Hospitality and Catering

JOB PURPOSE

Working alongside the kitchen team to complete daily kitchen activities, including measuring and preparing ingredients for the Chef de Partie or Head Chef. To support the kitchen team with basic food preparation, ensuring food quality and freshness, and dealing with deliveries and stock rotation. To maintain standards of food hygiene and ensuring that the section is clean and tidy and appropriately set up for service.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Ability to prioritise and manage own time.
• Basic food prep and ability to follow instructions.
• compliance with H&S legislation.
• completion of all relevant issued training.
• Maintaining high standards of hygiene.
• Preparing the ingredients for a Chef De Partie or Head Chef.
• Measuring dish ingredients and portion sizes accurately.
• Dealing with deliveries and stock rotation.
• Section working; ensuring that the section is clean and tidy and appropriately set up for service.
• Ability to follow instructions and spec sheets.
• Adhering to all allergen control practices.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications

Essential
• Professional Food Qualification or relevant experience
Experience

Essential
• Basic culinary skills, such as knife skills, and knowledge of different ingredients, cooking equipment and kitchen procedures.
• Ability to follow spec sheets.
• Basic food preparation and ability to follow instructions.

Desirable
• 1 years’ experience in a restaurant or food outlet preferred.

As The Macallan Chef Apprentice, you will work towards and complete a SVQ in Professional Cookery at SCQF 5 or 6. This programme is for a 12-18 month period with a view to becoming a Commis Chef. As Chef Apprentice with the Macallan Estate Experience, you will be part of the team that delivers the entire culinary experience across the Estate. This is a chance to train under and be inspired by a Head chef with multi Michelin experience. We are in search of an ambitious individual that aspires to be a chef with a positive and approachable manner who would thrive on the fast pace of working in a busy kitchen. We are looking for someone who wants to learn about kitchen operation, has a huge passion for food and willingness to learn, you will be working under close supervision and all training in all areas of the kitchen operation will be provided.

-Preparation of ingredients to assist more senior chefs
-Maintaining high standards of hygiene
-Rotating food, putting away inventory and dealing with deliveries
-Measuring ingredients and sizing portions accurately
-Learning about food safety techniques
-Preparing foods for mise en place, which involves chopping vegetables, stocking stations, organizing ingredients and partly cooking some foods
-Ensuring full compliance of all food hygiene and health and safety regulations including HACCP, COSHH and all other distillery related due diligence and controls
-Ensuring all working areas are clean and tidy and ensuring no cross contamination
-All learning and development requirements are undertaken in good time and completed to a high standard

To be successful in this role, you have basic cookery skills with the drive to learn and develop your culinary skills. You communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. You understand safe food handling and food rotation practices, and you actively contribute to maintaining a hygienic and safe kitchen environment. Your friendly and approachable manner makes you easy to work with, whether you’re interacting with customers or colleagues. You take a flexible approach to tasks, consistently demonstrate strong timekeeping, and show a clear commitment to executing your responsibilities with precision. You take pride in your work, show a strong sense of ownership, and remain calm and composed under pressure

We’ve put together some criteria that we think is important for this role, but don’t worry if your experience and expertise isn’t an exact match. If you feel that you can add value to our role and to Edrington more broadly, we would welcome your application and be eager to learn more about you.

Purpose of role

This is an exciting and varied role in the Food & Beverage team at Brodie Castle. Based in our Castle Café or Playful Café you’ll prepare food for a high-quality, sit-in café and grab-and-go takeaway menu, helping to generate the income that enables our charity to care for Brodie Castle and Estate.

You will ensure that visitors from across the globe have an enjoyable experience here through excellent service standards and menu availability. You will be responsible for the daily operation of the kitchen, and achieving targets through efficient, safe food production practices.

Key Responsibilities
• Deliver a high-quality food offer for our high and low season, relevant to our Brodie customers (visitors, events and functions) and Visit Scotland’s Taste our Best principles.

• Contribute to menu development, making creative, practical and cost-effective choices for food production and presentation.

• Ensure high standards of kitchen hygiene, cleanliness and tidiness, adhering to Food Safety Management Systems and keeping up-to-date compliance documentation (HACCP, COSHH checklists and temperature records).

• Work alongside the management team to ensure all food and non-food items are ordered, and stock is controlled to the highest standard

• Ensure food production adheres to allergen guidelines, in particular Natasha’s Law, and support the implementation of upcoming laws, eg. displaying nutritional value & calorie counts.

• Minimise wastage and identify potential savings to achieve targets for cost of sales, gross profit and environmental sustainability.

