Job Profile

Core job information
Job Title / Venue Chef
Dept./School/Inst. / QMSU – students’ union / Section/Centre/Unit / Venues and Events Dept.
Career Family / OPE / Grade / Grade 2
Working hours per week / 35 hours per week / Appointment period / One year fixed term
Reports to (job title) / Assistant Manager Venues / Current location / Any University site or partnership site
Job purpose
1.  Food production – to ensure the effective ordering, preparation and cooking of the agreed venue menus and hospitality events to the highest possible standards. To ensure high levels of cleanliness in the kitchen areas.
2.  Food service development to contribute towards departmental plans (pri, tracking, responding to and acting upon student and customer feedback, food service innovation within the venues. To be responsible for all food orders monitoring of wastage and menu costings.
3.  Compliance – to implement policies and procedures, health, safety and hygiene guidelines and legislation within the kitchens. To ensure effective stock takes our accurate and carried out.
4.  Catering administration: to prepare food and menu costings, efficient procurement, oversee portion controls and product specification. To follow QMSU financial regulations and use computerised financial accounting tool for purchase orders, invoices and accounts. Implementing & updating standard operating procedures and menu training cards.
5.  People & training - to prepare and oversee staff rotas and inspire, train and develop the kitchen team. To lead and motivate the kitchen staff.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
Requirements / Essential/Desirable
Qualifications / Food hygiene certificate or equivalent
NVQ Level 2 or equivalent in Kitchen Supervision or Food Preparation / All Essential
Experience / Significant experience of working in a restaurant or gastro pub, hospitality and events.
Experience of developing and costing menus
Experience of acting on customer feedback and sales data
Experience of supervising the work of others & training others
Experience of applying health & safety knowledge in the kitchen environment
Experience of purchasing and procurement of catering items and ingredients. / Essential
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Knowledge, skills & abilities / Ability to work unsupervised and prioritise tasks and workload according to defined schedules
Ability to supervise staff, ensuring that quality standards are met
Knowledge of food preparation and presentation techniques
Ability to plan menus & cost recipes to keep in line with budgets
Excellent communication and customer service skills
Ability to take control in emergencies
Excellent awareness of trends within the catering sector
Good interpersonal skills
Confident user of MsWord, MsExcel & Ms Outlook programmes / Essential
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Attitude & disposition / Commercially minded and customer focused
Proactive, able and willing to take initiative
Positive, with a can-do attitude / All Essential
Other circumstances / Hours of work to be flexible to include evening, weekends and the occasional bank holiday
A willingness to wear the uniform provided / All Essential
Freedom to Act & Decision Making (depth of control, supervision received, use of judgement & initiative, analytical ability)
Main Duties and Responsibilities of the Role
To produce, present and ensure appropriate serving of food in licensed bar venues and hospitality events to high standards, demonstrating a high level of skill and creativity within a set time and budget. Continually improving quality, presentation and service delivery. To develop & ensure all food preparation follows standard recipes agreed, and all items are consistently well presented.
To assist the Assistant Venue Manager in reviewing sales mix on a weekly basis. To plan and monitor stock based on the menus agreed, standard recipes and forecasted footfall (outlets) or delegate numbers (events).
To maintain all relevant information and records, in particular all information related to purchasing and procurement, and to timely update all related documents, including, maintenance and equipment problems in order to prove due diligence with regards to all related catering activities and provide a clear audit trail for these activities.
To recruit, train and mentor and supervise the work of Kitchen Assistants & supervisors ensuring that tasks are carried out to agreed standards and to produce weekly staffing rotas, to ensure staff costs stay within agreed budgets and staff are employed cost-efficiently. To feedback to the Assistant Venue Manager when staff are under-utilised during slower business periods, so that staff hours can be reduced accordingly.
To keep work areas of the kitchen clean and tidy, working in a manner that does not put any person or customer at risk, and to ensure all equipment is safe and secure, reporting any faults and defects without delay. To comply with HACCP, food hygiene and health & safety regulations, policies and procedures at all times.
To quarterly review the kitchen operation and menu and make any recommendations for improvements to stock ordering, budget efficiency or service delivery.
The post holder will be required to wear a uniform in full and ensure all team members comply with the uniform regulations by sourcing and purchasing uniform for the kitchen team.
To conduct any other tasks as directed by the Assistant Venues manager related to the role. This role profile describes duties and responsibilities as of the moment of issuing this role profile, however, these might change over time in line with emerging business and operational needs.
To develop food concepts & business development, including the costing, procurement, production specifications for the venues, including grab and go (eg salad boxes, wraps, pastries & , deli go), salad bar and hospitality
Working Environment
The post holder will need experience and knowledge of all aspects of the food offer to provide a healthy, well- balanced and diverse option for all the students, staff and customers on site.
To deliver the highest of standards to all student and customers.
To l follow a clear brief in order to conduct tasks to the agreed standards and ensuring compliance with all relevant health & safety regulations, including food safety regulations and policies and financial procedures when ordering stock.
To deal with customer enquiries as the first point of contact and will raise complex queries to the Assistant Venues Manager in order to resolve them in a timely manner.
Freedom to Act & Decision Making
To be responsible for preparing and presenting food for venues and events hospitality services
To take initiative in the event of emergency
To be responsible for monitoring food cost and wastage, ensuring these stay within budgets agreed and reporting any issues of concern to the Assistant Venues Manager
To plan and prioritise the day-to-day activities of Kitchen Assistants, supervisors and liaise with other venue staff
To prioritise own routine work procedures
To assist the Venues & Events Management team in the implementation of change in services, products and systems
Communication & Networking
To communicate and liaise with the following:
Assistant Venues Manager as line manager
Venue and Events Operations
Deputy Venue and Events manager
Kitchen Assistants / Kitchen Supervisors as direct reports
Customers and other key stakeholders
Catering & retail suppliers
Maintenance and third party contractors
Point of contact with professional bodies i.e. EHO during catering audits
Finance/Resource Management
Safe control and effective planning of all food stock items and equipment
To meet food cost and wastage targets
Authorisation limit of £1000. Follows departmental ordering procedures and follow QMUL finance procedures to place orders for food and beverage as directed by the Venues and Events Operations Manager.
People Management
Lead and supervise the work of any casual Kitchen Assistants, Supervisors and agency staff as and when required
This job description sets out the duties of the post at the time it was drawn up. Such duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot of themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.

July 2014 Venues chef – assistant manager