Banquet Sous Chef

Job Title

Banquet Sous Chef – Appellation Lodi – Wine & Roses Resort and Spa

We are seeking a talented and experienced Banquet Sous Chef to support the Banquet Chef by overseeing day‑to‑day administration and culinary operations in the banquet kitchen. Responsibilities include planning, budgeting, setting and enforcing high standards, training, and ensuring exceptional guest relations—all aligned with the company’s mission. This full‑time position requires flexible availability, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

• Understand and execute the menu on the Banquet Event Order
• Assist in creating and implementing innovative dishes and plate presentations with the Banquet Chef
• Giving instructions to kitchen staff in fine points of cooking
• Monitor food production, quality and consistency, and staffing levels on a daily basis
• Maintain operating and reporting systems for controlling food cost, labor cost, supplies, and other expenses
• Work with the Banquet Chef and Executive Chef on implementation of menus, plating, service specifications, quality, and sanitation
• Establish professional demeanor and standards for the Culinary Team that reflects the company ethos
• Delegate responsibility effectively to use the strengths of the entire culinary team
• Responsible for morale, motivation, training, development, and counseling of all staff; provide direction, coaching and leadership as well as frequent staff meetings to affect training, knowledge, and feedback
• Responsible for a daily line‑up meeting
• Make daily inspections of all physical kitchen space including the storage areas, walk‑ins, dish stations, line, and prep areas for adherence of sanitation, cleanliness, safety, and appearance
• Provide a friendly and professional atmosphere throughout the kitchen while ensuring that all staff rules and regulations are enforced
• Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists; interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form
• Be proactive in professional business memberships to obtain fair positioning for the restaurant and business leads
• Specify and purchase all food goods to be used within the kitchen, as assigned by the Banquet Chef
• Oversee maintenance of all kitchen equipment
• Cover line cook shifts on slow or off days or as needed
• Ensure operational maintenance of all health and safety requirements as per County Health Department regulations; assure cleanliness, OSHA safety and health code sanitation requirements of all interior and exterior spaces
• Must have full knowledge of menus and recipes; follow all recipe specifications and presentation guidelines accurately
• Uphold quality standards, portion control, production level and presentation of food according to company standards and recipes
• Ensure the proper rotation, labeling and dating of all products in the storage areas to control waste and prevent loss
• Maintain daily product freshness on assigned stations
• Ensure all products are prepared, held, and served at correct temperatures
• Follow all work‑safety practices, i.e., knife handling, meat cutters, lifting practices, oven, and stove‑top safety

• Pay: $26.00 per hour
• Vacation & Holiday pay
• 401(k) matching
• Health benefits including medical, dental, and vision
• Life insurance and EAP
• Aflac supplemental
• Team member discounts

Appellation is a culinary‑focused hotel company that embraces authenticity and locality in everything we do. We believe in the power of regional character, community, and culture to create exceptional experiences for our guests. Every element of an Appellation experience is true to place, thoughtfully composed, and crafted with the highest regard to quality. Appellation Lodi – Wine & Roses Resort and Spa offers the perfect setting for romantic getaways, special occasions, business events, and more.

As San Joaquin’s leader in hospitality and culinary excellence, we provide a strong team atmosphere and career growth opportunities in various fields, including hotel industry, culinary arts, event planning, spa & wellness, administration, and management.