Drake Devonshire Executive Chef

WORK WITH DRAKE DEVONSHIRE

EXECUTIVE CHEF

When your industry is hospitality, the people are key.

This exciting role provides a unique opportunity for an experienced culinary professional and inspiring leader who is looking to advance in an established, world-class seasonal resort property. We are seeking a passionate chef with a sincere interest in community building and current food movements to help further develop our place within the rich food and beverage landscape of Prince Edward County.

About the position:

The position of Executive Chef, Drake Devonshire Inn requires a combination of skills and experience, including operational excellence in a high-volume business, a desire for continuous culinary innovation, and exemplary leadership and collaboration skills in a multi-unit environment. This position requires natural mentorship and team-building skills given the seasonality and varying business volumes of the property. As such, motivating and retaining staff and training them to execute at a high standard is a critical deliverable for this role. Of equal importance, this individual will be responsible for effective cost management in the back of the house and achieving revenue growth in support of the business and General Manager’s goals. This position will report directly to the General Manager.

About you:

The ideal candidate will bring management experience from a similar environment as well a strong culinary background alongside skills in team management, operations, and safety and compliance. The incumbent will take a lead role in staff development and recruiting while also creating clear portfolios for the Chef de Cuisine and Sous Chef team members to build a strong kitchen culture that attracts and retains exceptional talent

Requirements

5+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience
3+ years as a Head Chef/Chef de Cuisine or equivalent level role, leading a large kitchen team
Experience in high volume operations
Catering or hotel banquet and special event experience

RESPONSIBILITIES

The ideal candidate will act as part of a small, interdependent management team that includes: Hotel, FOH, Culinary, Special Events, Facilities, Human Resources, and Corporate Service departments of Drake Hotel Properties.

BUSINESS + FINANCIAL LEADERSHIP

Responsible for both the P+L and the leadership of the property operations with an understanding of the peaks and valleys of a seasonal property
Develop, achieve and maintain appropriate and budgeted staffing levels and labour costs through effective hiring, training and scheduling of staff
Create and manage goals and specific sets of responsibilities for BOH managers
Disseminate financial information and keep the BOH staff informed on budgets and targets that affect the total bottom line as well as incentivized bonuses
Develop annual budgets, inclusive of business planning, for food sales and kitchen labour while working closely with corporate culinary leadership and general management

FOOD STRATEGY

Balance strong revenue growth and culinary innovation by planning and developing the Devonshire’s food identity and place within the market, both at a local and national scale
Manage all menus within the framework of the Drake brand, connecting the menu with both local and Drake suppliers
Work with Drake Executive team to develop innovative and bold new menus
Responsible for 3 seasonal menus (Fall/Winter, Spring and Summer):
- Menus to highlight local PEC farms
Menus to be developed in collaboration with other Drake chefs to ensure the best use of the Drake Commissary’s production kitchen
Successfully manage seasonal volumes and maintain menu integrity through the development of two menus for summer 2021:
- Patio/beachside (food truck) menu: casual and designed for quick service
- Dining Room menu: more elevated and formal
Achieve and maintain budgeted food cost allowances through responsible sourcing, menu engineering/creation and procurement

LEADERSHIP AND CULINARY TEAM DEVELOPMENT

Mentor, supervise and evaluate staff to ensure employee performance guidelines are met
Work closely and collaboratively with all departments, on-site as well as corporate services
Close collaboration with the Sr. F&B Manager to provide synergy with the FOH and BOH teams
Develop retention strategies for seasonal staff
Develop and institute a training program that touches on health and safety procedures, opening and closing duties, food safety and kitchen basics
Liaise with local culinary community, college programs and industry networks
Represent the property and DHP on a continual basis at related industry events and promotional opportunities
Be a very hands-on leader of the Devonshire kitchen. Leading by example on the line, mentoring and training your team as well as being present and engaged with guests.

What We Offer
We pride ourselves in providing strong leadership + development opportunities for passionate hospitality professionals looking to build rewarding, long-term careers. The Drake offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, employee discounts, training + development support and many other unique perks as a part of joining The Drake team.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your resume and cover letter by EMAIL ONLY to jobs@thedrake.ca and please list “DRAKE DEVONSHIRE EXECUTIVE CHEF” in your subject line.

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