Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Certification
Timeline
Generic

DARLENE RITTER

Jamaica,New York

Summary

Accomplished Working Head Chef with 10 years of comprehensive experience working in Health Care food service and catering industry. Adept at strictly monitoring kitchen activities and meeting health code standards. Specialties in Southern, American, Asian, Vegan and Gluten Free Cuisine. Strong organizational, leadership and management skills.

Overview

12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Cook

BRC/BOWERY RESIDENTS COMMITTEE
11.2015 - Current
  • Directly in charge of overall preparation of food served to 24 residents.
  • Prepares daily production sheets.
  • Manage labor hours and scheduling.
  • Responsible for all food orders, and deliveries.
  • Maintains food cost at or below weekly budget.
  • Inspect deliveries for freshness and monitor proper storage per New York City Department of Health requirements.
  • Develop new recipes, and weekly menus
  • Develop Diabetic Menus and Recipes
  • Complies with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points guidelines ensuring quality and safety of food supply
  • Trained, managed and guided kitchen staff to improve overall performance, service quality, productivity and to ensure NYCDOH compliance.
  • Weighed, measured and mixed ingredients, meticulously following recipes to produce quality dishes at correct temperatures
  • Responsible for hosting all onsite events.

Sous Chef

Bobby Van's Steakhouse And Grill
06.2022 - 10.2023
  • Responsible for placing food orders with suppliers on daily basis, taking into account kitchen budget and daily expected demands for 800 plus daily guest count.
  • Daily walk through of BOH assessing cleanliness, stock, quality of product.
  • Pre shift communication with managers/chefs to discuss details of previous shift, give expectations of upcoming shifts.
  • Develop weekly BOH schedule ensuring all stations were properly staffed for each shift. Give Team support on line during busy periods.
  • Communicate with BOH managers/FOH managers and chefs ensuring all necessary prep work is completed for every shift. Adjust par levels when business dictates change and customer complaints.
  • Trained staff on proper cooking procedures as well as safety regulations and productivity strategies.
  • Mid month, end of the month inventory. Mid month, end of the month P&L's.
  • Daily managers log, waste log, knife log, temp log entries.
  • Managed food preparation tasks during high-volume service periods, ensuring all orders were executed in a timely manner without sacrificing quality or presentation standards.

Executive Chef

Harvest Caterers
06.2015 - Current
  • Submit weekly financial budgets: food, labor, operating cost.
  • Hire, determine appropriate compensation rates, develop and manage all kitchen staff. Issuing quarterly performance reviews and disciplinary actions.
  • Maintained high food quality standards by checking delivery contents to verify quality and quantity.
  • Generate staff schedules, forecast prep sheets and delegate work assignments.
  • Monitor more than 12 kitchen staff at all levels to prepare each for demanding roles.
  • Strong knowledge of operating catering events, buffet, plated table service, family style and High End Events with emphasis on detail.
  • Collaborate with Customers and Event Planners to create delicious meals for large banquets, including weddings and corporate events for up to 400 people.
  • Re-developed event menu in 2018 that helped in increasing revenue by 70%.
  • Prepare meals from scratch using authentic recipes to generate repeat business.
  • Collaborate with vendors to source desired recipe ingredients while maintaining tight cost control.
  • Maintained a safe, clean sanitary work environment, adhering to health department standards and regulations.
  • Conducted regular evaluations of kitchen equipment and appliances, ensuring proper maintenance and timely replacement to maintain optimal operational efficiency.
  • Coordinated employee schedules and developed staff teams to boost productivity.

Head Chef

Red Rabbit LLC
08.2020 - 08.2021
  • In School Head Chef Development.
  • Traveled to various locations to train and develop Head Chef's.
  • Implemented policies and procedures to encourage Head Chef's in establishing healthy working relationships with staff.
  • Planned daily debriefings with Administrator of school accounts regaining Trust.
  • Coordinated Special Events and Menu's for Holidays.
  • Placed all orders, reconciled invoices, weekly inventory adhering to food cost and budget.
  • Prevented cross-contamination from utensils, surfaces and pans when cooking and plating meals for students with food allergies.
  • Inspected kitchens to observe food preparation quality and service, food appearance and cleanliness of production and service areas.
  • Supervised and enhanced work of 60-person team producing more than 10,000 Grab and Go plates per day
  • Trained junior chefs in advanced culinary techniques and food safety procedures, helping them grow professionally within the industry.
  • Arranged for kitchen equipment maintenance and repair when needed.

Cold Bar Supervisor

OLD COUNTRY BUFFET
09.2013 - 04.2015


  • Prepared daily production sheets.
  • Responsible for all food orders, and deliveries.
  • Maintains food cost at or below weekly budget.
  • Inspect deliveries for freshness and monitor proper storage per New York City Department of Health requirements.
  • Complies with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points guidelines ensuring quality and safety of food supply
  • Weighed, measured and mixed ingredients, meticulously following recipes to produce quality dishes.

Commissary Food Prep

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
09.2014 - 09.2015
  • Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
  • Skilled at working independently and collaboratively in a team fast-paced environment.
  • Managed time efficiently in order to complete all tasks within deadlines.
  • Worked flexible hours across night, weekend, and holiday shifts.


Education

GED -

Roosevelt High School
Roosevelt, NY
1982

Skills

  • Customer Service
  • Food Handlers Certificate
  • Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
  • Hospitality, Healthcare service industry
  • Communication Skills
  • Staffing (new hire training and development)
  • Quality Assurance
  • Written Communication
  • Organizational Skills
  • Decision Making
  • Microsoft Excel Word
  • Recipes and menu planning
  • Food preparation
  • Institutional and batch cooking

Accomplishments

Received 9 100% no point score no violations for kitchen cleanliness from NYC Department of Health 2020 to 2024.

Certification

  • Naloxone/ CPR/ AED/ First Aid Certificate,
  • Substance Abuse Certificate
  • Mental Health First Aid USA Certificate
  • Crises Prevention & Intervention
  • New York State Food Handlers Certificate

Timeline

Sous Chef

Bobby Van's Steakhouse And Grill
06.2022 - 10.2023

Head Chef

Red Rabbit LLC
08.2020 - 08.2021

Cook

BRC/BOWERY RESIDENTS COMMITTEE
11.2015 - Current

Executive Chef

Harvest Caterers
06.2015 - Current

Commissary Food Prep

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
09.2014 - 09.2015

Cold Bar Supervisor

OLD COUNTRY BUFFET
09.2013 - 04.2015

GED -

Roosevelt High School

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