HEAD CHEF

The Head Chef is responsible for the overall kitchen operation at BARK Cafe Restaurant, ensuring consistently high standards of food quality, presentation, hygiene, cost control, and service efficiency. The role involves leading and developing the kitchen team, managing daily kitchen operations, and working closely with management to maintain and improve the restaurant's food offering.

Key Responsibilities

1. Kitchen Operations

• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the kitchen and ensure smooth food production during breakfast, lunch, dinner, and peak service periods.
• Plan kitchen workflow, preparation schedules, and staff deployment.
• Ensure all dishes are prepared and presented according to established recipes and quality standards.
• Maintain consistency in taste, portion size, presentation, and plating.
• Monitor food preparation and service to ensure orders are delivered accurately and on time.
• Lead the kitchen during busy periods and resolve operational issues quickly.

2. Menu Development

• Develop, review, and improve the restaurant's menu in line with the concept, customer preferences, and market trends.
• Create new dishes, specials, seasonal menus, and promotional items.
• Standardise recipes, ingredients, preparation methods, and portion sizes.
• Conduct regular food tastings and quality checks.
• Ensure menu items are commercially viable and aligned with food-cost targets.

3. Food Cost & Inventory Control

• Manage food costs and maintain agreed food-cost percentages.
• Prepare ingredient forecasts and purchasing requirements.
• Monitor stock levels and minimise over-ordering, wastage, spoilage, and pilferage.
• Conduct regular stock counts and investigate discrepancies.
• Work with suppliers to ensure consistent quality and competitive pricing.
• Establish proper portion-control procedures.

4. Team Leadership & Staff Development

• Recruit, train, supervise, and develop kitchen staff.
• Prepare kitchen duty rosters and allocate responsibilities effectively.
• Conduct regular briefings and provide clear instructions to the team.
• Monitor staff performance, attendance, discipline, and productivity.
• Coach junior chefs and kitchen assistants to develop their technical skills.
• Foster a professional, respectful, and teamwork-oriented kitchen culture.

5. Food Safety & Hygiene

• Ensure full compliance with Singapore food safety, hygiene, and workplace requirements.
• Maintain high standards of personal hygiene, kitchen cleanliness, and food handling.
• Ensure proper temperature control, storage, labelling, and rotation of ingredients.
• Implement FIFO procedures and minimise food contamination risks.
• Maintain cleaning schedules and ensure kitchen equipment is properly maintained.
• Take immediate corrective action when hygiene or food-safety issues are identified.

6. Purchasing & Supplier Management

• Coordinate with management and approved suppliers for daily and weekly purchasing.
• Inspect incoming deliveries for quality, quantity, freshness, and specifications.
• Reject products that do not meet required standards.
• Maintain good working relationships with suppliers.
• Identify suitable alternative products when necessary without compromising food quality.

7. Cost & Productivity Management

• Monitor kitchen labour costs and productivity.
• Control overtime and unnecessary labour expenses.
• Improve kitchen processes to reduce preparation time and wastage.
• Monitor equipment usage and report maintenance issues promptly.
• Contribute to achieving the restaurant's overall financial and operational targets.

8. Compliance & Documentation

• Maintain accurate kitchen records, including temperature logs, cleaning schedules, stock records, wastage reports, and other required documentation.
• Ensure kitchen practices comply with applicable Singapore regulations and company policies.
• Cooperate with inspections and internal audits.
• Ensure all kitchen staff understand and follow established SOPs.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The Head Chef will be measured on:

• Food quality and consistency
• Customer satisfaction and food feedback
• Food cost percentage
• Food wastage and inventory variance
• Kitchen labour cost and productivity
• Speed and accuracy of service
• Hygiene and food-safety standards
• Menu profitability
• Staff retention, training, and performance
• Compliance with company SOPs

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 5 years of professional kitchen experience, with at least 2 years in a Chef de Cuisine, Sous Chef, Head Chef, or equivalent leadership role.
• Strong experience in cafe, casual dining, restaurant, or similar food-service operations.
• Strong knowledge of food preparation, kitchen management, food costing, inventory control, and menu development.
• Good leadership and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced restaurant environment.
• Strong understanding of food hygiene and safety requirements in Singapore.
• Relevant culinary qualifications are preferred.

Personal Attributes

The successful candidate should be:

• Passionate about food and hospitality
• Hands-on and operationally focused
• A strong team leader and trainer
• Organised and disciplined
• Cost-conscious without compromising quality
• Creative and commercially minded
• Able to communicate effectively with management and kitchen/front-of-house teams
• Able to work weekends, public holidays, and peak restaurant hours when required

Reporting Line

Reports to: Restaurant Owner / General Manager / Operations Manager

Direct Reports: Sous Chef, Chef de Partie, Commis Chefs, Kitchen Assistants and other kitchen personnel.