About the position
As the Banquet Sous Chef at Fairmont Breakers, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that every dining experience is memorable and exceptional. Your expertise in recipe development will elevate our menus, while your leadership will inspire and nurture our culinary talent. You will manage all aspects of the Banquet kitchen operations, overseeing personnel and ensuring that the kitchen runs smoothly and efficiently. Your responsibilities will include reviewing daily activities, establishing priorities, and assigning tasks to staff to ensure that all preparations are executed flawlessly. You will also be responsible for resolving guest complaints and ensuring overall guest satisfaction. In this role, you will assist in executing all tasks in the Banquet kitchen, ensuring that each work area is stocked with the necessary tools, supplies, and equipment to meet business demands. You will maintain current recipe cards, production schedules, and plating guides, and attend various meetings to stay informed about upcoming events and changes. Your leadership will extend to creating schedules, managing the Colleague Dining Room, and preparing meals for staff. You will also oversee the purchasing process, ensuring that supplies are received and stored correctly, and that quality standards are met. Monitoring staff performance and ensuring adherence to health and safety regulations will be key components of your role. You will conduct regular walk-throughs of the kitchen areas, inspect cleanliness, and instruct staff on proper machinery usage. Additionally, you will develop new menu items, assist with special catering menus, and minimize waste to maintain food and labor cost controls. Your ability to foster a cooperative working environment will be essential in maximizing productivity and morale among colleagues. You will also be responsible for conducting performance reviews, documenting important information, and planning departmental meetings. Overall, your leadership and culinary skills will be crucial in maintaining the high standards of Fairmont Breakers' dining experiences.
Responsibilities
- Manage all aspects and day-to-day operations of the Banquet kitchen areas and personnel.
- Review daily activities and establish the day's priorities.
- Assign production and prep tasks to staff to execute.
- Resolve guest complaints, ensuring guest satisfaction.
- Assist in executing all tasks in the Banquet kitchen.
- Ensure that each kitchen work area is stocked with specified tools, supplies, and equipment.
- Ensure that recipe cards, production schedules, plating guides, and photographs are current and posted.
- Attend F&B meetings, pre-convention meetings, and Banquet Event Order (B.E.O.) review meetings.
- Review Banquet Event Order sheets and make note of any changes; post function sheets for the next 7 days.
- Create schedules, assignments, and other information pertinent to job performance.
- Meet with the Executive Steward to review equipment needs and health/safety sanitation follow-up.
- Manage the Colleague Dining Room including creating the monthly and weekly menus.
- Prepare daily meals for the Colleague Dining Room.
- Review the purchase order list and requisition supplies, ensuring they are received and stored correctly.
- Ensure that colleagues report to work as scheduled and document any late or absent employees.
- Coordinate breaks for staff and check that all opening duties are completed to standard.
- Ensure that all colleagues prepare items following recipes and yield guides according to department standards.
- Monitor performance of staff and ensure all procedures are completed to department standards; rectify deficiencies with respective personnel.
- Conduct frequent walk-throughs of each kitchen area and direct personnel to correct deficiencies.
- Inspect the cleanliness of the line, floor, and all kitchen stations; direct staff to rectify deficiencies.
- Ensure that colleagues maintain and strictly abide by State sanitation/Health regulations and Hotel requirements.
- Maintain proper storage procedures as specified by Health Department and Hotel requirements.
- Instruct staff in the correct usage and care of all machinery in the kitchen operation, stressing safety.
- Conduct internal audits for sanitation.
- Develop new menu items, test, and write recipes.
- Assist Catering Department with developing special menus for functions; meet with clients as requested.
- Minimize waste and maintain controls to attain forecasted food and labor costs.
- Monitor and ensure that all closing duties are completed to standard before staff clocks out.
- Foster and promote a cooperative working climate, maximizing productivity and colleague morale.
- Provide feedback to staff on their performance; handle disciplinary problems and counsel colleagues according to Hotel standards.
- Conduct performance reviews in a timely basis.
- Document pertinent information in the logbook and follow up on items notated during other shifts.
- Plan and conduct monthly departmental meetings and safety huddles.
- Be familiar with procedures for attending to injured or ill guests or colleagues.
- Research new local suppliers and special markets.
- Perform at special events and off-premise functions.
- Schedule and conduct month-end inventories.
- Take physical inventory of specified food items for daily inventory and ordering.
- Prepare menu analysis and recipe costing.
- Be aware of any shortages and make arrangements before the item runs out.
- Conduct scheduled performance appraisals.
- Prepare weekly work schedules for all kitchen personnel in accordance with staffing guidelines and forecasted labor costs, adjusting schedules throughout the week to meet business demands.
- Maintain complete records on Attendance Calendars of attendance and any performance/disciplinary conversations with staff.
- Interview and hire new personnel according to Hotel policies and standards.
- Prepare daily/weekly payroll reports, monitor timesheets, approve bi-weekly payroll, and approve time off.
Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent vocational training certificate.
- Experience in a similar position at a full-service Hotel or Restaurant.
- Culinary college degree or apprenticeship required.
- Previous experience in Banquets at minimum in a supervisory role required.
- Ability to understand and communicate effectively with all team members required.
- Fluency in English, both verbal and non-verbal; fluency in Spanish is an asset.
- Ability to input and access information in property management systems/computers/point of sales systems.
- Experience in guest communication.
- Ability to create menus and specials across multiple different venues.
- Ability to compute basic arithmetic.
- Knowledge of food cost controls.
- Experience with various food products and ingredients.
- Ability to plan and develop menus and recipes, expand and condense recipes.
- Experience in Birchstreet, Dayforce, Watson/Unifocus & Microsoft Office preferred.
Nice-to-haves
- Ability to communicate in Spanish is an asset.
- Experience in Birchstreet, Dayforce, Watson/Unifocus & Microsoft Office preferred.
Benefits
- Salary Range: USD $70,000 to $78,000
- Discounted hotel rooms and food & beverage rates at sister properties around the globe.
- Learning programs through our Academies to promote growth and development.
- Opportunity to develop talent and grow within the property and across the world!
- Ability to make a difference through Corporate Social Responsibility activities, like Planet 21 and WATCH.
