Jessica Van Houten
Savannah,GA
Summary
Seasoned Executive Sous Chef with a proven track record at Bon Appétit, adept in kitchen management and culinary experience. Skillfully blends leadership with creativity, ensuring customer satisfaction and maintaining COGs and labor goals. Demonstrates excellence in food safety and inventory control, contributing to significant event successes and fostering team growth.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Executive Sous Chef
Bon Appétit
Savannah, GA
03.2022 - Current
- In charge of daily operations including financial reports, inventory, scheduling, ordering, menu writing, managing a staff of 36 hourlies as well as sous chefs to ensure proper cooking and safety procedures
- Knowledge and implementation of all local, state, and federal safety and sanitation laws
- Maintains expected COGs and labor goals on a consistent basis
- Consistent inventory and ordering control
- Accurate checking of deliveries and inventory rotation
- Hire, train, certify, and review back of the house and front of the house positions
- Supervises prep, cooking, and presentation ensuring standards
- Follows, add to, and edits all checklist and line checks as needed
- Accountable for the success of private, holiday, and promotional events
- Holds self and others accountable to company core value and standards
- Proactive in self development and growth
- Ensure customer satisfaction by interacting with guests and clients to gain feedback and trust
- Meet with food purveyors to ensure food items are of good quality
Mail Carrier
Post Office USPS
Louisville, KY
07.2020 - 02.2022
Bakery Manager
Butchertown Grocery
Louisville, KY
01.2018 - 05.2020
- Managed front and back of the house
- Focused on breads, cookies, desserts for the restaurants
- Inventory, cleaning schedule, prep sheets, and hourly schedules
Owner
Dutchs Bake Shop
Lexington, KY
02.2016 - 12.2017
- Owned and operated retail and wholesale baked goods for local restaurants and businesses
Executive Chef
Hilton Lexington Downtown
Lexington, KY
06.2014 - 02.2016
- Manage a kitchen of 18 to 20 people
- Plan and directs daily food preparation for Triangle Grille, Bigg Blue Martini, room service, and banquets
- Ensures that the customers are offered quality at all times
- In charge of order and receivables
- Generates labor, time, cleaning and temperature logs as well as audits and inventory
- Payroll, scheduling, reviews, and hiring
- Creates and prices menus and recipes for all hotel outlets and banquets
- Ensures the kitchen is always safe and sanitized as well as making sure equipment works and is maintained properly
Chef De Cuisine
Hilton Lexington Downtown
Lexington, KY
01.2006 - 05.2014
- Assist Executive Chef with all hourly associates
- Assist with scheduling, ordering, menu and recipe writing
- Daily prep and production for restaurant, bar, and room service
Shift Supervisor
Good Foods Co-op
Lexington, KY
01.2012 - 04.2013
- Supervise kitchen staff
- Assist in off site catering
- Ordering produce and meat from local farmers
Sous Chef Supervisor
Hilton Lexington Downtown
Lexington, KY
03.2005 - 05.2006
- Supervise hourly employees
- Direct food production
- Assist in creating menus and recipes
- Generate time, cleaning and temperature logs
Sous Chef
Annabelles (Lexington)
Lexington, KY
04.2004 - 04.2005
- Responsible for receivables
- Cost out menus as well as writing menus and recipes
- Create and prepare all desserts and daily prep
Auditor
R.G.I.S. (Lexington)
Lexington, KY
03.2004 - 11.2004
- Audit and track inventory at various companies contracted with R.G.I.S
Pastry Chef and Line Cook
Emmetts (Lexington)
Lexington, KY
08.2003 - 08.2004
- In charge of making all desserts
- Cooking on broiler, sauté, fry and garde manger
Assistant Instructor
Dominican University
Joliet, IL
03.2002 - 08.2002
- Prepare food needed for cooking classes
- Assist students
- Demonstrate cooking techniques
Lead Pastry Chef
The Grand Lux Café
Chicago, IL
- Train new associates on the dessert line and bakery
- In charge of daily prep
Education
Associates in Applied Science - Culinary Arts
The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago Le Cordon Bleu
Chicago, IL01.2003
Skills
- Food Industry
- Training & Development
- Food Preparation
- Kitchen Management
- Food Production
- Restaurant Experience
- Financial Report Writing
- Profit & Loss
- Catering
- Culinary Experience
- Leadership
- Food Safety
- Inventory Control
- Creativity
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Written Communication
- Oral communication
- Management Skills
- Organizational Skills
Certification
- ServSafe food protection manager, 09/22, 09/27
- Food Allergies and Celiac Disease Training, 06/24, 06/25
- I-9 General Training, 12/23, Present
- Wage and Hourly Training, 03/24, Present
- Payroll Labor Compliance, 06/24, Present
- Key IT Controls and Cyber Security, 02/24, Present
- Preventing Workplace Harassment, 02/24, Present
Personal Information
Willing To Relocate: Virginia, Free State
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Executive Sous Chef
Bon Appétit
03.2022 - Current
Mail Carrier
Post Office USPS
07.2020 - 02.2022
Bakery Manager
Butchertown Grocery
01.2018 - 05.2020
Owner
Dutchs Bake Shop
02.2016 - 12.2017
Executive Chef
Hilton Lexington Downtown
06.2014 - 02.2016
Shift Supervisor
Good Foods Co-op
01.2012 - 04.2013
Chef De Cuisine
Hilton Lexington Downtown
01.2006 - 05.2014
Sous Chef Supervisor
Hilton Lexington Downtown
03.2005 - 05.2006
Sous Chef
Annabelles (Lexington)
04.2004 - 04.2005
Auditor
R.G.I.S. (Lexington)
03.2004 - 11.2004
Pastry Chef and Line Cook
Emmetts (Lexington)
08.2003 - 08.2004
Assistant Instructor
Dominican University
03.2002 - 08.2002
Lead Pastry Chef
The Grand Lux Café
Associates in Applied Science - Culinary Arts
The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago Le Cordon Bleu