Party Ingredients has brigade openings for Chefs de Partie - a fantastic variety of fresh, seasonal dishes using the best quality ingredients at events all over London and the South East; great work / life balance - largely Monday to Friday (up to 2 weekends per month) with 5 days and 2 evenings or 4 days and 3 evenings each week. Permanent and Seasonal roles available.

Working Hours
08.30 – 17.30 Working 5 days per week. NB. The business operates at weekends and a weekend day may be substituted for a weekday. Additionally you will work an average of 2 evenings per week at events – these usually finish at or before 23.30.
Introduction
The base kitchen at South Quay deals with all food production for special events.We have a team of experienced chefs who are permanently employed and supplement this brigade seasonally with chefs of all grades. All chefs begin their day at South Quay (unless they are based in an on site kitchen).They may go to a lunchtime event (leaving at approximately 10am) or an evening event (leaving at approximately 4pm), but generally they will spend their working day as part of a brigade working across all kitchen disciplines and contributing to food production for a range of events.
Our chefs should all be:

Naturally quick workers
Neat and consistent in their work
Able to take and accurately follow instruction.
Able to follow recipes and achieve a consistent result.
Interested and stimulated by good food

Job Description
Chefs lead, or work within a team in the production kitchen and will work across all sections with their team of mixed experience chefs. There will be constant on the job training, and you will see an enormous variety of food. Duties will include:
·Fruit, vegetable and meat prep
·Canape production
·Dessert and Petit Fours production
·Following recipes accurately to reproduce ordered dishes.
·Cleaning and clearing up in the kitchen
·Cooking or assisting at outside events
·Skill sharing and mentoring less experienced team members.
We aim to achieve staff retention in the brigades and many members of the teams are very long standing.We aim to increase the skill set of every chef in the kitchen, whilst also exploiting their particular strengths. Initially a chef will work with each of the 3 teams, across a variety of types of food production. Everything is made in house, and chefs should expect to be involved seasonally in preserving, cordial production, ice cream making, butchery, pastry and hot prep.We often link teams and individual chefs to particular venues in order for them to gain in confidence and expertise in specific places, and with specific clients or types of service.
In time we would expect the job to progress to:
·More challenging food production jobs
·More challenging events
·Leadership responsibility
Events
Chefs will be scheduled to work an average of 2 evenings per week at events, and similar skills will be required. Preparation and presentation at events (including plating up) happens at great speed, so accuracy is very important.The ability to plan and execute a meal for large numbers of people requires concentration and discipline, and this applies to the chef in charge, and the team working with them.
Whatever the chef position, they could be a commis at lunchtime on a banquet for 700 under the Executive Chef or Director of Cooking, and then Head Chef in the evening on a small reception in their designated venue.In service as at the base kitchen, we aim to build the skill set of every chef in the brigade allowing opportunities to lead service, but also to assist.
About You
This is a client facing role within the company and we will look for the following attributes in our ideal candidates:
·Perfect spoken English
·Immaculate personal presentation
·Physical fitness
·experience of catering
·experience of working to health and safety management systems.
·Personal ambition and dynamism
·A passion for good food and drink, served elegantly.
About Us
Party Ingredients is a longstanding London caterer with a reputation for fine food and drink, a 21st Century approach to sustainability, including paying a Living Wage to all employees, the ability to deliver to a consistently high standard and an eye for creative detail.
We are different from many of our competitors in that we run a largely in house operation – all food is made by us in our prep kitchens, from Petit fours, to ice creams to specialist breads; we own our own equipment rather than using hire companies and we have our own team of staff, rather than using agencies.We are active in the private and corporate markets, as well as having a reputation for large scale, set piece formal events (State banquets and receptions etc). We are disciplined and hardworking, flexible and profitable.
We are accredited at many of London’s best events venues, we have a portfolio of contracted venues across the City, central and west London and our sister company is at the forefront of the English wine renaissance.We invest in the development of our team with in house and outsourced accreditations, stage placements and tailored training programs.
We have a hands on team of directors who work on a daily basis with their teams – we are looking for a highly skilled, highly motivated hands on catering professional to join our very successful operation.
Progression
There is considerable scope for progression in these roles – establishing expertise in every area of the kitchen and at events of all types. Progressing from providing strong support to delivering events alone and then with assistance. There are members of our brigade who have developed with us, from unskilled but enthusiastic young people to highly skilled, professional event chefs.
Salary
CDP - £11.00 - £12.00 per hour for 7 shifts over 5 days each week (average 45- 55 hours).
28 Days holiday per annum and incentivised gym membership scheme, cycle to work scheme, employee profit share and pension contributions after a 3 month probation period.
Immediate starts available.
Fixed Term contracts available to the end of July, with further contracts available in September until the end of the year.