Head Chef

Job Description

Head Chef & Culinary Operations Lead

Location: Connecticut (On-site / Kitchen-based role)

About Honeyplate

Honeyplate is a fast-growing meal prep and catering company serving Connecticut. Originally founded as Edibolic Kitchen, we’ve spent more than a decade creating scratch-made, flavorful meals designed to make healthy eating convenient. Our mission is simple but powerful: nourish people with food that brings balance, flavor, and time back into their lives. We’re scaling into catering, corporate accounts, and institutional partnerships, and we’re searching for a culinary leader who thrives on both creativity and operational excellence.

The Role

This is not a clipboard chef position. This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll cook alongside the team while driving menu development and running the back-of-house operation like a true culinary director. You will have the opportunity to shape our menus, build systems, and lead a motivated team. It’s perfect for someone ready to step into full ownership of a kitchen while enjoying stability, creativity, and the chance to grow with a company on the rise.

What You’ll Do

Menu Development & Creativity

Own seasonal, health-forward menu design for meal prep and catering

Standardize recipes, portions, and plating guides for consistency

Innovate with balanced nutrition: lean proteins, complex carbs, plant-forward dishes, gluten-free or allergen-aware options

Stay on trend with food culture while keeping menus approachable and efficient

Kitchen Leadership & Team Building

Recruit, hire, train, and supervise a strong kitchen team

Lead daily production while modeling high standards

Build a culture of accountability, efficiency, and continuous improvement

Write SOPs, create prep lists, and streamline workflow for scale

Operational Efficiency & Quality Control

Manage food costs, budgeting, and forecasting

Oversee purchasing, vendor negotiations, and inventory management

Minimize waste through efficient prep, portioning, and smart ordering

Ensure food safety and compliance with HACCP, ServSafe, and health code standards

Partner with logistics to align kitchen workflow with delivery schedules

What We’re Looking For

5+ years in professional kitchens (meal prep, catering, banquets, or high-volume production a plus)

Leadership experience managing teams and kitchen systems

Proven ability to design menus, control costs, and run efficient operations

Hands-on cooking expertise: grilling, roasting, batch prep, plating, and production scaling

Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and allergen protocols

Creativity balanced with operational discipline

Strong communicator who leads from the front

Bonus: Experience in subscription meal services, catering, vending, or institutional food production.

Why Join Honeyplate?

Lifestyle Upgrade: 45-hour workweek, daytime focus, no late-night grind

Creative Freedom: Full say in menus, sourcing, and systems design

Growth Path: Opportunities in catering, vending, and institutional expansion

Stability & Perks: Free meals, paid time off, professional development, predictable holidays

Mission-Driven Work: Join a company that values scratch cooking, health, and innovation

Position Summary

The Head Chef at Honeyplate leads both with vision and with their knife in hand. You’ll balance the role of culinary director, team leader, and cook. If you are tired of burnout kitchens, want predictable hours, and crave a role where you can still be creative while growing a business, this is your next step.

How to Apply

Please send:

Your resume or culinary background

A brief note on why Honeyplate excites you

Optional: a sample menu concept or example of a system you’ve implemented

Full-time