HEAD COOK RESUME EXAMPLE
Published: May 7, 2025 – The Head Cook is responsible for leading the catering and hospitality team to ensure exceptional service delivery, financial efficiency, and high standards in food quality and compliance. This position oversees food and beverage operations, including menu planning, staff recruitment, procurement, and customer engagement. The head also ensures all food preparation and service activities meet health, safety, and hygiene regulations while supporting residents' dietary needs.

Tips for Head Cook Skills and Responsibilities on a Resume
1. Head Cook, The Blue Plate Bistro, Springfield, IL
Job Summary:
- Prepare and plan meals for a fixed period within the menu cycle.
- Ensure meals are of a high quality, content, and appetisingly presented.
- Review meals with residents/patients and their relatives, ensuring at all times that dietary needs and preferences are met.
- Ensure a balanced diet is achieved from a variety of menus
- Buy and order fresh food, goods, and other items within company policy, guidelines, and budget.
- Control stocks and purchases and allocate quantities of materials.
- Keep an account of stock shelf life.
- Ensure foodstuffs are probed for temperature readings and only served if correct temperature readings are obtained.
- Only accept delivered food if it is at the correct temperature, especially frozen food.
- Ensure fridge and freezer temperatures are recorded daily.
- Ensure that after each meal, samples of food are retained in sample pots in chilled form for the required period.
- Maintain kitchen equipment as specified by the respective manufacturers
- Ensure cleaning regimes are in place, regularly reviewed, and vigorously applied.
Skills on Resume:
- Meal Planning (Hard Skills)
- Food Presentation (Hard Skills)
- Dietary Assessment (Soft Skills)
- Menu Planning (Hard Skills)
- Stock Management (Hard Skills)
- Temperature Control (Hard Skills)
- Equipment Maintenance (Hard Skills)
- Hygiene Compliance (Hard Skills)
2. Head Cook, Riverstone Grill, Denver, CO
Job Summary:
- Cook for 150-300 people and lead kitchen operations 5 days a week
- Use existing food inventory and donated food to create weekly menus and ensure balanced, nutritionally healthy meals are served.
- Oversee, prepare, and provide nutritionally balanced daily meals with the help of volunteers and staff
- Understand and communicate safe food handling procedures in support of health code standards.
- Ensure the kitchen complies with Ottawa County Department of Community Health regulations.
- Perform monthly food safety audits of Food Club, Food Club clean room, Community Kitchen, and Demonstration Kitchen.
- Develop and strengthen community partnerships in the areas of food, service, and volunteering
- Maintain proper food inventory and coordinate with the Food Club Team and Logistics
- Maintain an organized kitchen and supply space to ensure the team has the necessary supplies to run smoothly.
- Ensure the FIFO system is followed for onsite and off-site inventory coolers/freezers and warehoused food.
- Train volunteers to ensure proper expectations, safety, food prep, and guest interactions.
- Work collaboratively with the Food Club team to coordinate demo kitchen usage.
- Build community partnerships to best utilize the demonstration kitchen.
Skills on Resume:
- Large-Scale Cooking (Hard Skills)
- Menu Planning (Hard Skills)
- Nutritional Meal Preparation (Hard Skills)
- Food Safety Compliance (Hard Skills)
- Food Safety Audits (Hard Skills)
- Community Partnership Building (Soft Skills)
- Inventory Management (Hard Skills)
- Volunteer Training (Soft Skills)
3. Head Cook, Maplewood Kitchen, Austin, TX
Job Summary:
- Establish the menu with the CEO and contact suppliers
- Be responsible for kitchen staff recruitment with the CEO, training, and work schedule
- Prepare and implement operational processes and action plans to achieve agreed productivity goals
- Ensure that all customer orders are processed and completed accurately and on time
- Work with the marketing manager to develop an effective sales strategy
- Develop and execute safety and hygiene policies, procedures, and certification programs for food handling following the relevant food quality system
- Manage purchase orders, inventory, and the warehouse.
