Cook - Full Time

At the Harvest Market Kitchen, we use the best ingredients available to prepare food that is vibrant, nutritious and delectable. The Harvest Market Kitchen is seeking applicants in our award-winning, newly-renovated Green Restaurant Association Certified Kitchen! We are honored and humbled to have been selected as a recipient of a News Journal Top Workplaces Award for 2021. We invite you to apply today and to join a dedicated and compassionate team of employees and managers!

The same high quality ingredients offered for sale on our retail floor are the same ingredients we use in our kitchen: local and organic produce; healthy fats including organic extra virgin olive oil and organic coconut oil; unrefined natural sweeteners including raw local honey and pure maple syrup; and organic whole grains.

Our food is prepared daily in small batches by our expert culinary crew right here in our own kitchen. Being small allows us the control and flexibility needed to be spontaneous, creative and innovative in our offerings. We enjoy responding to the changes of the season, the availability of local produce, and the needs of our customers.

We are seeking a variety of Kitchen Team Members from entry level to those with management experience, desire or potential to join our growing team, who can thrive in our fast-paced environment. We offer a competitive wage, benefits and a truly supportive workplace where you can thrive.

What can you bring to our table?

JOB SUMMARY:
The Cook is proficient at prepping and cooking all kinds of foods including soups, grilled and roasted meats and vegetables, cold salads, dips and dressings. Cooks are comfortable working in a professional setting, working with large batches and professional equipment. Cooks have the ability to follow recipes, to make appropriate judgements and adjustments, to work independently and to collaborate with others.

Food Production
• Prep and prepare dishes per the specs of the recipe and the Kitchen Manager.
• Collaborate with Shift Leader to create a plan for maximizing efficiency in production.
• Group recipes and labor to achieve the most productive and efficient output.
• Seek support and advice from the Shift Leader where needed.
• Maintain a clean and organized workspace to maximize efficiency and to meet all standards of the Serve Safe and the Delaware Food Code.
• Cool and store all foods as per the food safety guidelines of Serve Safe and the Delaware Food Code.
• Accurately pass off information regarding production to the oncoming shift and follow through on information and directives passed off to you.
• Work collaboratively where needed.
• Work independently in a focused manner to achieve production goals.

Food Packaging/Stocking
• Be skilled in packing all foods if needed with accurate labeling and a neat appearance.
• Store food to be packaged and record information on the white board.
• Stock and face food in the proper location and using FIFO.
• Pull any out of date or poor quality items noted and bring them to the Shift Leaders attention for proper shrinking.

Work Environment
• Uphold professional boundaries and a professional working environment.
• Maintain positive and clear communication with sushi lead, shift leader and kitchen manager.
• Keep a clean and orderly work station.
• Contribute to communal responsibilities around dishes, including rinsing dirty dishes and helping to maintain dish room.
• Contribute to cleaning the kitchen and all of its equipment.

Safety and Customer Service
● Ensure that all food safety codes are adhered to.
● Field questions from front of house regarding sushi production, consulting with shift lead or manager as needed.
● Respond to customer service issues on the floor with a positive professional manner. Seek out help from a manager if you are uncertain of the answer to a customer’s question.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
• Attend department staff meetings and storewide meetings.
• Perform other tasks assigned by Kitchen Manager and Assistant Kitchen Manager.
• Answer and route phone calls, take and route messages as needed.
• Participate in periodic inventory counts

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Experience in cooking for prepared foods deli, restaurant, or catering.
• Familiarity with natural foods a plus.
• Accuracy, attention to detail.
• Manual dexterity with hazardous equipment.
• Ability to work with other people in close quarters.
• Ability to stand for long periods.
• Regular, predictable attendance.
• Willingness and ability to learn and grow to meet the changing requirements of the job.
• Ability to lift 50 lbs.
• Ability to wear face mask for up to an 8 hour shift.

Harvest Market provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Previous experience in culinary arts, cooking, or other related fields preferred
Passion for food and cooking techniques
Pleasant and articulate
Ability to lift up to 30 lbs. and work on your feet for a full shift
Non-tobacco user. We are a smoke-free workplace.
Benefits for full time staff include:
Store discount
Paid Time Off
Sick time
ICHRA reimbursement for medical coverage
Paid rest and meal breaks
401K with up to 4% match upon eligibility
STD, LTD and Life Insurance coverage

Benefits for Part time staff include:
Store Discount
Paid Time Off
Sick Time
Paid rest and meal breaks