Crystal Brown
Soul Delicious Catering
Los Angeles,CA
1
Certification
10
years of professional experience
ExecutiveChef/Owner delivering customized catering and meal service through menu planning, special-diet cooking, and food safety. Creates 21+ client menus per month, shops for ingredients, and prepares 860 special-diet meals per week, including organic, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian meals, and handles storage and sanitation to keep service organized and compliant. Builds repeat business through client-focused hospitality and word-of-mouth referrals.
Work History
Chef
2 Years 3 Months- Developed and implemented seasonal menus, enhancing customer satisfaction with innovative dishes.
- Supervised kitchen staff, ensuring adherence to food safety standards and efficient workflow.
- Trained new chefs in culinary techniques and kitchen operations, fostering a collaborative team environment.
- Streamlined inventory management processes, reducing waste and optimizing ingredient usage.
- Conducted regular quality checks on food preparation and presentation, ensuring compliance with health regulations.
- Checked freezer and refrigerator prior to each shift to verify correct temperatures.
- Placed orders to restock items before supplies ran out.
- Reduced food waste with strategic menu planning and inventory control techniques.
- Prepared meals from scratch using authentic, popular recipes to generate repeat business.
- Successfully met dietary requirements for diverse clientele by providing customized meal options upon request.
- Adapted menus seasonally, incorporating fresh produce to create visually appealing and flavorful dishes.
- Managed food costs, sourcing ingredients from local suppliers to support community partnerships and sustainable practices.
- Collaborated effectively with front-of-house team for seamless dining experience and positive customer feedback.
- Trained and mentored kitchen staff, fostering a collaborative team environment.
- Implemented cost-control measures, optimizing inventory management processes.
- Enhanced guest satisfaction through innovative dishes and personalized service.
- Established health and safety protocols, maintaining compliance with regulations.
ExecutiveChef/Owner
7 Years 7 Months- Developed customized menus to enhance client satisfaction and meet specific dietary preferences
- Coordinated meal planning to optimize ingredient use while accommodating client dietary requirements
- Cooking of meals
- Grocery shopping
- Correctly handling food
- Properly storing food with heating instructions
- Cleaning up and sanitizing
- Tailored services to meet diverse client needs, ensuring personalized dining experiences
- Improving culinary skills
- Effectively marketing through word-of-mouth of satisfied customers
- Labeled food to include reheating and safe storage and handling instructions.
- Demonstrated flexibility in accommodating last-minute changes to menus or guest numbers while still delivering high-quality results.
- Increased repeat business through referrals by maintaining excellent rapport with clients while respecting confidentiality agreements.
- Conducted comprehensive nutritional analyses of dishes to accommodate clients'' specific health goals or dietary restrictions.
- Met with client and discussed preferred meals, dietary restrictions and food allergies.
- Recorded favorite meals of clients and worked continuously on new recipes and repertoire.
- Prepared meals using braising, roasting, frying and sautéing techniques.
- Offered cooking classes for individuals or small groups as an additional service to enhance clients'' personal culinary skills.
Cook
5 Months- Adhered to department procedures for storage of dishes, utensils, and cooking equipment, ensuring organization and accessibility.
- Ensures all food in refrigerator, freezer, and dry storage is labeled and dated.
- Oversees proper food handling and utilization of all foods to prevent contamination, increase quality and reduce cost.
- Assists with the setup of the tray line. Assembles trays according to the planned menu and tray tickets, stated portion, resident food preferences, and diet order and within the established time schedules.
- Maintained cleanliness of food service equipment, kitchen, and storage areas to uphold sanitation standards.
- Suggests menu or recipe changes to utilize leftovers and other supplies.
- Assisted with the setup of the tray line. Assembled trays based on the planned menu and tray tickets, ensuring portion sizes, resident food preferences, and diet orders were met.
- Checked trays during service for accuracy, ensuring compliance with menu specifications and resident preferences.
- Follows department procedures and storage of all dishes, utensils and cooking equipment.
