Deli Cook

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Job Type

Full-time

Description

Deli Cook | Community Food Co-op

Who We Are

We are a community owned natural foods grocery store. We're passionate about the Co-op business model, quality food, and our community! We are driven to provide a workplace that engages our team members and raises the bar for excellent employment practices. We strive to create a feeling of inclusivity with all employees and customers. We look for positive people who have a passion for customer service, have fun while working hard, are self-motivated, and want to be a part of a growing team.

What you'll be doing

Help feed our community by preparing and cooking the Co-op's recipes from scratch. Ensure that finished products coming out of the kitchen meet the Co-op standards. Production team members are responsible for providing a welcoming and inclusive environment by offering great customer service. You will also assist with placing orders, receiving products, stocking, and maintaining displays.

Deli Cooks report the Production Department Managers.

Location & Commitments

• Cordata Store, 315 Westerly Rd, Bellingham, WA

• Full-time, Non-Exempt

• Starting pay is $19.15/hr (range is $19.15-$23.55)

• Hours and days vary, morning, evening, and weekend shifts will be assigned

• Schedules are posted at least 2 weeks in advance

What you'll be responsible for:

• Food Preparation: Prepare and cook a variety of dishes, following recipes and menu guidelines. This includes tasks such as chopping, slicing, marinating, seasoning, and mixing ingredients.

• Menu Planning: Assist in developing menus or suggest new dishes based on seasonal ingredients, customer preferences, or culinary trends. Collaborate with Deli Managers to ensure menu items are prepared efficiently and consistently. Maintain awareness of all deli promotions and advertisements.

• Quality Control: Ensure the quality and taste of food by monitoring cooking times, temperatures, and seasoning. Taste and adjust dishes as needed to meet established standards. Maintain high standards of food presentation.

• Food Safety and Sanitation: Adhere to proper food safety and sanitation practices to maintain a clean and hygienic work environment. This includes storing, handling, and disposing of food items correctly, and complying with health department regulations.

• Kitchen Organization: Maintain a well-organized and clean kitchen area. Properly store ingredients, utensils, and equipment, and ensure their availability and functionality. Monitor and replenish stock levels of food items, spices, and supplies. May received product and/or place orders as directed by managers.

• Timeliness and Efficiency: Work efficiently to ensure timely preparation of food. Coordinate with other kitchen staff to ensure smooth operations and timely delivery of food.

• Collaboration and Communication: Collaborate with other kitchen staff to coordinate food preparation and ensure a cohesive team environment. Communicate effectively to relay information, discuss menu changes, and address any issues that arise during shift.

• Equipment and Safety Maintenance: Properly use and maintain kitchen equipment, including ovens, grills, fryers, knives, and other tools. Report any equipment malfunctions or safety hazards to supervisors promptly.

• Adaptability and Creativity: Demonstrate adaptability in adjusting to changing menu items, customer requests, or kitchen procedures. Show creativity and innovation in suggesting new dishes, flavor combinations, or presentation techniques.

• Cleanliness and Organization: Maintain cleanliness and organization throughout the kitchen. Clean workstations, equipment, and utensils regularly. Follow cleaning schedules and assist in deep cleaning tasks as required.

• May be asked to perform other front and back of house duties as needed.

Requirements

What skills are needed:

• Culinary Skills: Possessing a strong foundation in culinary skills is crucial for cooks. This includes knowledge of cooking techniques, such as sautéing, grilling, baking, frying, and braising. Understanding flavor profiles, ingredient combinations, and cooking times is essential.

• Food Safety and Hygiene: Cooks must be well-versed in food safety principles and proper hygiene practices. This includes understanding safe food handling, storage, and temperature control to prevent foodborne illnesses. Familiarity with health department regulations and guidelines and ability to maintain current food worker card is crucial.

• Knife Skills: Cooks should have excellent knife skills to safely and efficiently perform tasks such as slicing, dicing, mincing, and chopping ingredients.

