Kataliser

Role Overview

We’re looking for an Executive Chef who blends authenticity with innovation. Someone who can honour the roots of South Indian cuisine but also reimagine it for a global setting—clean, bold flavours, modern plating, and a balanced approach to tradition and creativity. You’ll drive pre-opening support, menu engineering, kitchen systems, and daily execution. The kitchen standards, culture, and innovations will be built around you.

Key Responsibilities

• Pre-Opening & Setup Support
• Work closely with founders and project teams on kitchen readiness
• Give inputs on equipment, BOH systems, and layout functionality
• Run tasting cycles, recipe testing, and support hiring of the kitchen team
• Ensure all safety, hygiene, and allergen requirements meet EU norms
• Menu Engineering & Innovation
• Build pre-launch menu frameworks, tasting menus, and pop-up menus
• Lead development of the final launch menu
• Constantly refine, evolve, and innovate based on guest feedback and market response
• Balance authenticity with modernity—innovation must be grounded in South Indian culinary tradition
• Hygiene & Food Safety
• Set uncompromising standards for hygiene
• Implement EU food safety protocols with discipline
• Establish daily, weekly, and monthly hygiene control routines
• SOP-Driven Operations & Controls
• Build and enforce SOPs across prep, cooking, pass, storage, and cleaning
• Maintain recipe-based controls and costing sheets
• Train the team to operate with structure and consistency
• Presentation & Guest Experience
• Plating style should be clean, modern, and memorable—without being over the top
• Engage with guests to explain dishes, stories, and inspiration
• Collaborate with FOH on cohesive service delivery

Key Success Parameters

• Launch of a differentiated, high-quality, innovative South Indian menu
• Strong customer feedback across taste, consistency, and presentation
• Kitchen readiness for opening with all SOPs and systems in place
• High hygiene scores and adherence to EU food safety standards
• Stable, trained kitchen team with a strong culture
• Commercial success across food cost, labour planning, and guest traction

Ideal Profile Mandatory

• Hotel Management degree or equivalent culinary education
• Deep experience in South Indian cuisine (minimum 6 years)

Preferred

• International experience or exposure to multicultural teams
• Experience in kitchens where innovation and authenticity coexist
• Ability to work with structured SOPs, costing, and recipe systems

Personal Traits

• Strong tasting sense and attention to detail
• Presentable, articulate, and comfortable interacting with guests
• Open-minded, creative, and willing to push boundaries while respecting tradition
• Hands-on leader who mentors teams and builds kitchen culture

Skills: chef, food safety, indian cuisine, innovation, hygiene, pre-opening, menu engineering