- Provide leadership and direction to employees in receiving, processing, fulfilling shipping orders
- Identify and solve everyday problems related to the incidence of orders and operations in the kitchen
- Carry out management responsibilities following the organization's policies and applicable laws
- Manage orders and communication with suppliers
- Manage the team's work schedule, replacements, holidays, and absences
Skills on Resume:
- Menu Planning (Hard Skills)
- Staff Recruitment (Soft Skills)
- Operational Process Implementation (Hard Skills)
- Order Management (Hard Skills)
- Sales Strategy Development (Soft Skills)
- Food Safety Compliance (Hard Skills)
- Inventory Management (Hard Skills)
- Problem Solving (Soft Skills)
4. Head Cook, Sunset Cove Resort, Key Largo, FL
Job Summary:
- Prepare and set up the kitchen for Breakfast and provide cereals and toast from stock
- Cook up to 20 clients' meals a day, plus staff and volunteers, using fresh food
- Plan menus in line with stock
- Keep a record of the menus produced and the food provided
- Monitor food stocks and Stores and purchasing of goods, including Bread
- Keep all kitchen and dining surfaces clean, and all crockery, kitchen utensils are clean, washed, and dried, and put away after use
- Make sure all working conditions and equipment are well maintained in the kitchen, i.e., stick to the cleaning rota and make sure deep fat fryer, oven cleaning, etc, are adhered to
- Carry out food hygiene procedures following food hygiene regulations, temperature checks, and recording of food temperatures, etc
- Day-to-day recordings to be recorded in Better Food Better Business
- Record foods bought, cooked, dated, etc
- Manage inventory to ensure a low COGS and fresh product
- Complete all ordering and ensure accuracy in deliveries and quality of goods
- Assist in training BOH and FOH on new menu items, plating, and prep methods
Skills on Resume:
- Kitchen Setup (Hard Skills)
- Cooking Meals (Hard Skills)
- Menu Planning (Hard Skills)
- Record-Keeping (Hard Skills)
- Inventory Management (Hard Skills)
- Food Hygiene and Safety (Hard Skills)
- Equipment Maintenance (Hard Skills)
- Training and Staff Assistance (Soft Skills)
5. Head Cook, The Green Fork Café, Portland, OR
Job Summary:
- Ensure that all requirements within the Good Food Better Business Folder are recorded daily in compliance with Legislation.
- Be aware of and cater to clients' dietary needs and preferences.
- Have food allergy awareness, they have dairy-free, IDDSI pureed and minced, and moist diets.
- Involve the people who support in menu planning.
- Control stocks and purchases, thereby allocating the quantity of materials.
- Take responsibility for ordering food and accepting deliveries.
- Keep all purchases within the allocated budget.
- Ensure that all food is used within the required period, with particular attention being paid to perishable goods.
- Undertake and maintain high standards of hygiene and Cleaning
- Ensure kitchen, food preparation, and food storage areas are always clean by using a cleaning schedule and recording when completed.
- Ensure all equipment is maintained to Health and Safety Standards and report any problems to the Management Team immediately.
- Assist with Special Events and Catering
- Provide excellent customer service
Skills on Resume:
- Compliance Recording (Hard Skills)
- Dietary Awareness (Soft Skills)
- Allergy Awareness (Hard Skills)
- Menu Planning (Soft Skills)
- Stock Control (Hard Skills)
- Order Management (Hard Skills)
- Hygiene Standards (Hard Skills)
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
6. Head Cook, Pinehill Diner, Charlotte, NC
Job Summary:
- Prepare, cook and serve nutritional, balanced and appetising meals for patients, staff and visitors
- Liaise with nursing colleagues to meet patients’ nutritional and dietary needs
- Ensure the cleanliness of the kitchen, service areas, and dining room
- Assist with menu planning and ordering
- Maintain personal hygiene to comply with Cygnet standards and food hygiene regulations
- Ensure record keeping is kept up to date and accurate in line with food hygiene regulations and Cygnet procedures
- Handle, maintain, and store kitchen equipment following Cygnet procedures
- Use chemicals in line with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations
- Ensure that any concerns raised by the team are appropriately managed.
