Cook III

QUEST FOOD MANAGEMENT SERVICES•Highwood, IL

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Quest fosters a fun, supportive environment that puts people first and strives for both culinary excellence and enduring relationships. Our flexible work opportunities encourage a healthy life balance for all of our valued team members. Quest believes that every aspect of what we do has significance, and therefore, our food is fresh and made from scratch, using high quality and responsibly sourced ingredients. We nourish our communities with wholesome meals and through our genuine and personal connections. Quest provides competitive compensation and benefits, and celebrates the fulfillment of our collective values at all levels of the organization. We support professional growth through training, development and access to highly visible leadership. This position prepares and presents menu items during the service of the cafeteria to Quest standards. It follows the preparation list for items needed for execution of menus and assists in the day-to-day operations of the kitchen. Duties may include bulk preparation, catering prep, product receiving and cleaning. The Cook III assists customers and maintains the line in a consistent and professional manner. The Cook III will assist in cold prep, salad and grab & go production recipes. They are expected to serve hot food and follow recipes to produce all hot food in the kitchen, adhering to all HACCP and food safety guidelines. The ability to work on at least three concept stations is required. The Cook III will assist the chef/manager in placing orders with various vendors; creating cleaning and production checklists; creating new menu items and writing recipes to be approved by the chef. They will also assist in training Cook I and II.

Requirements

Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts or equivalent work experience
Minimum of 3 years of experience as Cook II or Kitchen Supervisor
Responsible for meeting and maintaining state and local certification requirements (certified as a Food Handler)
Ability to perform simple arithmetic as well as to understand measurements and conversions
Ability to follow recipes
Responsible for meeting and maintaining state and local certification requirements (Food Handler certification)

Nice To Haves

Previous experience in the food service industry working in schools / higher education

Responsibilities

Prepares and presents menu items during service of the cafeteria to Quest standards.
Follows preparation list for items needed for execution of menus and assist in the day to day operations of the kitchen.
Assists in bulk preparation, catering prep, product receiving and cleaning.
Assists customers and maintains line in a consistent and professional manner.
Assists in cold prep, salad and grab & go production recipes.
Serves hot food and follows recipes to produce all hot food in the kitchen.
Follows all HACCP and food safety guidelines.
Works on at least three concept stations.
Assists chef/manager in placing orders with various vendors.
Assists in creating cleaning and production checklists.
Assists in creating new menu items and writing recipes to be approved by the chef.
Assists in training Cook I and II.
Prepares food as assigned and per directions, production sheets, standardized recipes, and time schedule.
Assists in creating daily production sheets.
Accurately assembles and presents all menu items.
Follows Quest, local, State and Federal guidelines for the proper handling of food products.
Assists in the overall sanitation of the line and product kitchen.
Works with other members of the kitchen as a team.
Maintains open and effective communication with others.
Prepares all items to standardized recipes according to each specific event’s needs as outlined on the menu.
Properly expands and/or divides recipes as needed to achieve proper yields.
Familiarizes themselves with catering menus and master recipe indexes.
Communicates to supervisor product shortages, ordering needs and maintenance issues to maintain the level of day to day business.
Assists in the overall sanitation of the production kitchen and production facility.
Works at special events when required.
Implements special recipes and menu ideas handed down by the Chef/Manager.
Performs daily and weekly cleaning schedule.
Ensures that all food production, storage, and service areas are maintained in accordance with all local, state, and federal rules and regulations.
Assists with ordering all food and other supplies, monthly inventory, and maintaining par levels.
Responsible for sanitation in the kitchen, including checking to see that all equipment is working properly.
Completes all prep for the next day’s production per production sheets and recipes as assigned and as needed.
Assists in recipe training of Cook I and Cook II personnel.
Transports food and all other supplies to and from the kitchen in a sanitary manner.
Takes temperatures and records them for all food.
Serves food on the hot line and prepares side orders ensuring excellent presentation and garnishing all plates.
Demonstrates ability to work on at least three concept stations and follow recipes to produce all hot food in the kitchen.
Follows HACCP guidelines to ensure safe food practices.
Responsible for receiving and putting away all kitchen deliveries.
Follows all Quest policies and food safety guidelines.
Reports to scheduled shift on time and in complete uniform as outlined in the Quest team member handbook.
Performs other duties as assigned.