First Cook (Journeyperson)

Recognized as one of Top 21 Iconic Hotels in the World by National Geographic Traveler magazine, honoured with Travel + Leisure Magazine’s World’s Best Award for Top 10 City Hotels in Canada, and awarded Best Historic Hotel in the Americas, Fairmont Empress is located in Victoria, BC overlooking the city’s sparkling Inner Harbour.

This Forbes Four-Star, 4-Diamond property offers 464 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, Willow Stream Spa with signature West Coast experiences, Q at the Empress Restaurant featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine and award winning wine list, and Q Bar with its regionally focused cocktail culture was recently named to Canada’s 50 Best Bars list. World famous Tea at the Empress is a bucket list experience in the hotel’s sophisticated Lobby Lounge. Located on Vancouver Island, Canada’s Castle on the Coast is the ideal starting point to explore British Columbia’s stunning natural beauty.

What is in it for you: 

• Employee benefit card offering discounted rates at Accor properties worldwide 
• Exclusive Employee and Friends & Family Discounts at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver 
• Exclusive access to the Pacific Northwest Food & Beverage Discount Program with 50% off at our dining destinations in Vancouver, Victoria, and Whistler
• Opportunity to develop your talent and grow within your property and across the world! 
• Complimentary meal during your shift through our Colleague Dining Program 
• Complimentary uniform laundering
• Access to our Safety Footwear Reimbursement Program (up to $120 per year)
• Access to our comprehensive benefits and wellness programs, including extended healthcare benefits and RMT, dental, vision, and complimentary counseling, wellness sessions, financial and family planning through LifeWorks
• Access to our company-matched Defined Contribution Pension Plan (DCPP)
• Opportunity to develop your talent through coaching and our Leadership Mentoring Programs
• Hourly pay rate of $28.37 to $32.42

What you will be doing:

• Prepare and service all food items for a la carte and or buffet menus according to hotel recipes and standards
• In conjunction with the Chef de Partie; proactively prioritize, delegate, and assign duties to Cooks Assistants and Stewards to ensure a consistently high level of service and quality food for our guests
• Consistently ensures food quality, consistency and quantity are meeting established expectations as well as that of any cooks assistants under supervision
• Consistently demonstrates positive behavior and performance
• Ensures all established food safety protocols are followed, maintains the kitchen in a neat, clean and organized manner
• Ensures food cost is managed; by controlling food waste through FIFO rotation, proper ordering, storage and preparation of all foods
• Ensures productivity and labour cost are managed; by maintaining a focused and productive approach for yourself and the cooks under your supervision to daily tasks
• Possess a complete understanding of the menu, recipes and presentations, aware of potential food allergens in each dish
•  Performs quality checks of all food prepared under your supervision, to ensure all food is prepared according to the recipes and standards specified by the Chef de Partie, Executive Chef or Sous Chefs
• Trains other cooks in all aspects of the culinary operation
• Contribute ideas to menu development, assist with recipe creation and documentation
• Liaise with other departments such as Banquets, Restaurants and Stewarding to ensure excellent communication in order to achieve smooth operational outcomes
• Other duties as assigned

Your experience and skills include:

• A minimum of 3 years recent (in the last three years) experience in a hotel or restaurant kitchen at a comparable level of luxury service as an apprentice, 2nd cook or similar role
• Interprovincial Red Seal or international equivalent
• Current Food Safe level 1 or equivalent recognized food safety certificate, (colleagues are responsible for maintaining their food safe certification)
• Successful demonstration of a high level of technical and artistic culinary skills assessed during a practical cooking test
• Successful demonstration of high level culinary and food safety knowledge assessed through a written test
• Willing and able to taste all food products – i.e. meats, seafood, produce, dry goods, dairy
• Completely fluent English language skills; both written and verbal
• Proven success in relationship building and supporting team performance
• A proven ability to communicate effectively, work within a team and delegate to others
• Excellent organizational skills, and shows initiative with ability to work well with little supervision
• Exercises sound decision making, with the ability to prioritize tasks appropriately
• Demonstrated a high level of responsibility and accountability
• Demonstrated commitment to provide excellent service and exceed guests' expectations
• High School diploma or equivalent is highly desirable
• GHS/WHMIS Training is considered an asset
• Computer Skills, including a good knowledge of Word, Excel, email communication are an asset
• Must be able to work flexible shifts, evenings, weekends, holidays, with either early start or late finish times
• Impeccable grooming and presentation

Physical Aspects of Position (include but are not limited to): Frequent standing and walking, Occasional bending and kneeling, Frequent carrying and lifting.

Visa Requirements: Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. The hotel is unable to assist candidates in obtaining Canadian work authorization.

Your team and working environment: Welcome to Canada’s Castle on the Coast. The Empress Hotel sits proudly at the centre of culture and history in Victoria, British Columbia. This is the best of all worlds – where contrast meets distinction, opulence blends harmoniously with the understated and fabled history meshes with contemporary affairs. This award-winning Victoria hotel and National Historic Site is an alluring blend of classic and contemporary, vintage and cutting-edge: Where Modern meets Iconic. Come join our wonderful team of hospitality experts!

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.

Why work for Accor?
We are far more than a worldwide leader. We welcome you as you are and you can find a job and brand that matches your personality. We support you to grow and learn every day, making sure that work brings purpose to your life, so that during your journey with us, you can continue to explore Accor’s limitless possibilities.
By joining Accor, every chapter of your story is yours to write and together we can imagine tomorrow's hospitality. Discover the life that awaits you at Accor, visit https://careers.accor.com/

Do what you love, care for the world, dare to challenge the status quo! #BELIMITLESS