Executive Chef

SUMMARY:
Hospitality Hire is recruiting an Executive Chef for a luxury hotel in Cape Town where refined dining, exceptional ingredients, and memorable guest experiences come together.
This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate culinary leader to take ownership of the kitchen and shape a dining experience that reflects the elegance and sophistication of a luxury hospitality environment.
From signature restaurant offerings to curated guest experiences and large-scale events, the Executive Chef will play a central role in defining the culinary identity of the property.

POSITION INFO:
The hotel features multiple food and beverage outlets as well as a busy conference and banqueting operation, requiring a chef who is equally comfortable delivering refined à la carte dining while leading high-volume event and conference catering.
We are seeking a chef who combines creativity with strong operational leadership and who understands the importance of consistency, quality, and team development in a high-end hotel environment.

About the Role
As Executive Chef, you will lead the entire culinary operation of the hotel, ensuring exceptional standards across all dining outlets, conferences, banqueting, and guest experiences.
This role requires a hands-on culinary professional who can:
- Lead and inspire a talented kitchen brigade
- Create menus that reflect seasonal ingredients and modern culinary trends
- Maintain exceptional food quality, presentation, and consistency
- Deliver outstanding culinary experiences across both restaurants and large-scale events
You will work closely with senior management and Food & Beverage leadership to ensure the hotel’s dining experiences support both guest satisfaction and commercial success.

Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage the entire kitchen operation across multiple food and beverage outlets
- Oversee the culinary delivery for a busy conference and banqueting operation
- Design and implement creative, high-quality menus for restaurants, events, and functions
- Maintain exceptional food quality, consistency, and presentation standards
- Manage kitchen budgets, food costs, stock control, and procurement processes
- Recruit, train, mentor, and develop kitchen team members
- Ensure full compliance with food safety, hygiene, and health regulations
- Collaborate closely with Food & Beverage leadership to enhance guest dining experiences
- Oversee kitchen operations during conferences, events, and high-volume service periods
- Identify opportunities to innovate, improve efficiency, and enhance the culinary offering

Minimum Requirements
- Matric / Grade 12
- A recognised culinary qualification or professional chef training
- Proven experience as an Executive Chef or Senior Sous Chef within a luxury hotel environment
- Strong experience managing multi-outlet hotel kitchens and large culinary teams
- Experience overseeing conference, events, and banqueting operations
- Solid understanding of food cost control, kitchen financials, and procurement
- Strong leadership and team development skills
- Exceptional attention to detail and passion for culinary excellence
- Ability to perform in a fast-paced, guest-focused hospitality environment