Head Chef

Juneberry Ridge is looking for a highly-motivated head chef to bring our mission to the table. Our ideal candidate is passionate about food, committed to a farm-to-table dining approach, and energized by the opportunity to make Juneberry Ridge a culinary destination in the North Carolina Piedmont. Whether it’s our ready-to-eat meals or a farm-inspired lunch at the Five Stand, we want our customers and guests to have a farm-to-table experience that showcases the care that goes into growing the food on our sustainable and regenerative farm and to leave inspired by our mission.

The Juneberry Ridge kitchen prepares food for leisure guests of the farm as well as for corporate and special events that take place at Juneberry Ridge. The kitchen also prepares ready-to-eat meals that are sold at local stores in the area. The head chef is in charge of managing the cost, production and labor for these offerings.

Interested candidates should be self-starters with the ambition to take our culinary offerings to the next level. Applicants should be passionate about cooking delicious and beautiful food and committed to a farm-to-table philosophy. Creative thinking, an entrepreneurial mindset, and the ability to work collaboratively with our growers and other team members is a must for this position.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Create seasonally-inspired menus that highlight what is being grown on the farm while also working with the Juneberry Ridge sales team to make sure these menus provide maximum value and appeal to clients.
• Organize and prepare food for a variety of situations, including, but not limited to, catered corporate and special events on the farm, meals for leisure guests, and prepared food offerings.
• Ensure superior quality, consistency and presentation of food served for all events.
• Weekly (if not daily) collaborate with our Head Grower re: what’s available/what and how much to harvest; liaison to support the week’s menu; and to pro-actively plan varieties and quantities for the next season.
• Grow Juneberry Ridge’s culinary operations in terms of ready-to-eat meals, catered events, and the independent guest experience.
• Streamline and standardize recipes and procedures to ensure consistent Juneberry Ridge quality; create and maintain a recipe book with photographs, detailed recipes, and scaling information.
• Think creatively about ways to expand the Juneberry Ridge customer base and bring people to the farm (e.g., farm-to-table dinners for the public, cooking classes, and prepared foods/CSA boxes).
• Supervise, train, and motivate the Juneberry Ridge culinary team; oversee staffing, scheduling and timesheets for team members.
• Manage food costs and labor in a fiscally responsible manner; handle ordering and maintain inventory.
• Maintain a clean and sanitary kitchen per Stanly County Environmental Health Department requirements (minimum sanitation score to be no less than 95)
• Work closely with operational leaders to set strategic goals and measure, analyze and report on revenues, productivity, and other key metrics to optimize and achieve success.
• Responsible for creating and/or managing within a budget, including business enterprise planning, capital expenditure planning and program development.

A Typical Day:

• Utilizing appropriate staffing model, personally create and directly execute prep lists for the successful completion of banquet events, private dinners, in-cabin dining experiences and RTE program orders.
• Coordinate with farm team on utilization of farm product that is being harvested and create plans for future harvests, I.e., pickling, curing, butcher and Cryovac, selling to general public, etc. Create compelling farm boxes with both curated meals and general “farm abundance baskets”, while creating menus to cross utilize our products in a meaningful and cost-effective manner.
• Experiment, refine, hone and perfect recipes of JBR dishes and products, documenting, printing, costing, photographing, and teaching the team proper execution. This includes but is not limited to shelf-stable products for resale, baked goods, Juneberry signature dishes for farm dinners, weddings, events, in cabin room delivery, and RTE.

Qualifications and Education Requirements:

• At least five years of relevant culinary (hotel/restaurant/catering) experience
• Experienced at leading a culinary team as well as experience with handling the financial responsibility of food and labor costing in regard to running a kitchen.
• Possess a passion for freshly grown food and experience in crafting custom menus that highlight those ingredients.
• The ability to communicate and work collaboratively with colleagues and guests to create an exceptional experience for all.
• Applicants should have knowledge of food safety, sanitation and food preparation techniques as well as hold an up-to-date ServSafe® Certification.
• Able to work flexible hours and days, including weekends and holidays.
• Integrity, credibility, and an unwavering commitment to our Mission, Vision, and Values
• Must pass background check.

Core Values at Juneberry Ridge:

• Be Joyful
• Integrity
• Pioneering
• Accountability in All We Do
• Learn, Educate, and Share
• Willful and Enthusiastic Stewardship
• Teamwork

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Shift:

• Day shift
• Evening shift
• Morning shift

Weekly day range:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Work Location: In person