Head Chef

Hiring: Pilot Kitchen Chef – ForkitCompany: Forkit

Location: Manjeri, Kerala

Employment Type: Full-time

Department: Kitchen Operations

About ForkitForkit is an emerging meal-subscription startup focused on delivering consistent, hygienic, affordable, and high-quality meals to customers.

We are currently developing our pilot kitchen and building the operational systems required to scale our meal services. We are looking for a skilled, responsible, and startup-minded chef who wants to contribute to building a growing food business from its early stages.

Job DescriptionWe are looking for a Pilot Kitchen Chef who will take responsibility for daily food preparation, menu execution, kitchen hygiene, portion control, and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The selected candidate will play a key role in establishing our kitchen processes and preparing the business for future expansion.

Key Responsibilities1. Cooking and Menu Execution

• Prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner according to the approved menu.
• Maintain consistent taste, quality, presentation, and portion sizes.
• Plan ingredient quantities according to daily order requirements.
• Assist in menu planning and improving recipes based on customer feedback.

2. SOP Development

• Develop standardized recipes with exact ingredient quantities and preparation methods.
• Document cooking procedures, preparation times, serving sizes, and expected yields.
• Establish procedures for ingredient preparation, cooking, packing, cleaning, and storage.
• Help create a repeatable kitchen system that can be followed by additional chefs and kitchen staff.

3. Food Cost and Inventory Control

• Calculate the approximate ingredient cost per meal.
• Minimize food wastage and maintain proper ingredient utilization.
• Monitor raw materials, stock levels, and expiry dates.
• Communicate daily purchase requirements and stock shortages to management.

4. Kitchen Hygiene and Food Safety

• Maintain cleanliness and hygiene throughout the kitchen.
• Follow safe food handling, storage, temperature control, and cross-contamination prevention practices.
• Ensure proper cleaning schedules and waste disposal procedures.
• Follow applicable FSSAI and food safety requirements.

5. Kitchen Operations and Teamwork

• Organize preparation schedules to ensure meals are ready on time.
• Coordinate with kitchen helpers, packing staff, and management.
• Help train future kitchen staff using documented SOPs.
• Identify operational problems and suggest practical improvements.
• What We Are Looking ForPrevious professional cooking or commercial kitchen experience.
• Knowledge of Kerala meals and the ability to prepare consistent, large-batch meals.
• Understanding of ingredient quantities, portion control, and food costing.
• Ability to organize kitchen work and maintain hygiene standards.
• Willingness to document recipes and develop SOPs.
• A responsible, practical, and growth-oriented attitude.

Candidates with experience in catering, hotels, cloud kitchens, institutional kitchens, or meal-subscription businesses will be preferred.

Important Information About This OpportunityForkit is in its early growth stage. Initial order volumes may be lower while we establish our pilot kitchen, standardize our menu, and improve operations.

Our goal is to build the capacity to serve approximately 400–700 customers per meal as the business grows. This is a future target, not the current daily volume.

We are looking for someone who is comfortable building systems during the early stages and helping train a team as operations expand.

How to ApplyInterested candidates can share their CV, details of previous kitchen experience, current salary or expected salary, and availability to join.

Join Forkit and help us build a scalable meal-service operation from the ground up.