Weatherlow Farms Hiring Culinary Director

About the Role

Weatherlow Farms seeks an intrepid individual looking for a unique experience to develop and manage a kitchen and full culinary farm-to-table schedule. The farm hosts numerous farm events, private dinners and parties, workshops, and tours. The kitchen also supplies our farm store with value-added products derived from the farm and local producers.  

Roles & Responsibilities

Farm Kitchen

  • Plan and direct food preparation and culinary activities

  • Develop recipes for and create value-added products (potential products include: stock, jerky, raw dog food, pickles, jams, preserves, and more)

  • Work with clients to develop menus for private dinners and parties

  • Manage food, menus, and culinary labor for all farm events

  • Assist in costing per-head prices for events and for value-added products

  • Develop protocols for and comply with all state and local sanitation regulations and safety standards

  • Perform administrative duties as required for running the kitchen and its events/activities and interfacing with applicable in-house systems (e.g. inventory, billing, invoicing, etc.)

  • Create schedule for and manage kitchen equipment and systems maintenance and certification procedures (e.g. fire safety/Ansul, hood maintenance, IPM, food storage, etc.), liaising with all necessary authorities

  • Coordinate planning with other farm managers in terms of maximizing farm product integration (e.g. working with the Floral Manager to plan culinary needs for edible flowers and herbs, etc.)

  • Communicate with farm owner about all licensing, maintenance, and regulatory issues

  • Assist with refrigerator and freezer inventory management

Farm Kitchen Strategic Development

  • Work with the farm owner to develop a vision for a full farm kitchen schedule and carry out that schedule
  • Develop vision for value-added and prepared food products to be sold in farm store, maintaining compliance with federal/state/local regulations
  • Develop and manage relationships with local producers
  • Keep up with sustainable food and farm-to-table cooking trends and best practices

Supervisory Responsibilities

  • Recruit and train kitchen and front-of-house staff in all manner of house rules and state/local regulations
  • Manage all kitchen and serving staff schedules
  • Post and keep up-to-date all required notices and regulations

 

Qualifications

  • Demonstrable passion for creatively designing and managing a multi-faceted farm kitchen
  • Knowledge about and passion for grass-fed and pastured meats, local seasonal foods, and wholesome food preparation
  • Proven experience as a chef
  • Excellent record of kitchen management
  • Experience developing menus and value-added and prepared foods compliant with federal/state/local regulations
  • Experience with curing, smoking, and charcuterie  
  • Ability to identify and resolve problems efficiently
  • Proficiency in managing/delegating multiple tasks
  • Excellent communication and organization skills
  • Working knowledge of various computer software programs (MS Office, restaurant management software, POS)
  • Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts/Science or related certificate
  • ServeSafe and HACCP certifications

Compensation

  • Salary commensurate with experience
  • This position is available on a full- or part-time basis, based on negotiations between owner and candidate. The goal is to transition into a full time position.

Start Date

We need a Culinary Director by the beginning of the 2018 summer season (May or June). An earlier start date is preferred, and will allow the successful candidate to contribute to the kitchen layout, initial menu creation, and strategy for value-added and prepared foods.

 

About Weatherlow Farms

Weatherlow Farms raises the highest quality grass-fed beef, lamb, chevon, pastured poultry, and eggs in the seaside town of Westport, MA.  We grow a curated selection of flowers and foliage for weddings and special events. All is cared for employing environmentally sustainable and socially responsible practices which focus on the special relationship between land, animal and food. We host farm events throughout the year, including farm-to-table dinners, workshops, weddings, and private dinners and parties. Visit us at: http://www.weatherlowfarms.com.

Please send a cover letter and resume to Ryan Wagner: ryan@weatherlowfarms.com

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