Cook

Job Description: Cook

A cook is a food production employee whose role is to independently prepare the dishes offered on the menu of a food service establishment.

Main responsibilities

1. Work planning and organization — 15%
2. Meal preparation and compliance with hygiene and sanitation standards — 85%

Responsibility details

1. Work planning and organization

• Analyze and plan the work to be done.
• Organize the work area.
• Review available stock and ingredients.
• Break down and organize the tasks to be completed.
• Carry out kitchen prep work.
• Maintain inventory of equipment and supplies, where applicable.
• Maintain the workstation, tools, and equipment.
• Keep the workstation orderly.
• Provide special support to team members.
• When needed, plan and supervise the work of assistant cooks and dishwashers.

2. Meal preparation and compliance with hygiene and sanitation standards

• Prepare recipes.
• Prepare food items:
  • Stocks, sauces, and soups.
  • Meat- and poultry-based dishes, as well as pasta dishes.
  • Shellfish- and fish-based dishes.
  • Vegetable- and fruit-based dishes, as well as basic desserts.
• Monitor the quality of prepared dishes.
• Plate dishes while taking allergies into account, where applicable.
• Ensure proper food storage.
• Identify foods that need to be stored.
• Determine the appropriate storage method.
• Prepare foods for storage.
• Monitor food preservation and storage.
• Clean and sanitize.
• Apply food hygiene and sanitation rules.
• Open and/or close the kitchen according to the standards established by the head chef.

Working conditions

• Variable work schedule.
• Work may be performed under pressure.
• This role may sometimes require working evenings, weekends, or public holidays.
• This role requires standing for long hours.

Experience

• One to four years of experience in an institutional or commercial kitchen is generally preferred.

Skills and qualifications

General skills

• Teamwork skills.
• Flexibility.
• Organizational skills.
• Good physical condition.
• Ability to analyze and visualize possibilities.
• Ability to communicate information clearly and quickly.
• Mathematical skills, including quantity and proportion calculations.
• Ability to perform several tasks at once (multitasking).
• Ability to lift loads up to 22.27 kg.

Knowledge

• Knowledge and application of basic health and safety principles, WHMIS, as well as hygiene and sanitation practices.
• Knowledge of food allergies.
• Basic culinary knowledge.
• Knowledge of kitchen terminology.

Abilities

• Language skills:
  • Proficiency in spoken and written French.
• Use effective communication strategies or techniques.
• Communicate professionally.
• Strong ability to concentrate in a noisy and fast-paced environment.

Qualities

• Autonomy.
• Initiative.
• Versatility.
• Stress tolerance.
• Dynamism.

Interests

• Tourism.
• Food service.
• Manual work.
• Cooking.

Note: The masculine form is used in this job description solely for the purpose of simplifying the text.