Retail Sous Chef

Description

Since 1978 The Inn at Little Washington, located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains, has been one of the most decorated restaurants and hotels in the world. There is no better time to join in out growing team of exceptional people. On-the-job training, advancement potential, flexible schedules, amazing benefits, and competitive pay. Your next career awaits.

Some of our awards include Michelin 3 Stars, Forbes 5 Stars, AAA 5 Diamonds, and Wine Spectator Grand Award. Member of Relais & Chateaux.

Why join our team : We offer :

Health, vision and dental insurance (full time employees)

Paid time off (Full time employees)

401(k) retirement plan with match

On-the-job training

Employee education allowance

Advancement potential

Flexible schedules

Employee appreciation events

Complimentary uniforms

Delicious “family” meals daily prepared by the chefs

Referral bonuses

Competitive pay

www.theinnatlittlewashington.com

SUMMARY

The Retail Sous Chef is responsible for transforming kitchen-made products into high-quality, shelf-stable retail offerings. This includes recipe development, testing, and refinement, ensuring food safety, creating nutrition labels, packaging design, cost management, vendor / purchasing relations, and submission of business reports. The role involves cross-department collaboration, troubleshooting, and continuous product optimization to meet the property’s standards of excellence and consumer needs. The Retail Sous Chef is expected to work efficiently, communicate effectively, and have a strong desire to learn and grow within the culinary and retail environments. This position reports to the Executive Pastry Chef, with a dotted line to the Retail Shop Director.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Develop, test, and refine retail food products, ensure flavor, presentation, safety, and shelf stability.

2. Take products from the kitchen and apply preservation techniques (dehydration, canning, vacuum sealing, etc.) to create shelf-stable items, conducts stability testing and quality assurance.

3. Research industry trends and design innovative products that meet market demands.

4. Implement and monitor strict food safety protocols, ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations. Ability to draft and implement HACCP plans for all areas of retail sales production.

5. Train team members on food preparation, safety standards, and best practices related to retail product development.

6. Assessing daily duties and monitoring performance of the team members reporting to this role. This includes hiring, annual Performance Review process, scheduling / payroll, & progressive discipline.

7. Assist in designing and sourcing packaging that is attractive, functional, and compliant with safety and sustainability standards.

8. Cost out wholesale retail products by analyzing ingredients, packaging, labor, and overhead costs; work directly with purchasing leadership to secure optimal pricing and quality.

9. Lead the creation of accurate, compliant nutrition labels for all retail products.

10. Write & standardize recipes, production processes, and documentation for scalability and consistency.

11. Generate and analyze monthly retail performance reports, including sales growth and product performance metrics, to inform strategic decisions.

12. Collaborate cross-functionally with sourcing, production, marketing, and quality teams to ensure seamless product launches and improvements.

13. Oversee billing, transfers, and invoicing related to retail product sales, ensuring accuracy and on-time processing.

14. Maintain detailed records of recipes, test results, safety procedures, and product specifications.

15. Receive approval from the Chef de Cuisine or culinary management for each batch of goods produced.

16. Perform bi-weekly and bi-annual full inventory of all perishable and non-perishable culinary relevant items for e-commerce and retail shops.

17. Support day-to-day operations of e-commerce and retail sales as directed by the Retail Sales Manager.

18. Responsible for maintaining culinary back-of-house standards; organization of all culinary spaces, receiving shipments, record keeping, inventory, and other relevant material as related to retail and e-commerce.

19. Conducts recipe writing, formatting, and filing.

20. Other related assignments as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

1. Strong foundation of fundamental skills in preparation, cooking, and classic technique.

2. Manager Servsafe certification(within 90 days of hire).

3. Accredited training or ability to obtain accredited training with a HACCP certification.

4. Ability to write and follow a HACCP plan.

5. Thorough understanding of food preservation for retail and e-commerce usage.

6. Strong understanding of storage, food safety, and cleanliness.

7. Strong understanding of ordering and cost control.

8. Strong understanding of product identification and use.

9. Ability to problem solve and react quickly to any issues which arise during a shift.

10. Eagerness to continue to improve and grow culinary and retail operations.

11. Ability to prioritize, organize and follow through to meet deadlines and production schedules.

Desirable

1. Strong background in French cuisine.

2. Strong sense of creativity.

3. Previous experience in culinary retail outlets.

Associate’s degree in culinary arts or baking and pastry.

Minimum of 3-5 years professional experience cooking, preferably at a Michelin level.

Moderate to strong computer skills, specifically with software used by The Inn (Resortsuite, Adaco, Microsoft Office Suite or additional platforms).

SKILLS

1. Basic understanding of tracking orders and receiving deliveries in line with standard operating procedures established for high quality fresh product.

2. Strong communication skills and practice.

3. Ability to problem solve and react quickly to any issues which arise during a shift.

4. A good sense of flavor development, and ability to season foods properly as demonstrated by culinary managers.

5. Strong knife skills.

6. Strong understanding of all fundamental culinary techniques.

7. Solid communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.

8. Ability to prioritize, organize and follow through to meet deadlines and production schedules.

9. Proficiency in ordering.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

1. Ability to work on feet / standing for 8-10 hours consistently.

2. Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

3. Ability to push or pull up to 50 lbs.

4. Ability to maneuver by crawling, twisting, and reaching with ease.

5. Ability to execute all fundamental culinary techniques proficiently with standard culinary tools / equipment.

6. Availability and understanding that the position often requires hours more than a standard workweek (40-50 hours).

The Inn at Little Washington Culinary Team will invite all qualified candidates to property to attend a "Stage Interview" as part of the interview process. Based on this interview and previous qualifications demonstrated in the face-to-face interview and via your resume, a culinary leader will determine the position title and pay rate offered.