Katherine Best
ATLANTA,GA
Summary
Professional Kitchen Lead with high energy and experience to successfully manage food and labor costs, food preparation and development of kitchen staff. Loves wearing many hats to expand culinary skills.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Kitchen Lead
Jekyll Island Seafood
Saint Simons Island, GA
01.2022 - 09.2025
- Supervised resort kitchen line during high-volume service at luxury Sea Island dining venues
- Coordinated cook shifts and station coverage for banquets, breakfast, and dinner service to ensure seamless operations.
- Prepared menu items following Sea Island Resort recipes, plating standards, and presentation guides
- Provided direction to kitchen staff regarding food preparation, cooking times, portion sizes, and presentation of dishes.
- Monitored food quality, temperature, and doneness to maintain high standards for guest dining experience.
- Trained kitchen staff on safe knife use, sanitation, and resort food handling rules
- Managed daily prep lists, ingredient rotation, and storage for efficient kitchen operations
- Enforced cleanliness standards across work areas, equipment, and shared kitchen spaces
- Communicated with culinary team and service staff to support timely meal execution
- Structured work area to optimize workflow and productivity during peak service times.
- Ensured kitchen staff followed health and safety regulations.
Cook Shift Leader
Sea Island Resort
Saint Simons Island, Georgia
02.2009 - 12.2023
- Supervised resort kitchen line during high-volume service at luxury Sea Island dining venues
- Coordinated cook shift schedules and station coverage across banquets, breakfast, and dinner service
- Monitored food quality, temperature, and doneness for consistent guest dining experience
- Prepared menu items following Sea Island Resort recipes, plating standards, and presentation guides
- Trained kitchen staff on safe knife use, sanitation, and resort food handling rules
- Managed daily prep lists, ingredient rotation, and storage for efficient kitchen operations
- Communicated with culinary team and service staff to support timely meal execution
- Enforced cleanliness standards across work areas, equipment, and shared kitchen spaces
- Trained new cooks on proper food handling techniques.
- Organized the work area for efficient functioning during shifts.
- Ensured kitchen staff followed health and safety regulations.
- Reviewed food orders to verify accuracy before they were sent out.
- Inspected equipment and ensured it was properly maintained by kitchen staff.
Education
Brunswick High School
Brunswick, GASkills
- Food safety compliance
- Food safety
- Sanitation standards
- Hygiene practices
- Allergy management
- Allergy awareness
- Menu execution
- Menu development
- Recipe creation
- Food preparation
- Cooking techniques
- Quality control
- Quality assurance
- Ingredient rotation
- Food storage
- Waste reduction
- Inventory management
- Order verification
- Equipment maintenance
- Staff training
- Kitchen supervision
- Station coordination
- Kitchen organization
- Staff management
- Team communication
- Operational planning
- Time management
- Leadership presence
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Cost analysis
- Knife skills
- Ordering supplies
- Food safety
- Quality assurance
Timeline
Kitchen Lead
Jekyll Island Seafood
01.2022 - 09.2025
Cook Shift Leader
Sea Island Resort
02.2009 - 12.2023
Brunswick High School