- Collaborated with nutritionists to enhance menu offerings based on current dietary trends.
- Conducted regular quality checks to ensure consistency in taste, presentation, and nutritional value of meals.
- Safeguarded food quality by adhering to proper storage techniques and temperature controls.
- Collaborated with dietary team to address resident feedback, enhancing meal satisfaction ratings.
Executive Chef
1 Year 4 Months- Developed seasonal menus, incorporating local ingredients and culinary trends.
- Collaborated with suppliers to source premium ingredients for menu development.
- Led kitchen operations, ensuring high-quality food preparation and presentation.
- Streamlined kitchen workflows, improving efficiency and reducing food waste.
- Oversaw business operations, inventory control, and customer service for restaurant.
- Scheduled and received food and beverage deliveries, adhering to food cost and budget.
- Created visually appealing plate presentations, enhancing the overall dining experience for patrons.
- Implemented staff training programs to improve culinary skills, teamwork, and overall productivity.
- Handled and stored food to eliminate illness and prevent cross-contamination.
- Responded to dietary concerns and food allergies, creating dishes to meet customer needs and palates.
- Adapted quickly to changing circumstances, adjusting recipes or cooking methods as needed based on ingredient availability or customer requests.
Cook/Prep
10 Months- Follow the executive chef’s prep list to plan your daily work
- Labeled ingredients and food items, organized pantry and refrigerator shelves for efficient access
- Wash, peel, and chop fruits and vegetables
- Clean and cut or grind meat, fish, poultry, and shellfish
- Preparing Roux for Soups, Sauces, and etc.
- Portion and wrap food
- Label ingredients and food items and stock pantry and refrigerator shelves in an organized manner
- Placed food in warming trays or refrigerated storage
- Place food in warming trays or refrigerated storage as appropriate
- Created and plated dishes for airline approval, ensuring adherence to presentation standards
- Sautéed meats and vegetables, enhancing flavor profiles for diverse menu offerings
- Creating /Plating Dishes for Airline approval
Catering Assistant/Cook
1 Year 7 Months- Cleaned food preparation areas according to law and company policy.
- Prepared foods according to client specifications, ensuring satisfaction and adherence to dietary preferences.
- Makes adjustments to food items to accommodate guests with allergies or specific diet concerns.
- Adjusted food items to accommodate guests with allergies and dietary restrictions, enhancing guest experience and safety.
- Maintaining inventory
- Maintain scheduling for catering orders
- Respond to customers’ queries
- Answer telephone, screen and forward calls, supply information to callers, take and transfer messages
- Cooked menu items collaboratively with kitchen staff, contributing to a cohesive and efficient service.
Education
Dietary Supervisor - Nutrition
Certificate - Culinary apprenticeship
No Degree - Criminal justice
Diploma - General Studies
Skills
Menu planning
Food preparation
Food safety
Inventory control
Cost control
Catering
Banquet experience
Staff scheduling
Team supervision
Event coordination
Recipe costing
Inventory software
Banquet event planning
Vendor contract negotiation
Certification
- ServSafe Food Handler
- Expires Nov. 2026
- Elderly Abuse: Mandate Reporter Certified
- CPR/FIRST AID
Timeline
Chef
Clipboard Health
05.2024 - CurrentRead More
Cook
Heritage Manor
10.2023 - 03.2024Read More
Executive Chef
Serenity Recuperative Care:Percy House
06.2019 - 10.2020Read More
ExecutiveChef/Owner
Soul Delicious Catering
01.2019 - CurrentRead More
Cook/Prep
Flying Food Group
06.2018 - 04.2019Read More
Catering Assistant/Cook
AngiesCatering
09.2016 - 04.2018Read More
Carson Senior High School
Diploma from General Studies
Read More
Hospitality Training
Certificate from Culinary apprenticeship
Read More
Los Angeles City College
Dietary Supervisor from Nutrition
Read More
Tennessee State University
No Degree from Criminal justice
Read More