- Create menus for events and themed evenings
- Offer residents an excellent choice of meals that provide good nutritional value
- Assist with other kitchen duties and ensure HACCP is followed
- Be committed to providing the highest standards of hygiene at all times
Skills on Resume:
- Meal Preparation (Hard Skills)
- Nutritional Liaison (Soft Skills)
- Kitchen Cleanliness (Hard Skills)
- Menu Planning (Hard Skills)
- Record Keeping (Hard Skills)
- Equipment Handling (Hard Skills)
- Chemical Safety (Hard Skills)
- Team Management (Soft Skills)
7. Head Cook, Redwood Culinary, Sacramento, CA
Job Summary:
- Work to inspire, lead, and have responsibility for the catering and hospitality team and to exceed expectations on customer service, financial performance, and service quality.
- Be responsible for the delivery and management of the provision of food and beverage services at the location.
- Work with the Manager to develop the strategy for the hospitality service to contribute to the income strategy, including service diversification
- Be involved in the recruitment of hospitality staff to build a motivated and qualified team.
- Contribute to the support offered to residents, working with other location teams - Care, Wellbeing, and dementia support, taking into account any specific dietary needs.
- Promote quality and value for money control procedures for procurement and stock management.
- Engage with residents on menu planning, pricing, and service provision.
- Actively monitor customer requirements and proactively address complaints and comments.
- Deliver a safe and compliant service within the legal frameworks of Health and Safety, Food Handling, and Hygiene.
- Take responsibility for managing food preparation
- Direct kitchen staff and handling all food-related issues, including checking up on food supplies, planning menus, and so on
Skills on Resume:
- Team Leadership (Soft Skills)
- Food and Beverage Management (Hard Skills)
- Service Strategy Development (Hard Skills)
- Staff Recruitment (Soft Skills)
- Dietary Support (Soft Skills)
- Stock Management (Hard Skills)
- Customer Engagement (Soft Skills)
- Compliance and Safety (Hard Skills)
8. Head Cook, Lakeside Dining, Madison, WI
Job Summary:
- Leading the catering team to provide nutritionally balanced, attractive, and well-presented meals
- Preparing and cooking foods of all types to meet the company and industry standard, including meeting special dietary needs.
- Determining production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure the timely delivery of the service.
- Working with Company menus, taking into account such factors as seasonal availability of ingredients and the anticipated number of portions, while operating within the limitations of the budget.
- Supporting customers to ensure that individuals are offered choice and their needs are met.
- Being responsible for managing the catering team, including inducting new staff, supervising, and appraising.
- Leading and supervising the catering team in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of food.
- Working with the team to plan and develop recipes and alternatives, taking account of the varied dietary and texture requirements of customers.
- Ordering food, estimating amounts and costs for required supplies of food, ingredients, and other supplies needed to ensure the efficient running of the kitchen.
- Reviewing the quantity and quality of received products and managing appropriate stock rotation, supplies, equipment, and work areas.
- Monitoring and maintaining hygiene practices and ensuring that the team follows the set company HACCP and IPC standards and meets legal requirements to achieve and maintain 5-star hygiene ratings.
- Liaising with suppliers and staff from all areas of business and providing information to supervisors, the catering team, contractors, and others.
Skills on Resume:
- Team Leadership (Soft Skills)
- Food Preparation (Hard Skills)
- Production Scheduling (Hard Skills)
- Menu Management (Hard Skills)
- Customer Support (Soft Skills)
- Staff Management (Soft Skills)
- Recipe Development (Hard Skills)
- Ordering and Stock Management (Hard Skills)