Company description

Ananda Ashram in Monroe, New York, is a Yoga retreat and spiritual-educational center just over one hour from New York City, founded in 1964 by Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati (then Ramamurti S. Mishra, M.D.) as the country center of the Yoga Society of New York, Inc.

Located on 90 acres in the Hudson Highlands the Ashram provides a serene, natural environment with woods and meadows surrounding a lake. Accommodations are simple and meals are vegetarian.

We offer daily meditation programs with Yoga-Vedanta studies, chanting and readings, and daily yoga and Sanskrit classes, plus classical Indian dance and music instruction and a variety of weekend workshops and special events. The Ashram welcomes guests from all origins, faiths and cultural backgrounds.

Ananda Ashram is also the location of the International Schools of East-West Unity (Gurukula), Inc., established by the Founder in 1992. The workshops and courses offered throughout the year cover the various aspects of Yoga, the creative arts and natural health, and East-West cultural performances highlight summer weekends and special celebrations. Guest teachers and artists from a variety of traditions are regular contributors. The Ashram philosophy is nonsectarian with an emphasis placed on Self-awareness and meditation.

The Ashram kitchen and newly upgraded 65 seat dining hall serve vegetarian and vegan meals daily to guests and residents. Throughout the season, demand increases during retreats, festivals, and holidays. Our aim at the Ashram kitchen is to provide wholesome, from-scratch food that deeply nourishes and increases the vitality of those we serve. We have a large vegetable and herb garden, that supplies the kitchen with greens, herbs, flowers, and some vegetables. We make ferments, dry herbs for teas and cooking, and aim to work more and more with the local landscape and surrounding farms.

The Ananda Corner Cafe is a new and exciting edition in our dining hall, a small pilot cafe where we plan to serve specialty coffee drinks, herbal teas, and food as medicine inspired products. We welcome lead chefs to trial products and package meals for sale for our guests and residents.

Job description

Lead Chef – Vegetarian/Vegan Kitchen (2 positions) - Dining Hall & Corner Café

Ananda Ashram is seeking Lead Chefs to prepare nourishing and healthful vegetarian and vegan meals for our residential and retreat community with a focus on wholesome ingredients and locally sourced, organically grown seasonal produce. We are looking for folks who have an interest in food as medicine, are familiar or interested in working with local and foraged ingredients. An interest or experience in producing fermented foods and drinks, including sourdough bread is a plus. We are looking for candidates who are open minded and compassionate with a service-oriented attitude and an interest in spiritual practice and community living.

Compensation
$800/month stipend plus room and board or $20/hr for off-site living

Time Commitment
24–30 hours/week - Includes meal shifts, co-management and optional product preparation for sale

Meal Service Schedule
Meal service operates daily, in approximately 3-hour shifts and currently covers:
7 lunches | 2 dinners (Friday and Saturday) | 2 breakfasts (Saturday and Sunday)

This totals about 16 hours per chef. Additional shifts will be required during retreats, holidays, and special events.

Additional Responsibilities and Hours
Additional hours will be spent preparing staple foods from scratch (ex. yogurt, nut milks and butters, fresh cheese, bread, etc.) along with managerial and administrative duties. Any hours remaining can be used to prepare foods for sale in the Corner Café, guided by the Café Coordinator. These hours will be unpaid for hourly workers.

Kitchen and Management Responsibilities
The Lead Chefs are responsible for the functioning of the Ashram Kitchen and small Dining Room, where complimentary self-serve basics are offered.

Responsibilities include:

• Cooking and maintaining consistent food quality and nutrition
• Upholding food safety standards
• Utilizing garden produce
• Budgeting and minimizing food waste
• Jointly managing food sourcing and ordering
• Shopping and produce pick-up
• Menu planning
• Scheduling work-study cleaning shifts

Incentives & Benefits

• Participation in a shared incentive pool funded by 10% of Dining Hall meal revenue
• Access to daily meditation programs, yoga classes, and special events at Ananda Ashram
• Immersion in a well-established spiritual community focused on service and mindful living
• Opportunity to work in a contemplative, health-driven kitchen environment

Weekly Time Summary

Meal shifts, prep work, administrative coordination, and food product creation for the Corner Café total approximately 30 hours per week for each position.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $15.50 - 20/hr

Application instructions

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Deadline

no deadline