Senior Sous Chef | La Residence

The Royal Portfolio; Franschhoek; On-site; ZAR 420,000 - 540,000; Full time

Job summary

La Residence in Franschhoek, South Africa, is seeking a Senior Sous Chef to oversee our fine dining kitchen, reporting to the Executive Chef and leading the team to maintain exceptional standards and guest experience.

You will manage daily operations, menu development, staff rostering, and ensure cost control, hygiene, and adherence to our luxury hospitality principles in a busy 5-star hotel environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2+ years in a Senior Sous or Sous Chef role in a 5★ hotel or leading restaurant.
• Creative cooking skills aligned with international trends.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to multitask with good time management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily kitchen operations with the Executive Chef and fellow Sous Chefs.
• Create high quality dishes within budgets and minimize waste.
• Lead kitchen growth and develop daily menus with proactivity.
• Coordinate with guests on dietary requirements and issues.
• Roster staff and ensure sufficient staffing for daily bookings.
• Hold daily team meetings to align on guest expectations.
• Supervise junior staff and maintain high standard of food items.
• Conduct disciplinary procedures as needed and monitor discipline.
• Monitor orders, sourcing, and stock; conduct monthly stock take.
• Maintain kitchen hygiene, upkeep of equipment, and safety standards.

Skills

Senior Sous Chef

5★ hotel experience

Menu development

Team leadership

Education

Hospitality Diploma / City & Guilds / BTEC HND / Foundation Degree

Job description

La Residence is looking for a Senior Sous Chef to join the team with a particular focus on our fine dining experience in the main hotel. This is a senior position in our busy hotel kitchen, helping to oversee standards, operations and staff management all while ensuring we deliver the very best fine dining experience to our guests, so that we can ensure we exceed our company purpose which is "to give our guests a complete experience and a perfect stay".

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Working closely with the Executive Chef and other Sous Chefs to complete daily tasks and kitchen operations.
• Creating the best possible food within our budgets and ensuring that supplies are used carefully, and waste is kept to a minimum.
• To be pro-active and passionate about the future growth of the kitchen and to create beautiful dishes for our daily menus.
• Work with the daily dietary requirements of our guests.
• Liaise with guests, follow up on and resolve complaints.
• Assisting with rostering staff and checking that all areas are sufficiently staffed as per daily booking updates.
• Daily meetings with the entire team to ensure the expectations of our guests are met.
• Closely supervising junior staff on daily food production, maintaining high standards and ensuring that all standard menu items are in place.
• Conducting disciplinary procedures with staff that are not performing.
• Daily checking of all ordering needs for supplies and fresh produce.
• Meeting with suppliers from time to time to make sure that all produce and supplies are on par with our menu needs.
• Research and find unique produce that can be used daily on our menus that will set us apart
• Monthly stock take.
• Upkeep of high standards in kitchen hygiene.
• Upkeep, maintenance, and storage of equipment to ensure the longevity of these items.
• Ensure that you follow and lead by example according to our Purpose and Values

REQUIREMENTS, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPECTATIONS

• Must have at least 2+ years’ experience in a Senior Sous or Sous Chef position in a 5* Hotel or a leading restaurant
• Qualification: The 14-19 Hospitality & Catering Diploma or City & Guilds Diplomas in Professional Cookery or BTEC HND in Professional Cookery or a Foundation Degree in Culinary Arts
• Creative cooking skills in line with international trends/ best practice
• Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to multitask with good time-management
• Proven job reliability, diligence, dedication and attention to detail
• Must be flexible with working nights, weekends, and holidays

It is important that the candidate is able to work as part of a team and is a good cultural fit for The Royal Portfolio. South African citizenship is advantageous. A valid work permit is essential if you are not in possession of a South African ID document. Please note it is a condition of employment, that all staff undergo a pre-employment polygraph test.