Executive Chef Required - Nigeria (Lagos)

Newrest Catering Ltd; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading catering company in Johannesburg is seeking a culinary professional responsible for menu development, recipe compliance, and quality control. The role involves ensuring high culinary standards, conducting training for kitchen staff, and liaising with procurement for high-cost items. The ideal candidate will possess strong skills in culinary training and will actively support food audits and cost reduction initiatives. This position emphasizes attention to detail and food presentation in a dynamic kitchen environment.

Qualifications

• Experience with menu development and recipe deployment.
• Proven track record in quality control within a culinary environment.
• Ability to conduct training and knowledge transfer.

Responsibilities

• Develop menus and recipes for client presentations.
• Conduct training for kitchen teams on cycle changes.
• Perform quality checks for food preparation and presentation.
• Collaborate with Production Managers for efficient planning.

Skills

Menu Development

Quality Control

Recipe Compliance

Culinary Training

Procurement Coordination

Job description

Commercial activities

Develop menu and recipes for presentation through the completion of the initial grids for proposal.

Providing menus recommendations inline with client's or commercial requests when needed while always considering the current production plan for optimisation.

Create recipes and check the correct deployment into Winrest system.

Review of new recipes prior costing into Winrest system by the costing team.

In charge of the clients' food sampling process with the support of the Units Executive Chefs based on commercial requirements.

Address gustative complaints with the support of the Units Executive Chefs (meat over cooked, missing or wrong item, etc...).

Lead the menu presentation process

Cycle change preparation

Review cycle change specifications (datasheet or menu grid when the latter not available).

Attend the cycle change meeting while having received the grids min 2 weeks prior that meeting.

Adjust products with supply chain based on availability and other elements.

Carry out training of hot and cold kitchen to the team on critical elements of the cycles and dry run when required.

Quality control and culinary excellence

Carry out quality checks as per Chef table process as well as internally through the tasting station.

Address and correct any deviation observed.

Develop any other additional control method to ensure the high quality of the meals.

Represent the culinary lead in terms of taste, plating and specification compliance.

Check constantly the recipes compliance in Winrest (correct ingredient used, correct pictures...) and contact the Costing Manager for correction when needed.

Procurement related :

Address any quality / specification with the National purchasing manager.

Sign off product specification for the Procurement team, especially on high cost and high yield items.

General

Support other countries within Newrest network when required.

Work closely with Production Managers in implementing and maintaining a Production Plan, completing projects, training the team of the hot and cold kitchens, etc..

Ensure that the utmost care is taken during preparation of food, considering, taste, quality, garnishing, attention to detail and presentation.

Work closely with the Training Officer to determine the training needs of the staff.

Develop training material and conduct on the job training.

Have a significant input in food cost reduction and wastages.

Support actively food audits preparation and completion.

Participate to the cooks' skills assessment prior recruitment.