Head Chef at Helderberg Personnel

Key Responsibilities:

Menu Development & Culinary Creativity


Develop and update seasonal menus featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
Craft dishes specifically designed to pair with the company's wine portfolio and tasting experiences.


Create specialty menus for:


Summer/seasonal menus
Date Night Experiences (4‑course shared menu)
Sunset Rouge limited menus
Canapé & wine pairing experiences
Holiday or event offerings


Kitchen Operations & Quality Control:


Oversee all daily kitchen activities, ensuring quality, consistency, and presentation standards.
Maintain exceptional standards for plating—reflecting the company's reputation for well‑presented, thoughtfully composed dishes.
Ensure smooth service during lunch and dinner services


Wine Estate Collaboration:

Coordinate closely with:


Company winemaker
Tasting room team
Sales and Marketing team
Ensure coherence between food menus, wine tastings, pairings, and special events


Team Leadership:


Recruit, train, schedule, and lead all kitchen staff.


Implement consistent training on:


Latest techniques
Wine pairing fundamentals‑pairing fundamentals
Seasonal ingredient handling
Plating discipline‑dining plating discipline
Build a positive and high-performance kitchen culture


Costing, Inventory & Supplier Management:


Manage food costs while maintaining high-quality ingredients.
Develop strong relationships with local farmers, producers, suppliers, and estate resources.
Conduct stock control, ordering, waste management, and compliance documentation.


Health, Safety & Compliance:


Ensure full compliance with HACCP and food safety protocols.
Maintain cleanliness and organization of all kitchen areas.
Conduct regular audits and adhere to all health regulations


Guest Experience Support:


Collaborate with FOH team to ensure seamless service delivery.
Adapt menus to customer feedback (noting trends from Dine Plan and Tripadvisor).
Contribute to storytelling around food, wine pairing, and company heritage.


Required Skills & Experience:

Formal Culinary Education (Preferred but Not Always Mandatory)


A strong educational foundation supports consistency and expertise. Most fine dining or winery establishments prefer:
A professional culinary diploma or certification from a recognized culinary school.


Advanced qualifications in:


Classical French cooking
Mediterranean/Italian cuisine‑influenced menu
Pastry or baking fundamentals


Additional training in:


Menu engineering
Nutrition
Hospitality management
While formal training is beneficial, extensive real world dining experience can compensate.


Experience:
5 - 10 Years of progressive kitchen experience, including:


Fine dining, luxury, winery or boutique hospitality restaurants.
Demonstrated progression from:
Commis → Chef de Partie → Sous Chef → Head Chef (or Executive Sous).
Experience designing, costing, and executing seasonal menus.
Strong track record managing full services during high-pressure services.


Winery or Estate Experience (Highly Advantageous):


Working in restaurants attached to wine estates, vineyards, or tasting rooms.
Designing dishes specifically for wine pairing.


Experience coordinating with:


Winemakers
Tasting room managers
Event coordinators