Big Bear Retreat Center (BBRC) is a residential retreat center that provides space for mindfulness,  compassion, respite, and healing with the purpose of fostering individual and collective transformation  and illuminating our interconnectedness with nature, one another, and society. We do this by offering a  mix of silent Insight Meditation retreats, and by partnering with organizations supporting various  communities including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, first responders, veterans, and mindfulness communities.  

Big Bear Retreat Center is located a 2.5-hour drive from Los Angeles, nestled in the ancient Juniper forests  of the San Bernardino Mountains at a 7,000-foot elevation (four mountain seasons) near the town of Big  Bear Lake in Southern California. BBRC is immersed in nature located amidst about 100 acres of forested  land with direct access to several hiking trails connected to the property. With an emphasis on inclusion  and accessibility, our Center provides a refuge for people of all faiths and walks of life.

Currently seeking a Retreat Chef to further our mission and  manage the culinary vision and direction providing high quality, nutritious and creative culinary offerings.

The Retreat Chef will be responsible for ensuring that BBRC’s culinary offerings are of the highest quality, conducive to meaningful, healing and transformative retreat  experiences. They will lead and mentor the kitchen team to ensure meal service is well planned and run smoothly.

We are looking for a professional cook, with a catering background and passion for vegetarian cuisine being the best fit. We offer great benefits, pay and actual work life balance, living in California's four season playground. The latest shift is over at 7:30 PM and work weeks are 40 hours maximum. Discounted housing available for the right fit.

We are seeking a passionate culinary professional with interest in sourcing from our local Farmers Market and building relationships with farms and local purveyors.

Beyond health and wellness benefits and paid vacation, we offer the unique experience of being able to be paid to sit retreat and interact with spiritual teachers and dedicated practitioners. This is a great way of learning about or continuing your meditation practice.

Our retreat center cooks work collaboratively to prepare meals for all residential retreats, internal meetings and special events. They also train and supervise retreatants performing work meditations in the kitchen, and model behavior that supports mindfulness practice in the retreat environment.

The Retreat Chef will be responsible for ensuring that our culinary offerings are of the highest quality, conducive to meaningful, healing and transformative retreat experiences. They will lead and mentor the kitchen team to ensure meal service is well planned and run smoothly.

This is a five day a week fully on-site position with no remote work available.

Specific Responsibilities

Prepare and serve tasty and nutritious vegetarian (and at times a meat based menu) meals on schedule.
Follow recipes and adjust quantities as needed.
Collaborate on new recipes and create independently as needed.
Maintain an orderly and efficient kitchen work space.
Ensure the work environment meets or surpasses hygiene and safety standards set by regulations.
Train and support retreatants in kitchen tasks.
Provide ongoing guidance and problem solving support to retreatants and other cooks as needed.

Other

Attend kitchen staff meetings and all staff meetings as scheduled.
Attend staff training on First Aid/CPR, emergency preparedness and others as assigned.
Keep up to date with kitchen‐related emails, schedules and kitchen updates.
Help pick up and put away food deliveries as needed, keep the kitchen clean and stocked
Other related assignments as necessary.
Performs daily recordkeeping tasks including quantity logs, inventory and recipe modification.
Ensure that the kitchen is impeccably clean and well maintained
Ensure that food service / kitchen operations / dining experience are a highlight of the guest experience
Strive for a 90%+ satisfaction rating from guest surveys
Recruit and hire kitchen staff with a commitment to creating a diverse and representative staff team, so our internal culture may reflect the communities we wish to serve.

Qualifications

Minimum one year of professional cooking experience focused on organic ingredients and seasonal produce, in a high volume kitchen, preferably in a catering setting.
Flexibility in schedule on a daily and weekly basis, and ability to work evenings and weekends.
Strong interpersonal communication skills; ability to take direction; ability to function as both team leader and team player.
Ability to remain calm in a sometimes fast-paced work environment and ability to work compassionately with others.
Ability to relocate, exact details and address will be discusses based on qualifications meeting our criteria

Physical: Required to lift, carry, push or pull objects up to 50 pounds. Frequently required to perform moderately difficult manipulative tasks such as lifting large pans of food in and out of the oven, carrying heavy boxes of produce, performing repetitive motions of cutting, stirring and whisking. Ability to work in a standing position for up to 8 hours in the kitchen