CV

PERSONAL STATEMENT

I am a passionate chef with excellent leadership qualities and a deep-rooted love for my job that I transmit to those around me and utilise to ensure that I get the best out of my team. I am highly organised and efficient and ensure that everything runs smoothly at all times. I have excellent time management skills and my years of experience in fine dining mean that for me attention to detail is paramount all the way from the ordering/GP side of the role to the finished dish that is sent out from the passe to the customer.

I have been working in the restaurant business for nearly 20 years and I continue to feel as enthusiastic as the very first day I stepped into the kitchen.. With every year that passes I feel keener to rise to new challenges and to push the boundaries of my own culinary creativity in order to be constantly improving and never remaining stagnant. Having experienced all aspects of the kitchen over such a prolonged period of time has also given me superb recruitment abilities and I am able to see how a person will work in any role because I myself have done those roles at one time or another and I have worked with such a variety of people that I am now an extremely good judge of character.

As well as undergoing professional training at catering college I have also learnt about the kitchen the old fashioned way – from starting at the bottom and working my way up from my very first role as a kitchen porter all the way up to Executive Chef in a 5* hotel with a large number of covers every night. Throughout my career I have ensured that I have worked in well respected and high quality restaurants alongside chefs who are held in high regard. This has given me the opportunity to really benefit from working with them as I have always paid close attention and made sure that every day I went to work was a day to learn something new – an attitude I still maintain today as Executive Head Chef.

EXPERIENCE

  • OCTOBER 2016 – MARCH 2018
    Executive Chef in Sofia 5*
    465-room hotel, with 13 points of sale, managing a team of up to 65 people guarantee the operation and operation of the points of sale.
  • SEPTEMBER 2016 – OCTOBER 2016
    Executive Chef “Hotel Torre Catalunya 4*s”
  • NOVEMBER 2014 – SEPTEMBER 2016

Managing, coordinating and working together with the Head chef, Sous Chef and the kitchen team as a whole. Monitoring the use of materials.

HR responsibilities – being particularly involved in the recruitment of new staff and the retention of  and succession planning for current staff.

Designing creative and exciting menus.
Maintaining detailed costings, updates , pricing and keeping a high GP whilst maintaining a high quality gastronomic offering.

Overseeing all quality control, HACCP equivalent and supervising all hygiene standards in accordance with local regulations.        

Managing ordering, stock takes and inventories.

Guaranteeing the correct functioning and internal process of the kitchen.

Reporting, coordination and control of the objectives as laid out by the senior management of the hotel. Dealing with customer relationship management and general assurance of client satisfaction.

  • OCTOBER 2010 – NOVEMBER 2014

Sous Chef at Hotel Clarís (5*) Barcelona

Coordinating and management of various HR processes (staff forecasting, absenteeism,, maintaining of accurate timesheets, maintenance of professional training of new starters, supervising staff performance).

Directing, supervising and planning the full range of tasks to be undertaken in the kitchen.
Organising, coordinating and motivating kitchen and auxiliary staff.
Supervising the workplace during service.
On-going training of both kitchen and front of house staff.
Ordering ingredients and general kitchen supplies.
Dealing with the arrival of deliveries and appropriate storage of the corresponding produce

Developing technical and instruction sheets and improving the functionality of internal protocol.
Supervising the maintenance of appropriate food hygiene standards and HACCP.
Optimising the gastronomic offering and giving suggestions to improve upon what was already in place.
Ensuring high levels of productivity and completion of internal processes in the workplace.
Supporting the management team with budgeting, costing and developing pertinent solutions to   any areas that required improvement.
Liaising with the Executive Chef and the hotel management to ensure a high functioning and smoothly run kitchen.

 

  • JANUARY 2004 – SEPTEMBER 2010

Head Chef at Restaurante La Venta and El Mirador De la Venta, Barcelona

Coordinating and management of various HR processes (staff forecasting, absenteeism,, maintaining of accurate timesheets, maintenance of professional training of new starters, supervising staff performance).

Designing creative and exciting menus.
Maintaining detailed costings, updates , pricing and keeping a high GP whilst maintaining a high     quality gastronomic offering.
Quality control, HACCP and supervising all hygiene standards in accordance with local regulations.