• Ensure the upkeep and safety of equipment and utensils used within the catering outlets.

• Share in the common responsibility of implementing the Trust’s “Health & Safety Policy”, being mindful at all times of the health and safety of self, staff, volunteers, and visitors.

Performance indicators and targets
• Weekly, monthly and annual sales and cost of sales targets
• Food compliance standards and record-keeping
• Visitor enjoyment reviews and ratings from visitor surveys and visitor feedback
• Staff satisfaction from staff surveys

Tools / equipment / systems
• Fully equipped commercial catering kitchen.
• Access to computer with training and stock ordering systems.
• EPOS tills and chip and pin machines.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

• Experience and passion as a cook in preparing and producing food to a consistently high standard using fresh products and ingredients.

• Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate qualification, preferred.

• Highly developed organisational skills, deployable in a multi-tasking environment.

• Excellent communication and influencing skills (spoken and written)

• Ability to work as part of a busy team, fostering a positive and motivated team atmosphere.

• Recognised formal qualification in the culinary arts, desirable.

JOB PURPOSE

Working alongside the Mackintosh at the Willow kitchen team preparing high quality dishes according to established recipes and standards. To oversee a designated section of the kitchen, ensuring smooth operations during service.

Overseeing daily kitchen activities including supervising kitchen staff, aiding with menu preparation, ensuring food quality and freshness and monitoring and ordering stock levels. To assist in the daily running of the kitchen, following Head Chef’s specific guidelines and maintaining hight standards and quality in both co-operative teamwork and dishes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
• Provide excellent food Preparation and presentation:
o Execute culinary techniques to prepare and present high-quality dishes according to established recipes and standards.
o Ensure consistency and excellence in the taste, presentation, and portioning of all dishes. Ensure the team delivers consistently and to a high standard in the absence of the Head Chef
• Maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, safety, and compliance.
• Section Management:
o Oversee a designated section of the kitchen, delegating tasks effectively and ensuring smooth operations during service. On occasion over see running of kitchen in Head chef or Sous Chef Absence.
o Help train, mentor, and supervise junior kitchen staff, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Ensure that the required standards are adhered to in the production and preparation of food.
• Monitor and maintain inventory levels for ingredients and supplies, complete ordering in line with the instructions of the Head Chef.
• Maintain a lean and orderly cooking station and adhere to health and safety standards.
• Collaborate with the head chef and senior team to contribute ideas for menu development, seasonal specials, and creative presentations.
• Contribute to controlling costs, improving gross profit margins, and other departmental and financial targets.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications

Essential
• A degree or diploma in culinary arts or equivalent experience

Desirable
• Advanced Food Hygiene and Safety Level 3 certification
• Level 3 HACCP Certification
• First Aid Certification

Experience

Essential
 Have 1+ year experience at Senior Chef de Partie level or 3+ years’ experience at Chef de Partie level.
 Track record of working effectively alongside Head Chef in the running of the kitchen.
 Experience in working in a high-volume restaurant or food-outlet.
 A track record of high levels of cleanliness and compliance (knowledge of HACCP).
 Effective communication skills.
Desirable
 Previous experience of cheffing within the tourism industry.

DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB

People Management
• To supervise the kitchen team, and various seasonal kitchen roles
• To support the Head Chef in ensuring training is completed in line with the Trust training policy to meet the needs and requirements of the individual and legislation
• To work closely with the VSM F&B and VSS Events to ensure the smooth organisation and delivery of weddings, travel trade groups and private events
• To work closely with the Mackintosh at the Willow Management team to ensure that we provide an excellent visitor experience
• To ensure that all team members are knowledgeable and motivated within their roles and support the business through effective induction, accurate job descriptions and on the job training
• Develop & manage relationships with customers, key suppliers, staff and management within the property

Finance Management
• Support the Head Chef to achieve and maximise budget gross profit and labour costs
• To ensure that all standards of food preparation and service are established and achieved in line with budget.
• To support the Head Chef maintain budgetary records and ensure that all budgets are adhered to, unless exceptional circumstances arise.
• To order all necessary food, dry goods and equipment, obtaining best buys in line with budget objectives

Tools / equipment / systems
• Have a working knowledge of Word and excel
• A sound knowledge of stock control systems
• Knowledge of epos or similar
• Catering equipment including cooking equipment and dishwashers. 

Workplace context
• This role is primarily based at Mackintosh at the Willow but is required to travel occasionally to other locations on Trust business. Note that as the Trust’s properties are often in remote or rural locations where public transport may be limited, the ability and confidence to drive in the UK is desirable.