A lead cook is hired by a restaurant to ensure that all kitchen operations such as cooking, food preparation, and supplies inventory and staff management are handled with precision and care.
They are not just cooks – they are managers and supervisors as well.
The first thing that employers look at when hiring a lead cook is how well he or she handles kitchen staff, in addition to what he or she knows about cooking different cuisines.
An employer will consider you an eligible candidate for a lead cook position if you have a degree in culinary sciences, and some experience to go with it.
A lead cook resume is a 1-page document that introduces you and your competencies to the prospective employer.
Here is a great lead cook sample resume to get ideas from:
Lead Cook Resume Example
Craig Shaw
Elizabeth Town, PA
(000) 999-2510
craigshaw @ email . com
LEAD COOK
SUMMARY
Over 15 years of successful experience in preparing and cooking local and international cuisines. Focused on cooking quality food items, with special attention to keeping both taste and quality in accordance with established standards for both. A great leader who is committed to working collaboratively.
CORE COMPETENCIES
– Menu Planning – Recipe Development
– Inventory Management – Food Preparation
– Operational Smoothness – Sanitation Practices
– Kitchen Safety Protocols – Staff Scheduling
– Stock Management – Food Rotation
– Preventative Maintenance – Equipment Operations
HIGHLIGHTS
• Highly skilled in ensuring patron satisfaction through consistent and quick preparation of menu items.
• Competent in supervising and coordinating the activities of kitchen staff to ensure smooth operations.
• Expert in planning menus according to the specific tastes of patrons.
• First-hand experience in handling and overseeing supplies and food items inventory to ensure constant availability of both.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
• Incorporated a health section in the existing menu, resulting in a 50% increase in restaurant patrons.
• Put in place strict sanitation practices, which resulted in 85% fewer complaints
• Trained 12 kitchen staff members to handle the Thai and Chinese menu dishes, making it easy for the rest of the kitchen staff to concentrate on the main menu dishes.
• Successfully implemented measures that brought about kitchen operations smoothness, making it easy for staff members to handle their work in a timely fashion.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Lead Cook
The Outpost, Elizabethtown, PA
2014 – Present
• Confer with restaurant management to determine specifics for menu development purposes.
• Create recipes in accordance with the standards of the restaurant and have them approved by the management.
• Oversee food preparation work and assist line cooks in preparing food items by slicing, dicing, and cutting.
• Handle any complaints according to the restaurant’s protocols and procedures and ensure that similar situations do not arise again.
Line Cook
Some Company, Elizabethtown, PA
2010 – 2014
• Cooked food by frying, grilling, and baking food items according to set recipes.
• Oversaw the repair and maintenance of kitchen equipment such as ovens, grills, burners, and refrigerators.
• Created and maintain effective liaison with suppliers and vendors to ensure timely delivery of both.
• Created entrees and ensured that portioning was done according to the standards set by the restaurant.
Cook Assistant
The Elmer Restaurant, Elizabethtown, PA
2007 – 2010
• Assisted the head cook in creating recipes according to established guidelines.
• Created food items such as salads, soups, and main entrees by ensuring that recipe standards are followed.
• Oversaw presentation and portioning of each takeaway and dine-in order according to established protocols.
EDUCATION
Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts | 2006
Elizabethtown Culinary Institute, Elizabethtown, PA
Lead Cook Job Description for Resume
- Work with hotel or restaurant management to create menus according to the specific image of the facility.
- Create recipes for a wide variety of cuisines including French, Italian, Persian, Spanish, Middle Eastern, and Asian.
- Provide training to assistants and line cooks in preparing and cooking food items according to set recipes.
- Measure and use the right quantity of ingredients to cook menu items.
- Prepare sauces, salads, and soups according to established recipes and ensure that they are properly stored.
- Perform portioning and garnishing work to ensure the aesthetic appeal of each prepared entrée.
- Ensure that all prepared items are timely handed over to the serving staff.
- Oversee the work of kitchen staff to ensure that all protocols and procedures are being followed.
- Strictly follow hygiene and sanitary protocols and intervene in any instances of rule infringement.
- Coordinate the repair and maintenance of kitchen equipment such as grills, fryers, and ovens.
- Create and maintain liaison with vendors and suppliers to ensure timely and accurate delivery of kitchen supplies and equipment.
- Perform and oversee food storage and rotation activities to minimize food spoilage.
Lead Cook Skills and Abilities
A lead cook can provide the following details of his or her skills in a resume or cover letter:
- Track record of success in creating menus and recipes in accordance with the image and requirements of the restaurant or hotel.
- Effectively able to prepare, marinate, cook, grill, and bake menu items, while following established recipes.
- Talented in cooking food items across a large variety of cuisines such as Italian, French, Indian, Spanish, American, and Persian.
- Ability to precisely measure ingredients in accordance with instructions provided in recipes.
- First-hand experience in preparing specialty foods such as pizza, fish and chips, sandwiches, and paninis.
- Documented success in verifying that food items meet quality standards, as set by the facility.
- Skilled in cooking and packaging batches of food and placing them in storage areas, specially designated for them.
- Competent at maintaining sanitation, health, and safety standards according to established protocols
- Qualified to oversee and maintain kitchen supplies and equipment inventory to ensure the availability of items at all times.
- Focused on creating and maintaining effective liaisons with suppliers and vendors to ensure timely and accurate delivery of supplies and equipment.
- First-hand experience in hiring, training, and deploying staff members to ensure operational smoothness of the kitchen.