Associate, Cook

Thistle; Burlington (NJ); On-site; USD 40,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Thistle is seeking an Associate, Cook to join our kitchen in a high-volume production setting. You will support the preparation and assembly of meals, maintaining strict adherence to recipes, food safety standards, and operational procedures.

You will work across prep, hotline, staging, dish room, and blixer stations, ensuring efficient production flow, accurate labeling, and traceability while collaborating with cross-functional teams to uphold quality and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Experience in high-volume production environments preferred.
• Knowledge of GMPs and food-safety regulations.
• Ability to follow standardized recipes and production schedules.
• Experience with labeling, traceability, and inventory practices.
• Strong teamwork and communication in a fast-paced kitchen.

Responsibilities

• Execute daily food preparation and production activities per recipes and schedules.
• Maintain high standards of quality, food safety, and operational efficiency.
• Operate and maintain commercial kitchen equipment.
• Identify equipment malfunctions and escalate to leadership.
• Maintain adherence to GMPs, sanitation, and storage policies.
• Prepare stations with ingredients and tools to support workflow.
• Document temperature logs, batch records, and sanitation logs.
• Collaborate with cross-functional team to sustain production standards.

Skills

Food prep

Food safety

Equipment operation

Quality control

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Ovens

Combi-ovens

Tilt skillets

Steam-jacketed kettles

Blixers

Stand mixers

Immersion blenders

Food processors

Job description

TITLE: Associate, Cook DEPARTMENT: Kitchen REPORTS TO: Culinary Supervisor Who We Are

Thistle makes it easy to eat well – without overthinking it. Thistle was founded in 2013 with a mission to help people get and stay healthy while improving the sustainability of our food system. Thistle delivers fully prepared, healthy-by-default meals, snacks, desserts, and organic cold-pressed juices. We believe the health of people starts with eating real, whole foods, in the right balance, without the friction. We’re building a future where nutritious, sustainable food is accessible, craveable, and part of everyday life.

About The Role

Reporting to the Culinary Supervisor, the Associate, Cook is responsible for executing daily production activities on the kitchen floor within a high-volume food production environment. This role supports the preparation and assembly of meals while maintaining strict adherence to recipes, food safety standards, and operational procedures. The Associate, Cook contributes to efficient kitchen operations across key production areas, including prep, hotline, staging, dish room, and blixer stations.

How You’ll Make a Difference

• Execute daily food preparation and production activities in alignment with standardized recipes, production schedules, and kitchen management guidelines.
• Support culinary leadership in maintaining high standards of quality, food safety, and operational efficiency across all production areas.
• Operate and maintain commercial kitchen equipment, including ovens, combi-ovens, tilt skillets, steam-jacketed kettles, blixers, stand mixers, immersion blenders, food processors, and similar production equipment.
• Identify and elevate equipment malfunctions or operational issues to culinary leadership to ensure safe and uninterrupted production.
• Maintain compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), food safety regulations, and company policies at all times.
• Prepare and organize workstations with the appropriate ingredients, tools, and equipment to support efficient production flow.
• Monitor and document key production and safety metrics, including temperature logs, batch records, sanitation logs, equipment cleaning logs, and other required operational documentation.
• Ensure adherence to food safety and storage standards, including allergen management, First-In, First-Out (FIFO), and First-Expiration, First-Out (FEFO) inventory practices.
• Maintain accurate labeling and traceability of meal components, including quantities, production dates, and meal codes.
• Ensure sanitation standards are consistently met by maintaining cleaning solutions, sanitation buckets, and proper workstation hygiene throughout production.
• Stay current on safety policies, operational updates, and new procedures to support successful implementation on the production floor.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional team members to maintain consistent production standards and operational performance.
• Perform additional duties as assigned to support overall kitchen and production operations.