Banquet Chef

Job Description

The Union Club of British Columbia is seeking an experienced Banquet Chef to join its culinary team in Victoria, British Columbia.

Reporting to the Executive Chef and Executive Sous Chef, the Banquet Chef plans and directs food preparation and cooking activities for banquets, weddings, receptions, business functions, member events, holiday celebrations and other special events.

This is a hands-on culinary position combining direct food preparation and cooking with responsibility for coordinating banquet production, supervising and training culinary employees, maintaining food-quality standards and contributing to menu and recipe development.

Duties

1. Plan, organize and coordinate food preparation and cooking for banquets, weddings, receptions, business functions, member events and other special occasions.
2. Review Banquet Event Orders, menus and event requirements and prepare production plans, preparation lists, timelines and culinary staff assignments.
3. Supervise and coordinate cooks and other culinary employees assigned to banquet preparation and service.
4. Prepare and cook complete meals and specialty foods, including direct participation in plating, garnishing and presentation.
5. Train and instruct culinary employees in food preparation, cooking techniques, portioning, plating, garnishing and safe kitchen procedures.
6. Coordinate production and service timing with culinary and banquet service teams to ensure courses are delivered according to event requirements.
7. Monitor food preparation and finished dishes for taste, quality, presentation, portion size, temperature and consistency.
8. Work with the Executive Chef and Executive Sous Chef to develop and refine banquet, seasonal, holiday and special-event menus.
9. Assist in developing, testing and standardizing recipes and preparation methods for banquet operations.
10. Estimate food, ingredient and supply requirements and requisition items needed for scheduled functions.
11. Monitor production quantities, ingredient usage, portion control and food waste.
12. Assist with receiving, storage, stock rotation and inventory control of food and kitchen supplies.
13. Coordinate dietary requirements, allergen precautions and special requests with culinary management and event service teams.
14. Ensure food is properly labelled, dated, stored, cooled, reheated and handled according to applicable food-safety requirements and established kitchen procedures.
15. Maintain a clean, sanitary, organized and safe work environment and ensure assigned culinary employees follow sanitation and workplace-safety procedures.
16. Respond to production and service issues and report equipment, maintenance, product-quality and safety concerns to culinary management.

Employment Requirements

1. Completion of secondary school.
2. Minimum three years of professional culinary experience in banquet, catering, hotel, private club, restaurant, resort or comparable food service operations.
3. Cook’s trade certification or an equivalent combination of relevant culinary credentials, training and professional experience.
4. Experience preparing and cooking complete meals and specialty foods for banquet, catering, restaurant or special-event service.
5. Experience supervising, coordinating or providing direction to cooks or other culinary employees.
6. Knowledge of professional cooking methods, plating, presentation, portion control and kitchen organization.
7. Ability to plan and coordinate food production for multiple functions and varying event sizes.
8. Ability to interpret menus, recipes, Banquet Event Orders, production schedules and event instructions.
9. Ability to train and instruct cooks in food preparation, cooking, plating and presentation.
10. Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, food storage, temperature control, allergen management and cross-contamination prevention.
11. FOODSAFE certification or equivalent food-safety certification is required or must be obtained before commencing employment.
12. Red Seal certification is an asset.
13. Strong organizational, communication and time-management skills.
14. Ability to manage competing production priorities during busy banquet and event service.
15. Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays and variable shifts according to event and operational requirements.

Benefits

Health, dental, vision and extended healthcare benefits, including acupuncture, massage and chiropractic services, together with long-term disability coverage, as outlined in the employee healthcare handbook.

How to Apply

Telephone: 250-384-1151