Head Cooks primary responsibilities are ensuring that all kitchen quality standards are always complied with, supporting the recruitment, training and development of all kitchen crew, supporting the General Manager with P&L results including but not limited to COGS, Labour and Operating Expenses and ensuring all food safety and cleaning policies and procedures are followed at all times.  They may also support kitchen training across multiple restaurants and work on kitchen projects with the head office culinary

team.

Responsibilities        

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Management:

• Actively engages and motivates team on shift to achieve specific shift and restaurant targets and always demonstrate effective leadership.
• Supports the General Manager to manage inventory and maintain stock at sufficient levels to ensure all products are always available to customers.
• Effectively manages Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and Cost of Labour (COL) on shift and supports the General Manager to deliver P&L results to budget.
• Supervise the use and maintenance of GYG equipment to minimize repair needs and extend the usable life of the equipment.
• Support the General Manager to accurately and promptly complete weekly inventory procedures and end of week reports.
• Monitor stock deliveries to ensure they are in line with orders and invoices (e.g. weights, case counts, quality and yields), informing General Manager of exceptions.
• Always maintain a clean and organized restaurant (front of house and back of house).
• Ensure the correct use and maintenance of all equipment in accordance with GYG requirements and the manufacturer’s guidelines.
• Adhere to all legal requirements including but not limited to responsible service of alcohol, food safety supervisor and first aid.
• Ensure all team members are appropriately trained, as per the relevant position training plan, and have all the tools they need to complete their roles effectively.  Provide ongoing, constructive feedback to team members and always hold them accountable to company standards.
•  Develops crew, through leading by example, sharing skills and effective coaching.
•  Communicate clearly and effectively with the restaurant team and other GYG staff.
•  Actively participates as a team player by working with others to achieve common restaurant goals and team activities. Noticing, measuring and documenting for
• investigation any yield variances that occur with produce and food product.

Kitchen:

• Perform procedural tasks to prepare and cook menu items in accordance with GYG Recipe Guide and procedures

• Always ensure 100% food quality.

• Complete daily checklists to facilitate correct and prompt opening, shift change and closing of the kitchen.

• Complete all other checklists/reports (such as cleaning, wastage sheet) as required.

• Operate, Clean and maintain kitchen equipment including grill, stove, fryer, oven, rice cookers and veggie slicer in line with correct procedures

• Efficient and effective management of line food levels to maintain ongoing service delivery.

• Track, reconcile and report that all received orders (i.e. quantities, weights, case counts, prices and volumes) are as ordered and invoiced, report discrepancies to the restaurant management.

• Maintain a complete knowledge of menu items and processes, basic ingredients and food procedures to provide information to customers and crew as required.

• Assist with the development of crew in kitchen skills through skill sharing, regular coaching and constructive feedback

Prep:

• Complete the daily preparation of ingredients and menu items as outlined in the Prep Lists. Updates Prep lists as required to ensure they are adequate for current volume.

• Label all products correctly with time and date and rotates products to ensure FIFO at all times.

• Communicate with the GM regarding prep list quantities and increase or decreases required

Line:

• Perform procedural tasks to assemble menu items in accordance with GYG Recipe Guide and procedures including correct portioning, burrito rolling, ‘tossing the food’ and menu item presentation.

• Monitors product levels throughout the shift and communicates effectively with Cooks to maintain product levels on the line.

• Has a clear understanding of pre-shift, peak hours, shift change, non-peak hours and pre-close procedures for line and executes them well on shift.

• Operate line and kitchen equipment including presses, fryer, salamander, grill, steamer, veggie slicer and rice cooker.

Fries:

• Ensure that fries are stored in the freezer immediately on arrival to the restaurant and placed in the fryer directly from the freezer to avoid thawing.

• Follow all procedures to cook and season fried correctly.

• Ensure that holding times are always followed to maintain fries’ quality.

• Follow batch cooking procedures in busy periods to ensure adequate fries are always available.

Food Safety & Cleanliness:

• Manages all areas of Workplace Health and Safety on shift to ensure compliance requirements are met and supports the General Manager to deliver this consistently on every shift.

• Comply with all Workplace Health and Safety procedures and practices in accordance with GYG requirements and policies.

• Support the General Manager to ensure WH&S reviews are completed in a timely manner and actions plans are completed promptly according to GYG guidelines.

• Corrective actions taken for all reported injuries, incidents and near misses on shift as they occur and incidents closed promptly in accordance with GYG requirements.

• Corrective actions for all identified and reported workplace hazards on shift including unsafe work practices and emergency procedures. Issues escalated promptly where required.

• Comply with all Food Safety procedures and practices in accordance with GYG requirements and policies.

• Ensures completion of all daily, weekly & monthly cleaning tasks. Maintains the restaurant in a clean and sanitary manner at all times, including sanitizing surfaces to required standards.

• Serves products that comply with all GYG’s food safety requirements.

• Food Safety Checklist is accurately completed at all times on shift, supports the General Manager to ensure this is completed at all times.

• Wears the correct, well maintained and clean uniform at all times, and ensures all crew attend work in the correct uniform.

All positions in GYG are responsible for:

• Behaving consistently with the brand, culture and brand values

• Complying with all WHS procedures and practices to ensure a safe workplace

• Adhering to Company policies, procedures, and directives regarding standards of workplace behavior in completing job duties and assignments and quantity and quality of work performed and ensuring that all their team do the same.

Essential Requirements & Behaviors

• Prior kitchen experience & qualifications
• Proven experience in a kitchen/cooking role
• Certificate in commercial cookery or equivalent experience
• Completed (or willingness to undertake) Food Safety Supervisor course
• Completed (or willingness to undertake) Basset course.
• Completed (or willingness to undertake) First Aid course.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Good command of spoken and written English
• Interpersonal and people management skills
• Personable and approachable disposition
• Commercial cooking & Food safety
• Possess a good understanding of food safety concepts
• Ability to understand, interpret and explain key kitchen financial performance indicators including food costs, labor costs, and wastage
• Computer & Technology skills
• Computer literate in the use of Microsoft Word and Excel