District Winery-Sous Chef

The First Batch wineries create magic for our guests everyday, whether that’s bringing a dream wedding to life, creating a new delicious food dish from our wine, or letting people discover a new passion on one of our winery tours. We do this while maintaining an approachable, warm, inclusive, down-to-earth attitude that reflects our passion to bring traditional winemaking into urban centers so people don’t feel they have to travel to experience the magic of winemaking.

We are searching for team members who are committed to working as hospitality professionals. People who deeply care about creating a friendly, warm experience for our guests. People who live and breathe passion for food, wine and events. People that love to learn, share, and tell others about their stories and adventures.

Position Summary

A Sous Chef at First Batch will be responsible for the hiring, training and development of the chef management team. They will supervise and actively participate in all the food production areas of the venue including the tasting room, winery, off site catering, with a particular emphasis on event spaces. All tasks will be performed to the defined standards of FB in order to maintain high standards of quality in terms of food produced and management / direction provided to our teams. This position reports to the Chef de Cuisine and Executive Chef.

Core Responsibilities:

Client Journey & Guest Experience

Communicate effectively with FOH teams to ensure all staff has the knowledge necessary to execute menus and ensure guest satisfaction
Ability to interact with guests in dining room, at events, building menus with brides and grooms, etc

Operational Excellence

Identify opportunities within the culinary department to make the department and venue better
Approves requisitions for supplies and food items for production on workstation
Monitor receiving, storage, and rotation of food products to comply with Health Department regulations, including coverage, labeling, dating and placing items in proper containers to ensure products freshness.
Visually inspects, selects and uses only the freshest fruits, vegetables, meats, fish and other food products of the highest standard in the preparation of all menu items.
Order appropriately for restaurant kitchen operations to minimize waste and ensure product quality and availability
Oversees completion of all menu specifications, recipes, production forecasts, and ensures they are being followed
Oversees the winery culinary spaces in totality to ensure cleanliness and organization exceeding guidelines dictated by local government regulations
Thorough knowledge of hot and cold food preparation and presentation

Leadership & Collaboration

Work with Executive Chef and Chef de Cuisine to develop and execute seasonal menus
Trains culinary teams and FOH into inspiration and motivation behind menus and food philosophy
Responsible for evaluating and directing staff performance to provide guidance and discipline as necessary
Manages stewards at their disposal to ensure proper support of culinary operations
Participate in daily pre-service meetings to communicate kitchen workings and inspire staff
Willingness to participate in at least two community outreach or charity events a year

Financial Performance

Proficient in forecasting sales and labor in order to make adjustments in real time
Builds templates for daily orders for produce, meats, seafoods, dry goods, and supporting goods
Maintain reasonable labor and food costs for the restaurant based on Vice President of Operations instruction
Responsible for monitoring and responding to comp set as defined by Vice President of Operations
Understands and analyze food and labor cost, top line sales, operating costs in order to manage PN&L effectively

Role Requirements:

At least 3 years of related progressive supervisory / management experience; or a culinary graduate with at least 3 years of progressive experience in a hotel or a related field with some banquet / event experience. Some formal technical training relative to this position is required
Sufficient manual dexterity in order to use all kitchen small wares i.e. knives, spoons, spatulas, tongs, slicers, etc.
Extensive skill in usage of all kitchen equipment including slicers, mixers, grinders, food processors, etc.
Kitchen Spanish is a plus but not required
Ability to monitor and respond to social media and PR. ie open table, Yelp, trip advisor
Ability to travel to other wineries, do off site dinners, promote wineries at offsite locations
Ability to expedite a la carte services up to 350 covers
Ability to communicate in multiple languages preferred but not required
Must be proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace suites including Excel, Word, Sheets, Docs, Drive
Knowledge of accepted sanitation standards and Health codes required
Flexible schedule with all nights and weekends available

Physical Requirements:

Regularly required to reach, carry, push, pull and lift up to 50 pounds.
Must be able to walk/and or stand for 8-10 hours per day
Must be able to climb stairs in the venue
Able to independently lift up to 50lbs for an extended period of time
Must be able to walk and/or stand for 8-10 hours per day
Hand-eye coordination
Reaching, bending twisting, stooping
Pushing and Pulling
Lifting overhead
Must be able to climb stairs in venue that have multiple levels

Compensation:

$68,000k-$75,000k annually plus bonus

Benefits and Perks:

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
15 Days of Paid Time Off
7 days of Sick & Safe Leave
3 Floating Holidays
Food and Wine Discounts at District, Brooklyn, and Chicago Winery

The above requirements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

First Batch provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

District Winery

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