Retreat Chef

Job DescriptionJob Description

We are looking for a great Chef, with a catering background and passion for vegetarian cuisine being the best fit. We offer great benefits, pay and actual work life balance, living in California's four season playground. The latest shift is over at 8PM and work weeks are 40 hours. Discounted housing available for the right fit.

We are seeking a passionate culinary professional with interest in sourcing from our local Farmers Market and building relationships with farms and local purveyors.

Must have a passion for vegetarian cooking and an interest in mindfulness.

Beyond health and wellness benefits and paid vacation, we offer the unique experience of being able to be paid to sit retreat and interact with spiritual teachers and dedicated practitioners. This is a great way of learning about or continuing your meditation practice.

Our retreat center cooks work collaboratively to prepare meals for all residential retreats, internal meetings and special events. They also train and supervise retreatants performing work meditations in the kitchen, and model behavior that supports mindfulness practice in the retreat environment.

The Retreat Chef will be responsible for ensuring that our culinary offerings are of the highest quality, conducive to meaningful, healing and transformative retreat experiences. They will lead and mentor the kitchen team to ensure meal service is well planned and run smoothly.

This is a five day a week fully on-site position with no remote work available.

Specific Responsibilities

Prepare and serve tasty and nutritious vegetarian (and at times a meat based menu) meals on schedule.
Follow recipes and adjust quantities as needed.
Collaborate on new recipes and create independently as needed.
Maintain an orderly and efficient kitchen work space.
Ensure the work environment meets or surpasses hygiene and safety standards set by regulations.
Train and support retreatants in kitchen tasks.
Provide ongoing guidance and problem solving support to retreatants and other cooks as needed.

Other

Attend kitchen staff meetings and all staff meetings as scheduled.
Attend staff training on First Aid/CPR, emergency preparedness and others as assigned.
Keep up to date with kitchen‐related emails, schedules and kitchen updates.
Help pick up and put away food deliveries as needed, keep the kitchen clean and stocked
Other related assignments as necessary.
Performs daily recordkeeping tasks including quantity logs, inventory and recipe modification.
Ensure that the kitchen is impeccably clean and well maintained
Ensure that food service / kitchen operations / dining experience are a highlight of the guest experience
Strive for a 90%+ satisfaction rating from guest surveys
Recruit and hire kitchen staff with a commitment to creating a diverse and representative staff team, so our internal culture may reflect the communities we wish to serve.

Qualifications

Minimum five years of professional cooking experience focused on organic ingredients and seasonal produce, in a high volume kitchen, preferably in a catering setting.
Flexibility in schedule on a daily and weekly basis, and ability to work evenings and weekends.
Strong interpersonal communication skills; ability to take direction; ability to function as both team leader and team player.
Ability to remain calm in a sometimes fast-paced work environment and ability to work compassionately with others.
Ability to relocate, exact details and address will be discusses based on qualifications meeting our criteria

Physical: Required to lift, carry, push or pull objects up to 50 pounds. Frequently required to perform moderately difficult manipulative tasks such as lifting large pans of food in and out of the oven, carrying heavy boxes of produce, performing repetitive motions of cutting, stirring and whisking. Ability to work in a standing position for up to 8 hours in the kitchen

Additional Helpful Experience:

● Personal experience with and interest in multi-day residential silent meditation retreat practice.

● Passion for and dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

● Passion and drive to continue to push your culinary offerings forward in creativity and sustainability

● Desire to live and work in a mountain community.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.

Company DescriptionBig Bear Retreat Center is an inclusive and accessible place for respite, healing, transformation, cross-cultural dialogue, collaboration, hope, and joy. We do this by offering a mix of silent Insight Meditation retreats, and by partnering with organizations supporting various communities including BIPOC, LGBTQIA , first responders and veterans, and mindfulness communities.Company DescriptionBig Bear Retreat Center is an inclusive and accessible place for respite, healing, transformation, cross-cultural dialogue, collaboration, hope, and joy. We do this by offering a mix of silent Insight Meditation retreats, and by partnering with organizations supporting various communities including BIPOC, LGBTQIA , first responders and veterans, and mindfulness communities.

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