Sous Chef

Empact Group; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Empact Group is seeking a qualified Sous Chef in South Africa to support the Executive Chef in planning and directing food preparation and creativity. You will train new staff, plan menus, and manage inventory in a fast-paced operation, ensuring day-to-day kitchen leadership and quality.

The role requires Matric, a professional cookery or hospitality qualification, and 3-5 years of Sous Chef experience. You will oversee a kitchen brigade and uphold health, safety, and cost-control standards.

Qualifications

• Matric is essential.
• Relevant professional cookery/ hospitality qualification.
• 3-5 years proven experience as Sous Chef.

Responsibilities

• Directs food preparation in collaboration with the Executive Chef.
• Takes responsibility for more technical elements of cuisine.
• Provides quality plates and meals with design and taste.
• Ensures smooth running of the kitchen department.
• Develops menus with new or existing creations ensuring variety and quality.
• Produces timeous, high-quality food at optimal cost under hygienic conditions.
• Directs kitchen staff in meal preparation, plating and delivery.
• Manages kitchen staff rota and HR-related issues in absence of head chef.
• Monitors inventory and collaborates on supplier management and reports.
• Leads and motivates the kitchen team to maintain high standards.

Skills

Catering knowledge

SA regulations knowledge

Financial acumen

Health and Safety awareness

Education

Matric

Professional Cookery / Hospitality qualification

3-5 years Sous Chef experience

Job description

The Main Purpose of the job

The Sous Chef is primarily supporting and assisting the Executive Chef and collaborate in planning and directing food preparation and creativity. Additionally, the candidate will be responsible for planning menus, training new staff, and recording inventory within a fast-paced operation. The ideal candidate will be a qualified chef with the ability to manage day-to-day operations of the kitchen effectively.

Education and Experience required:

• Matric is essential
• Relevant Professional Cookery, tertiary qualification in Hospitality
  
• 3-5 years of proven experience as Sous Chef
• Comprehensive knowledge of the catering environment, from fine dining to restaurant dining and managing a kitchen brigade.
  

Knowledge, Skills and Competencies:

• Knowledge of the catering environment ranging from fine dining to restaurant dining
• Knowledge of South African and industry-specific law
• Strong financial acumen, proven budgetary and food control practices
• Knowledge of Health, Safety and Environment processes and procedure

Key Performance Areas:

Management of Food Preparation and Presentation:

• Directs food preparation in collaboration with the Executive Chef
• Taking responsibility for more technical elements of cuisine.
• Provides quality plates and meals, including in both design and taste
• Responsible for the smooth running of the entire kitchen department
• Developing unique and appropriate menus with new or existing creations ensuring a variety and quality of the servings
• Timeous production of quality food at optimal cost under hygienic conditions
• Assisting and directing kitchen staff in meal preparation, creation, plating and delivery
• Ensuring proper portion control is always managed
• Supervising all food preparation daily

Management of Kitchen:

• Supporting the executive chef in the general running of the kitchen.
• Managing the kitchen staff, including setting the rota, and handling disciplinary and HR issues in the absence of the head chef.
• Being the voice of the kitchen when communicating with servers
• Maintaining the kitchen and all surrounding areas in conditions that meet the company standards and health regulations
• Ensure kitchen equipment is maintained and functioning
• Ensure staff have required utensils
• Ensure all kitchen staff is wearing the correct uniform

Inventory and Costing Management:

• Identify ways to reduce spoilage of infrequently used items.
• Assists with menu planning, inventory, and management of supplies.
• Monitoring inventory and only purchasing supplies and food from approved suppliers together with office administrator and head chef
• Ensure stock levels are sufficient and new stock is ordered timeously following company procedure and providing relevant reports thereof.

Leadership:

• Assume the role as Executive Chef in his or her absence
• Ensure respectful communications with customers and suppliers when handling queries
• Ensure good relationships and teamwork is maintained with staff and provide assistance to resolve queries
• Ensure good relationships exist with suppliers, customers, intercompany departments and related parties
• Under supervision of Head Chef, lead a team of chefs in cooking and preparing meals, including checking food quality and overseeing cooking techniques.

Human Capital Management:

• Conduct bi-annual performance reviews with staff members under your supervision
• Ensure staff morale is maintained and improved over time
• Identify, support and raise staff training needs
• Execute staff disciplinary processes as per Company policy
• Determine required staff compliment per shift to meet the demands of the business together with the admin department.

Occupational Health and Safety:

• Responsible to enforce the Company’s OH&S policies and procedures daily
• Ensure staff is trained in all OH&S aspects and adhere to the requirements
• Identify risk areas to ensure all OH&S regulations are adhered to
• Completing food hygiene documents to comply with the law and writing environmental health reports when necessary.

Empact Group is committed to Employment Equity in line with legislation and will give first preference to candidates as per Equity requirements.

By applying for a role within Empact Group (Proprietary) Limited, all Personal Information that you provide to the Company will be held and/ or stored securely for the purpose of recruitment. Your Personal Information will be stored electronically in a database. Where appropriate, some information may be retained in hard copy. In either event, storage will be secure and audited regularly regarding the safety and security of the information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information.