Managing ordering, stock takes and inventories.
Developing technical sheets and improving the functionality of internal protocol.

Ensuring high levels of productivity and completion of internal processes in the workplace.

Liaising with the owner and general management team to ensure all requirements were being met   or exceeded.

 

  • 2004
    Head Chef at Hotel Parc del Vallés 4* en Cerdanyola Coordinating and management of various HR processes (staff forecasting, absenteeism,, maintaining of accurate timesheets, maintenance of professional training of new starters, supervising staff performance)Elaboration of different product offeringsMenu planning of a la carte menu, lunch menu and catering and events menusTaking the kitchen inventoryRecruitment alongside the HR DirectorOrganisation of buying and approving order sheets from the different sections.Quality control, HACCP and supervising all hygiene standards in accordance with local regulations.Managing and assisting with kitchen clean down procedures after service.Costing recipes and pricing menu items.

 

  • September 2003 – March 2004
    Agency Chef at Restaurante Aire de Mar Barcelona at the Hotel Eurostars Grand Marina (5*).

 

  • 2001
    Chef de Partie – Garnish Section at Restaurante Neichel,Barcelona.
  • 2001 – 2003
    Chef de Partie – Fish and Seafood Section at Restaurant Roig Robí, Barcelona.
  • 2000 – 2001
    Sous Chef at Restaurante Ca l’Anna (Vilafranca del Penedés).
  • 1998 – 2000
    Chef in Martín Berasategui *** (Lasarte)
  • 1997 – 1998
    Commis Chef at Restaurante Pou Dols, Barcelona
    Commis chef Hostal la Gavina, Sagaró
    Commis Chef at Restaurante Marabú, Sant Feliu Guixols
    Commis Chef at Restaurante Magí Vinya Rosa, Barcelona.

 

OTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

  • 2012- PRESENTFreelance Restaurant Consultant and Restaurant Turnaround SpecialistGiving advice on areas for improvement both in day to day kitchen processes and HR.Assistance with menu design and help with inspiring chefs to find new ideas and motivation to keep a stream of fresh and exciting new dishes for their menus.Administering additional training of existing staff and supporting the recruitment of valuable new members of the team.

 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

  • 2013 y 2014Trainer at the Hospitality Training Centre of the Ayuntamiento (City Council) of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. Teaching the following modules of the “Professional Certificate” accredited by the SEPE (Job Centre) – “Basic Kitchen Operations” and “The Community of The Kitchen” to a diverse range of adults and teenagers at risk of social exclusion.Giving motivating and confidence building individual tutorials.Supervising practical work.Working with the students with on-boarding and returning to work skills.

 

  • OCTOBER 2010 – PRESENTPerson Responsible for the (HACCP equivalent) HR Training in the areas of hygiene and sanitation within the kitchen of the Hotel ClarisMonitoring the progress of stageurs in the kitchen and students in the hotel training schools.
  • 2004Programme designer for the following courses at the Escuela de Hosteleria de Viladecans. “Catering for Groups” “Basic Kitchen Skills”
  • OCTOBER 2003 – July 2004Head chef of the restaurant sections at the Escuela de Hoteleria Joviat. (Joviat School of Hospitality) Responsible for teaching practical kitchen theory to the students in the school restaurant.

 

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

Required

  • Escola Joviat de Manresa, Level 2 Professional Training in Hospitality –Kitchen Major
  • International Baccalaureate at the Instituto Jaume Balmes

 

Complementary

  • 1999 – 2000 8 month Stage at Restaurante Martín Berasategui (Lasarte), (last 3 months as 2nd Chef de Partie – Meat Section
  • Kitchen Apprenticeship at the Restaurante Les Marines (Gavá).
  • Kitchen Porter at the Restaurante Cal Naré (L’Hospitalet).
  • Diploma in “The process of making Swiss Cheese” Escola Joviat
  • Pre-intermediate level Certificate

 

LANGUAGES

  • Catalan – mother tongue
  • Spanish – mother tongue
  • English – B2 Level (Upper Intermediate)
  • French – B1 Level (Lower Intermediate)

 

OTHER INFORMATION AND HOBBIES

  • I hold an A1 and a B1 category driving licence and have my own vehicle.
  • I am a three time Ironman Triathlon Finisher over long distances.