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Cluster Executive Chef – Luxury 5-Star Hospitality – Cape Town Seaboard
HotelJobs Friday, 13 November 2026Job Summary
Cluster Executive Chef – Luxury 5-Star Hospitality – Cape Town Seaboard A prestigious luxury hospitality group is seeking a visionary, commercially astute Cluster Executive Chef to take the helm of its culinary operations at an iconic five-star hotel on the Western Cape’s Atlantic Seaboard. Reporting directly to the General Manager, this is a strategic, hands-on leadership appointment for an accomplished culinary director who can balance creative flair with strict operational and financial discipline. As a key member of the senior management team, you will hold full accountability for culinary standards, brigade leadership, menu engineering, compliance, and departmental profitability across all dining, private guest suites, and event venues. Key Accountabilities Culinary Excellence & Multi-Outlet Innovation Multi-Outlet Oversight: Direct all daily kitchen operations, ensuring consistent five-star quality, presentation, and service across fine dining, all-day casual dining, bar menus, patisserie, poolside service, high tea, in-room dining, and bespoke banqueting. Menu Engineering & Review: Conceptualise and launch seasonal menus showcasing regional produce and sustainable sourcing. Ensure all menus are formally communicated, trained on, and performance-reviewed on a bi-annual basis using guest feedback and sales data. Quality & Supplier Standards: Enforce zero-tolerance quality standards on all incoming fresh produce and dry goods, building strong relationships with ethical and seasonal suppliers. Staff Dining: Oversee ordering, mise-en-place, and frequent quality checks for the staff restaurant to ensure a high standard of employee dining. Brigade Leadership & Training Team Management: Lead, inspire, and mentor a large, multi-tiered kitchen brigade alongside your Executive Sous Chef, cultivating high morale, teamwork, and a disciplined working environment. Cross-Departmental Alignment: Run daily briefings and partner closely with Front of House, Room Service, Banqueting, Stewarding, and Purchasing managers to guarantee seamless service flow. Recruitment & HR Administration: Oversee recruitment, practical trade tests and cook-offs, staff rostering, electronic time-and-attendance tracking, HR documentation, and monthly and annual performance and disciplinary reviews. Structured Training: Maintain the department's Training Manual and deliver ongoing refresher training covering SOPs, dish specifications, pickup charts, knife drills, equipment safety, and Front of House menu tastings. Financial Control, Purchasing & Reporting P&L & Costing Ownership: Take full ownership of kitchen budgets and food cost percentages. Produce accurate recipe, menu, function, and complimentary item costings while enforcing strict portion control and waste reduction. Comprehensive Purchasing: Manage all departmental ordering and requisitions, covering food, gas, kitchen and F&B chemicals, paper supplies, staff uniforms, and equipment or smalls replacements and hires. Stock & Reconciliations: Conduct mid-month and month-end stock takes, alongside monthly reconciliations for chemical suppliers, gas, complimentary items, requisitions, and inter-departmental food transfers. Executive Reporting & Maintenance: Deliver weekly Food Flash reports, variance analyses, budget tracking, and Capex proposals to senior leadership. Liaise closely with the Engineering team to log maintenance issues and keep all kitchen equipment operating safely. Food Safety, Hygiene & Compliance Uncompromising Hygiene: Maintain the highest standards of cleanliness across all food preparation, storage, and staff dining areas. Regulatory & Audit Compliance: Ensure strict adherence to HACCP frameworks, formal Food Control Systems (FCS), local health and safety legislation, and external hygiene audits at all times. Candidate Profile Qualifications: A formal culinary qualification (Diploma or equivalent) from a recognised culinary institution. Experience: Minimum 5–8 years' experience in a senior culinary management role (Executive Chef or senior Executive Sous Chef) within a 4- or 5-star luxury hotel environment. Multi-Outlet Versatility: Proven track record of successfully managing multiple kitchen operations, high-volume banqueting, and large culinary brigades simultaneously. Commercial & Admin Proficiency: Strong financial literacy with hands-on computer proficiency in recipe costing software, stock control systems, budgeting, and electronic attendance administration. Leadership Presence: A well-presented, articulate, and engaging leader who interacts confidently with high-profile guests and leads by example on the pass. Flexibility: Willingness to work shifts, weekends, and public holidays in line with luxury hospitality operational demands. Summary of Role Details & Screening Criteria: Job Type: Permanent, Full-time Ability to commute/relocate: City of Cape Town, Western Cape: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred) Education: Diploma (Required) Experience: HACCP; food safety, hygiene standards and legislation: 5 years (Required) menu development, food presentation and culinary innovation: 5 years (Required) food cost control, budgeting, stock control, waste reduction: 5 years (Required) managing multiple kitchens, large culinary teams: 5 years (Required) stock control systems knowledge: 5 years (Required) Executive Chef in 5 Star Hotel: 5 years (Required) Excel costings, stock sheets, flash reporting skills: 5 years (Required) License/Certification: SA ID (Required) SA Drivers License (Required) Culinary Diploma (Required) Location: City of Cape Town, Western Cape (Preferred) Work Location: In person
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