Culinary Experiences Chef

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Town of Gardiner (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Wildflower Farms—Auberge Collection in New York's Hudson Valley seeks an Experiences Chef to lead culinary programming, teach hands-on classes, and host daily activations across the property. Collaborate with the Experiences team and Head Farmer to source seasonal ingredients and tailor experiences for guests, including VIP touches.

The role blends culinary craft with hospitality, requiring flexible scheduling incl. evenings, weekends, and holidays; pay is $70,000 plus commission.

Qualifications

• Experience as a chef in high-end restaurants or luxury properties.
• Guest-facing teaching or instructional experience preferred.
• Farm or farm-to-table kitchen experience valued.
• Strong communication and cross-team collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead a culinary-minded class 5x/week.
• Host a complimentary culinary activation 5x/week.
• Develop seasonal activations with the Experiences team.
• Work with Head Farmer to incorporate seasonal farm goods.
• Manage ingredient ordering and budgeting for classes.
• Support guest requests and VIP amenities.

Skills

Sous Chef-level

High-end hospitality

Guest teaching experience

Farm-to-table kitchen

Local purveyor network

Strong communication

Organizational skills

Flexible schedule

Job description

Sprung from the site of a fallow tree nursery, Wildflower Farms, Auberge Collection is a 140-acre retreat in New York’s Hudson Valley, just 90 minutes from New York City. Anchored by its namesake farm with orchards, heirloom gardens, and animals, the retreat offers immersive seasonal experiences like foraging walks, cooking workshops, and healing sessions. A three-mile walking trail links 65 stand-alone cabins, cottages, and suites with the Movement Studio and Maplehouse, a lofty barn home to a dynamic cooking school.

Job Description

The Experiences Chef leads Wildflower Farms' culinary programming — teaching hands-on classes, hosting daily culinary activations, and working across the property and farm to bring seasonal, farm-driven storytelling to life for guests. This role blends culinary expertise with guest-facing hospitality, ensuring every class and activation reflects Wildflower Farms' Soul of the Place.

Class Instruction

• Lead a culinary-minded class 5x/week
• Host a complimentary culinary activation 5x/week.
• Support group and private experience requests, including custom menu/format input as needed.

Programming & Activation Development

• Activate seasonal culinary classes, refreshing offerings in line with harvest cycles and property programming.
• Partner with the Experiences team to develop new activation concepts.
• Work directly with the Head Farmer to identify and incorporate farm goods into classes and activations, ensuring culinary programming reflects what's actually in season on property.
• Identify and develop relationships with local purveyors (e.g., a regional cacao partner) to bring authentic, regionally-sourced ingredients and storytelling into programming.
• Drive personalization and surprise-and-delight moments — partnering with the Culinary team on VIP amenities, special occasion touches, and other guest personalization opportunities, within reason.
• Support amenities that promote or tie back to Experiences programming (e.g., seasonal welcome touches, culinary-themed guest moments).

Budget & Ordering

• Manage ingredient ordering and ensure all classes/activations are properly stocked.
• Forecast and manage ingredient costs as part of the department's overall budget.

Basic Weekly Responsibilities

• Teaching and hosting scheduled public classes and daily activations
• Prep and sourcing for classes and activations
• Administrative support, including ordering, guest communication, and scheduling

Pay Rate: $70,000 + Commission

Qualifications

• Sous Chef-level experience (or equivalent), with a background in high-end restaurants or luxury hospitality properties.
• Guest-facing teaching or instructional experience a plus.
• Farm or farm-to-table kitchen experience also considered.
• Existing relationships with (or demonstrated ability to develop) local purveyors a plus.
• Strong communication and organizational skills; ability to collaborate across Experiences, Culinary, and Farm teams.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Additional Information

About Auberge Collection
Auberge Collection is a portfolio of extraordinary hotels, resorts, residences and private clubs. While each property is unique, all share a crafted approach to luxury and bring the soul of the locale to life through captivating design, exceptional cuisine, innovative wellbeing, and gracious yet unobtrusive service. With 30 one-of-a-kind hotels, resorts, and residences, Auberge invites guests to create unforgettable stories in some of the world’s most desirable destinations.

For more information: auberge.com

Connect with Auberge Collection on Instagram , TikTok , Facebook , and LinkedIn @Auberge and #AlwaysAuberge

About Friedkin
Friedkin is a privately held family of global brands spanning automotive, entertainment, hospitality, investments, and sports.

Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company is led by Chief Executive Dan Friedkin, and united by a mission to build breakthrough brands that redefine the status quo.

The Friedkin portfolio includes Gulf States Toyota, 30WEST, Accelerated Solutions Group, AS Roma, Ascent Automotive Group, Auberge Collection, Congaree, Copilot Capital, Diamond Creek, Everton Football Club, GSFSGroup, Imperative Entertainment, Legendary Expeditions, NEON, Northside Lexus, Pursuit Sports, The Friedkin Group International, USAL and Westside Lexus.

For more information, please visit www.friedkin.com

Shinrin Yoku LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F/D/V. Shinrin Yoku LLC provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all team members and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Shinrin Yoku LLC complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.