• Time Management: Effective time management skills are necessary to prioritize tasks, coordinate multiple dishes, and ensure that dishes are prepared and served in a timely manner.

• Organization and Efficiency: ability to navigate the kitchen efficiently, locate ingredients and utensils quickly, and maintain a clean and clutter-free work area.

• Attention to Detail: Must carefully follow recipes, adhere to portion sizes, and ensure precise seasoning and cooking times. Attention to detail also extends to food presentation and garnishing.

• Taste and Palate Development: Ability to discern flavors, season dishes appropriately, and make adjustments to achieve desired taste profiles.

• Adaptability and Creativity: Ability to adapt to changing circumstances, such as ingredient availability or menu modifications, should be creative in developing new recipes, experimenting with flavors, and improvising when necessary.

• Communication and Teamwork: Effective, clear, and concise communication helps maintain a cohesive team environment, facilitate accuracy, and ensure smooth operations. This also includes the ability to meet regular and predictable attendance, and work a flexible schedule.

• Stress Management: Possess strong stress management skills to stay calm under pressure, make quick decisions, and maintain focus and productivity during busy periods.

• Problem-Solving: Ability to troubleshoot issues that arise during food preparation, such as ingredient substitutions, equipment malfunctions, or unexpected changes in the menu.

• Cleanliness and Sanitation: Cooks must adhere to strict cleanliness and sanitation practices to maintain a hygienic work environment. This includes proper cleaning of equipment, utensils, and workstations, as well as following sanitation guidelines for food handling and storage.

Physical requirements:

• Standing and Walking: Cooks spend most of their shifts on their feet, standing and moving around the kitchen. The ability to stand and walk for extended periods without discomfort is essential.

• Lifting and Carrying: Cooks often handle heavy pots, pans, containers of ingredients, and kitchen equipment. Physical strength and the ability to lift and carry moderate to heavy loads safely are important. Ability to lift 30 lbs. often, up to 50 lbs. occasionally.

• Manual Dexterity: Cooks use their hands and fingers extensively in food preparation tasks, such as chopping, slicing, and dicing ingredients. They need excellent manual dexterity to handle knives, utensils, and small kitchen tools with precision and coordination.

• Repetitive Motions: Cooking often involves repetitive motions, such as stirring, whisking, or flipping items on a grill or stove.

• Bending and Stooping: Cooks frequently need to bend or stoop to access lower storage areas, retrieve items from refrigerators or cabinets, and clean equipment or surfaces. Flexibility and the ability to bend and stoop comfortably are necessary to perform these tasks efficiently. Frequent reaching, bending, twisting, and rotating.

• Reaching and Stretching: Reaching for ingredients, utensils, or equipment located at different heights is common in a kitchen.

• Tolerance for High Temperatures: Kitchen environments can be hot, especially near cooking equipment and ovens. Cooks should be able to tolerate high temperatures without it significantly affecting their performance or well-being.

• Coordination and Balance: Cooks often need to navigate a busy kitchen environment while handling hot pans, sharp knives, and slippery surfaces. Good coordination and balance are crucial to avoid accidents and ensure safe and efficient work.

• Exposure to Noise and Cleaning Chemicals: Ability to work in moderate and loud noise environments including, but not limited to paging, telephones, human voices, music, and machinery. Exposure to FDA approved cleaning chemicals.

• Must be at least 18 years of age.

Benefits at the Co-op

• Up to 25% staff discount & access to wholesale orders

• Great medical/dental/vision and supplemental insurance options

• 401(k) w/match

• Paid time off

• Pay on Demand

• Potential year-end bonus

• Access to employee assistance program

Important Disclaimer: Employees are expected to act in the best interest of the Co-op, even if doing so requires actions or responsibilities not listed in the above job description. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by those assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned which are not considered essential and may not be listed here.

Salary Description

19.15-23.55