Job Description

The Deputy Head Chef will oversee all culinary production, ensuring food quality, safety, efficiency, and innovation while managing a team of chefs and kitchen staff. This role demands strategic planning, operational excellence, and culinary leadership to meet the diverse demands of internal outlets and external event catering.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Central Kitchen Production:

Lead daily operations of the central kitchen, ensuring efficient, high-volume production of core items (e.g., marinated meats, sauces, gravies, dressings). Develop, standardize, and continuously improve production recipes and processes to ensure consistency and quality across all outlets. Coordinate with outlet chefs to fulfil special menu requests and seasonal offerings. Monitor inventory levels and coordinate with procurement for timely sourcing of ingredients.

2. Catering Event Menu Design & Planning

Work closely with clients, sales teams, and event coordinators to design customized menus aligned with the theme, dietary needs, and budget of each event. Develop seasonal, themed, and signature catering menus that reflect current food trends and client preferences. Conduct tasting sessions for clients and stakeholders as part of the menu approval process.

3. Event Execution & Quality Control

Lead culinary preparation for all catering events, ensuring food quality, presentation, and timing meet high standards. Personally oversee food plating, buffet setups, and live cooking stations to ensure visual appeal and customer satisfaction.

4. Staffing & Coordination

Plan staffing for each event, assign roles, and conduct pre-event briefings to ensure clarity on responsibilities and timelines. Manage temporary, outsourced, or part-time kitchen teams as needed for larger events. Coordinate with service teams (F&B, logistics, decorators) to ensure smooth flow of operations during the event.

5. Resource Management

Oversee the preparation, packing, and transportation of food and equipment from the central kitchen to event venues. Ensure proper storage and handling of food during transport, maintaining hygiene and temperature control standards. Prepare and maintain checklists for event readiness, including kitchen equipment, utensils, serving ware, and ingredients.

6. Cost Management & Reporting

Ensure all catering events are executed within allocated budgets and resource plans. Monitor food and labor costs per event and analyze profitability and efficiency. Submit post-event reports outlining successes, challenges, and recommendations for improvement.

7. Team Leadership & Operations:

Lead, train, and mentor central kitchen staff including sous chefs, line cooks, and kitchen assistants. Implement and enforce food safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards (e.g., HACCP, ISO 22000). Maintain kitchen equipment and workspaces to meet operational and safety requirements. Track kitchen KPIs and contribute to operational reporting and budgeting.

Requirements:

Diploma/Degree in Culinary Arts or equivalent, with at least 3 to 5years of progressive culinary experience, including leading large-scale kitchen and catering operations. Proven ability to lead, train, and motivate diverse kitchen teams (permanent and part-time), while fostering a culture of quality, safety, and efficiency. Strong track record in menu planning, recipe standardization, and creating innovative dishes aligned with market trends, dietary needs, and client requirements. Skilled in kitchen operations management, cost control, inventory planning, and delivering events within budget while maintaining high quality standards. * In-depth understanding of food safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards (e.g., HACCP, ISO 22000), with experience implementing and maintaining compliance in high-volume production.