The Leopard, an exciting new fully licenced Italian/Euro deli café and meeting place in Leura NSW. Providing a curated range of rustic Italian inspired deli favourites, pastas, salads, fresh breads and retail ready to cook meals. Graciously serving the Blue Mountains Community in a comfortable yet convivial environment.

The role requires culinary skill and the ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, often for long hours. You will be required to work early mornings, evenings and weekends. Your specific duties can vary widely from day to day.

Positional Brief:

• The main responsibility is to prepare high-quality food meticulously according to established recipes and standards.
• Key duties include measuring ingredients, using various cooking techniques (e.g., sauté, larder, assembly, grilling, roasting, frying), and plating/garnishing to establish specifications
• In addition to cooking, this role involves inspecting the freshness of ingredients, cold & hot production, portioning/dating food, food rotation and maintaining a clean and sanitary workstation. 

Work environment:

• The team at the Leopard aim to provide an upbeat, pleasant, and respectful environment. However, a kitchen environment will be hectic and noisy, working in tight spaces with others. 
• The work can be  physically demanding, requiring long periods of standing (up to 3 hours at a time, bending, and lifting items up to 25 kilos. 
• Cooks often work full-time, with shifts that will include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays. 

Core responsibilities

• Food preparation: Execute food preparation tasks, including chopping vegetables, portioning meat, and mixing ingredients according to specified recipes.
• Cooking and plating: Cook menu items using a variety of kitchen equipment and cooking methods, ensuring each dish meets established recipe specifications, cooking quality and plating, garnishing and presentation standards.
• Safety and sanitation: Adhere to all food handling, safety, and sanitation guidelines throughout the kitchen areas and rubbish/recycling area. This includes proper storage and rotation of food products to prevent spoilage. Strict personal grooming and hygiene standards. Safe food handling techniques as dictated by standards of the NSW Food Authority Safe Food Handling 
• Inventory management: Using established procedures, monitor and restock the assigned kitchen station with necessary food products and supplies to ensure a smooth and continuous service.
• Ensures that all equipment is operational by following all operating instructions; troubleshooting faults, communicating immediately any mechanical faults and repair calls, providing preventive maintenance, assists leadership team in providing “work arounds” when maintenance issues arise.  
• Team collaboration: Work effectively with other kitchen and service staff, communicating clearly, respectfully with a smile to ensure timely and accurate order completion. 
• Generates revenue by attracting new guests, offering potential new menu items, products and services to the leadership team for consideration. 

Necessary qualifications

Education and training

• On-the-job training: Using validation training provided and all associated forms, continue learning new skills through on-the-job experience. Must be able to take direction and communicate effectively with the kitchen manager and brigade.  Providing ongoing advice regarding current skill levels, recipe understanding and operational processes. 
• Culinary programs: A commercial cookery certificate or Chef de Partie apprenticeship would highly regarded.
• Certifications: NSW Safe Food handler certification required, or to be completed. 

Skills and traits

• Culinary expertise: Strong knowledge of cooking techniques, kitchen equipment operation, and recipe comprehension.
• Attention to detail: The ability to accurately follow established recipes and ensure consistency in dish preparation and presentation.
• Physical stamina: The capacity to endure long hours on one's feet and perform physically demanding tasks in a high-stress environment.
• Teamwork: The ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues to manage orders during busy periods.
• Time management: The skill to manage multiple tasks and prioritize work efficiently to meet service demands. 
• Continuous Improvement: Improves quality results by studying, evaluating, and re-designing processes; implementing changes; maintaining and improving the appearance of the store and coffee bar.
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading retail trade, and food service publications; maintaining personal networks.
• Enhances the Leopards reputation by accepting ownership for role, accomplishing new and different requests, exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments

Essential Hiring Criteria

• English: must be able to read, write and converse in English competently.
• Mathematical Skills: competent skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
  Pleasant Disposition and ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to follow directions and the ability to ask questions to clarify.
• Respectful always
• Understand basic problem-solving and conflict resolution skills to their positional level of empowerment. 

TO APPLY

Please mention the role you are applying for in the subject line of the email. 
A short letter should address your skills and experience in a similar role.  
Please also include your CV as an attachment.  

Send your application letter and CV to melissa@theleoparddeli.com.au