Job description – Sous Chef

Tasteful Affairs Catering, incorporated in 1990 and in business since 1982, is a premier catering company in DC Metro region. A small but mighty force, TAC provides personalized service, fresh ingredients, and food prepared with thoughtfulness and care for our treasured clientele.

Tasteful Affairs has built its business solely by word of mouth, which is a demonstration of how happy we truly make our clients. We are seeking a new Sous Chef to join the team at the heart of the company – the kitchen.

The Sous chef will be a versatile, go-getting, creative culinary artist. They will be able to tackle our tried-and-true recipes and are also encouraged to bring their own sensibilities and innovations to the kitchen. We support an environment of growth and individuality.

Our new employee and co-worker will have a passion for food, for self-improvement, and ideally banquet experience.

The Sous Chef will have the following responsibilities:

Execute menus in conjunction with other staff based on Chef Linda’s requirements / direction.
Review menus for upcoming events and create a shopping list to present to Chef Linda prior to purchasing product. Also, shop for product at area cultural grocery stores, Restaurant Depot and Costco using a company vehicle.
Act as onsite party chef for an average of 1-2 events per week. Particularly for large corporate parties and weddings (we also work with a roster of contract chefs for our events).
Assist and provide direction and guidance to other support staff/prep cooks, we are a company that emphasizes teamwork and mentorship.
Clearly label product for our parties to have a well-organized walk-in, so food gets to the right event.
Conduct weekly walk-in fridge and monthly freezer cleanouts to take inventory of what can be used for upcoming events and disposing of unusable product.
Collaborate with Chef Linda and your colleagues to improve recipes and production processes.

Maintain a clean and orderly kitchen, including seasonal deep cleans.
Comply with nutrition and sanitation guidelines.
Taste, test, and have fun! The secret ingredient is love.
Perform other kitchen duties as assigned.

Skills/Requirements

Proven experience in a kitchen. Strong preference for previous catering or banquet experience.
Knowledge of health and safety rules in a kitchen.
Manual dexterity able to operate cutting tools and kitchen utensils.
A team player with good communication skills.
Patient, with an ability to stay positive under pressure.
Good physical condition and endurance.
High school diploma or equivalent is desirable; Training from a culinary school can be an asset but is not required.
Valid driver’s license with the ability and willingness to drive company vehicles.
Must have Serf Safe certification. This can be obtained on the job, it is not required to apply or be hired but must be obtained soon after starting.

Company Portfolio: Tasteful Affairs caters a range of types of events. We started as a concert caterer in the 80’s. Today, our business is about 1/3 weddings, 1/3 corporate/non-profit events, and 1/3 social (in private homes). The size of our events range from 8-person plated dinners to holiday parties with 500 people in attendance. About 2/3 of our business is conducted in Virginia, primarily in Alexandria itself, and 1/3 of our business is conducted in Washington DC. We do almost no work in Maryland. The standard travel radius for events is within 1-hour travel time of our offices, and we rarely go outside of that radius. Our annual revenue is approximately $2 million a year.

Job Type: Full-time with benefits. The kitchen is in production generally from 9-4PM Monday-Friday. Contract chefs are also hired as needed to help with the busy season and to cover pre-scheduled PTO.

Some evening and weekend work is required to work the events themselves, and day of prep for weekend events.

We have 2 pay periods per month, 24 pay checks per year.

Paychecks are distributed to staff via direct deposit.

Pay range $70,000-$75,000 per year. We also give holiday bonuses based on company and employee performance each year.

Benefits:

VACATION - Two weeks paid vacation per year.

SICK LEAVE - Five sick days per year. A doctor’s note may be required for sick days.

HOLIDAYS - We recognize the major federal holidays, but due to the nature of our business, we occasionally need to work holidays. If holidays are missed because of our event schedule, we are flexible for staff to take off other days off in place of that, as we highly value family time and down time and want our staff to have a sustainable future with Tasteful Affairs.

401K – We have a 401K program through Guideline that staff are eligible to participate in after 1 year. We provide a 3.5% match if the employee contributes at least 6% of their income, with a lesser match for lesser contributions. More details can be provided.

HEALTH INSURANCE – We do not have a company health insurance plan, but provide $175 per month towards your monthly premium. We have health insurance brokers for public and private plans to help you select the best plan for you, and the stipend we provide is added to your paycheck as a taxable reimbursement on each paycheck. Staff are eligible for this after the initial 3-month standard probationary period.

Salary/Compensation: $70,000 - $75,000 per year

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Sous Chef

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