Company description

Westerly Canteen is a *sort of* restaurant uniquely housed in a renovated 1971 Airstream, activated by the demand for a shift in restaurants from a labor AND dining perspective . While we operate much like a traditional restaurant in regards to service, we also aim to break down the literal and imaginary walls between servers and diners and between where our food is grown, prepared and then served. 

Westerly is rooted in the tradition of agritourism so we activate outdoor agricultural spaces and transform them into full dining experiences. Our service style aims to be playful, earnest, and caring to evoke a feeling of caretaking without pretention. We are lucky to partner with Tenmile Distillery and utilize their orchard and dining patio as our freeform restaurant. We also produce events throughout the season.

Job description

Westerly Canteen seeks highly motivated and hardworking individuals who are interested in thoughtful hospitality and intentional farm to table cookery. Previous professional cooking experience is highly encouraged. 

About: The Canteen is a creative alternative to traditional restaurant structures. We are a community driven "restaurant" that serves ingredient driven, Hudson Valley fare. Our food is unfussy and rustic, rooted in traditional and intuitive cooking practices. Our weekly changing menus rely on hyper-local sourcing, but are inspired by California cookery, and a greater global palate. 

Our kitchen is a uniquely intimate and creative space- literally and figuratively. We prioritize equity, balance and growth in addition to quality, efficiency and excellence. 
 

At Tenmile Distillery, in Wassaic we prep out of their commercial kitchen, where we conduct all of our dishwashing and side work and then utilize the Airstream as our line and service kitchen. It is a unique and modular alternative that does require a good bit of walking between spaces, yet allows us to enjoy the best of the Hudson Valley landscape. While this set up may not be a great fit for every cook, it is an inspiring change for many. 

Description: Westerly Canteen is comprised of a small team and thus necessitates all who join "wear many hats". 
The culinary team in total is only 3 at this time, and thus you will rotate through prep, and service where you will have the chance to utilize and develop a variety of skills. Cross-training is required- including savory and sweet food preparation, line cooking, deep cleaning, the capacity to run food, and generally participate in whole scope of the restaurant. 

Given the size of our team and the nature of the work, it is paramount that we maintain a close knit and positive work environment that centers trust, mutual respect, and teamwork. 

Duties + Qualifications: 

All cooks at the canteen are expected to work both prep and service. Efficiency in our small team is essential. Cooks will learn the rustic and intuitive cooking style that defines Westerly Canteen. All Cooks are expected to manage the prep and set up of their station and work in a clean and orderly fashion. Teamwork and communication are paramount. We work with beautiful local produce, meat, and fish that has been carefully sourced. Thus the handling of all ingredients must be done so with respect, care and attention to detail. 

Cooks must maintain sanitation standards as well as exercise quality control. Cleaning, restocking and maintaining organization in the kitchen spaces is required, as is efficient and thorough breakdown and cleaning of kitchen and line at the end of the shift.

Some running of food, bussing and participation in dish duties throughout shifts is required. 

We have only two stations on the line. The primary station prepares salads and cold appetizers, while tending to the griddle. The secondary station prepares hot entrees. Much of 

Skills: Please come with knife skills and professional cooking foundation or be willing to practice them diligently to achieve proficiency. 

Attention to detail is more important than speed; while working with efficiency and spatial awareness is crucial in our small space. 

Must be willing to follow instructions and take feedback from managers. Must communicate well with all teammates and work well within our small team.

Must taste! Tasting is the most important part of cooking for accuracy and quality control – please let us know in advance of any allergies or aversions.

Must work in a tidy manner and be organized. Please strive to be calm under stress.

Must be willing to stand on feet for 8+ working hours, walk between areas of culinary site, work with hot surfaces and lift 40 lbs.

Compensation: start at $18/hr plus tips. (usually equates to $30/hr depending on day of the week and time of the season), prep shifts are not tipped but eligible for higher hourly based on experience. 

Schedule: at this time we are looking for someone to work 3-4 days a week, mostly daytime shifts: Wednesday (daytime) prep and Saturday and Sunday a must, Friday dinner optional

 

Compensation this position is : hourly, $20/hr + Application instructions Please click here to sign in and view application details.
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