all times
• Lead by example; hygiene is a leadership behaviour, not a checklist

Food & Menu

• Hands-on prep and cooking — this is a working sous chef role, not a supervisory one
• Contribute to menu development and new dish creation alongside the Head Chef
• Bring depth of knowledge on ingredients: seasonality, sourcing, handling, and what each one is actually good for
• Cost dishes accurately and work menu costs to target without cutting corners on quality
• Build relationships with suppliers and growers

People

• Lead, roster and develop a kitchen team
• Run daily briefings; set the tone for the shift
• Mentor CDPs and commis with patience and genuine investment in their growth
• Hold people to standard through clear feedback, not through fear

What We’re Looking For

• Minimum 3 years in a professional kitchen at CDP level or above, with clear progression
• Experience in a high-end, fine-dining or chef-driven restaurant
• Proven ability to run a kitchen section independently and cover for a Head Chef
• Strong command of stock control, par levels and food cost
• Genuine eye for detail — in mise, in plating, in the corners of the kitchen nobody looks at
• Working knowledge of HACCP and FSSAI standardsCalm under pressure; steady on a hard service
• Willing to be based in Bangalore long-term

Preferred

• Interest or experience in fermentation and preservation — we work with a fermentation larder, and while it’s not the core of this role, curiosity here goes a long way
• Experience opening a restaurant or building kitchen systems from scratch
• Bakery, charcuterie, or in-house dairy exposure

Who does well here

• Thinks in systems, not heroics
• Curious about ingredients and unafraid of unfamiliar techniques
• Brings ideas to the table; comfortable being challenged on them
• Takes ownership without being asked twice
• Wants to build something, not just hold a title

What We Offer

A kitchen with a real point of view and the freedom to contribute to it

Direct access to the Head Chef and founders; a short path from idea to plate

Growth alongside a group that is actively expanding

Compensation commensurate with experience