Michael Cochren
Healdsburg,USA
Summary
Accomplished Sous Chef with extensive experience leading breakfast, lunch, and brunch programs in high-end, fine-dining environments. Known for elevating daytime service through disciplined execution, refined technique, and strong brigade leadership. Adept at menu development, staff training, and maintaining impeccable quality standards during high-volume service windows. Combines creative culinary vision with operational precision, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and a guest experience aligned with luxury-level expectations.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Sous Chef
Madrona hotel
Healdsburg, CA
03.2022 - Current
- Culinary Operations Leadership — Directed all breakfast, lunch, and brunch services, ensuring precise execution, timing, and consistency across multiple departments in alignment with Executive Chef standards.
- Menu Development — Collaborated on seasonal menu design for daytime service, developing refined, technique-driven dishes that balance approachability with fine-dining sophistication.
- Staff Training — Trained and mentored cooks across AM and midday stations, establishing disciplined mise en place systems and elevating skill level through hands-on coaching.
- Quality Control — Oversaw plating, flavor accuracy, and portion standards during high-volume brunch and lunch rushes; maintained luxury-level attention to detail.
- Inventory & Ordering — Managed daily ordering and vendor relationships, ensuring cost-controlled inventory of premium ingredients tailored to daytime service demands.
- Food Safety Compliance — Enforced HACCP protocols, sanitation standards, and kitchen audits, maintaining a safe and efficient operation across all AM prep and service windows.
- Team Leadership — Acted as second-in-command, running morning lineups, delegating prep, coordinating station flow, and leading the brigade during Executive Chef absence.
Lead Line Cook
Madrona Manor
Healdsburg, CA
04.2018 - 06.2020
- Preparing Food
- One of the main tasks given to a lead line cook is helping with the preparation of food for cooking or serving. This may include washing and peeling fruits and vegetables, marinating meat, or preparing sauces. While some kitchens employ prep chefs for this, lead line cooks are often involved with this work.
- Follow Orders from Supervisors
- Lead line cooks are tasked with various duties as they come in, which are assigned by either the head chef or the supervisor. Line cooks are responsible for whatever station they’re assigned to, but may also be given other duties during busier periods.
- Stock Work Stations
- Ensuring that each station is stocked with the necessary equipment is generally tasked to the line cook. They also check that work stations are clean and meet sanitary regulations at all times.
- Check Inventory Stocks
- A lead line cook prepares ingredients and supplies each day, which includes checking inventories and the quality of the supplies received. They also ensure that dates and temperatures are checked, and that stock is rotated to be in line with use-by dates for optimum quality.
- Responsibility to ensure that these regulations and standards are met at all times, and that the kitchen remains hygienic.
- Lead Line Cook Skills and Qualifications.
- Listening skills – in a professional kitchen, the ability to follow tasks to the exact requirements is essential, as is following orders from the supervisor each day
- Time management – lead line cooks manage their time effectively and stick to strict deadlines to help the kitchen run smoothly
- Dexterity – line cooks work with sharp objects at a quick pace. Dexterity is important in order to remain safe while still completing tasks to a high standard
- Strength and stamina – lead line cooks work a physically demanding job. Long hours and standing for extended periods of time require high energy, and lifting heavy supply boxes and equipment requires strength
- Teamwork – working well as part of a team is vital to this job, as lead line cooks collaborate with their colleagues at all times. It’s important to maintain a professional approach when working with other members of the team
Line Cook
Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen
Healdsburg, CA
03.2015 - 04.2018
- 1. Oversee the consistency of various preparations within the cold kitchen to ensure quality product and adherence to standard recipes.
- 2. Prepares all cold food according to recipes, guidelines and standards set by the Executive Chef or hotel standards.
- 3. Ensures that assigned work area has proper level of par stocks and supplies according to daily production sheets (based on house count), daily menus and banquets events.
- 4. Always keep all refrigeration, equipment, storage and working areas in clean, working condition in order to comply with health department regulations.
- 5. Visually inspects, selects and uses only food items of the highest standard in the preparation of all menu items.
- 6. Checks and controls the proper storage of product, checking on portion control, especially in specific cuts of meat, to maintain quality product.
- 7. Delegates and assists in preparing of cold food items like salads, sushi, cold cuts, salad dressings etc.
- 8. Prepares daily requisitions for supplies and food items for production.
- 9. Prepare all dishes following recipes and yield guides.
- 10. Properly label and date all products to ensure safekeeping and sanitation.
- 11. Effectively communicate with other chefs and service staff in order to full fill and address any issues or needs requested by guests.
- 12. Plan, prepare and set up to provide quality service and product to all outlets requiring items from Garde Manger kitchen.
- 13. Collaborate with the Executive Chef in menu development and implementation of banquet menus.
- 14. Monitors waste and over production, as well as utilizes leftovers, ensures proper rotation and quality control.
- 15. Maintain complete knowledge of and comply with all departmental policies, procedures and standards.
- 16. Maintain complete knowledge of correct maintenance and use of equipment.
- 17. Performs general cleaning tasks using standard hotel cleaning product as assigned to adhere to health standards.
- 18. Establish and oversee the production of bulk foods for supported outlets.
- 19. Utilize established company control procedures for food cost, labor cost, and food quality.
- 20. Responsible for assisting Executive Chef in maintaining the overall cleanliness and equipment maintenance of their areas.
- 21. Assist Executive Sous chef in overseeing weekly and monthly inventories, and ordering of food and supplies.
- 22. Assist Executive Sous Chef and Assistant Executive Sous Chef in formulating recipes for production use in Garde Manger kitchen and banquet menus.
- 23. Assists Executive Chef in monitoring training of new employees to help them achieve higher status.
- 24. Assists Executive Chef in monitoring and enforcing Company and Departmental safety policies, Health Department Standards and all other applicable.
- 25. Attend daily and weekly kitchen meetings to keep garde manger staff informed and updated on current events and hotel activities.
- 26. Strong communication, leadership, and conflict resolution skills.
- 27. Perform all other job related duties as requested by the management.
- Prerequisites:
- Working knowledge of the fundamentals of cooking.
- Working knowledge of knives and knife skills.
- Working knowledge of kitchen equipment like cryovac, slicing machine, juicer, small wares etc.
- Work varied shifts, including weekends and holidays.
Education
High school diploma -
Skills
- Management
- Leadership
- Documentation review
- Food Preparation
- Restaurant experience
- POS
- Shift Management
- Food handling
- Food safety
- Team leadership
- Kitchen leadership
- Inventory management
- Safe food handling
- Food presentation
- Menu planning
- Food preparation
- Kitchen organization
- Cooking techniques
- Allergen awareness
- Supervising food prep
- Knife skills
- Ingredient knowledge
- Mentoring and coaching
- Menu development
- Safe handling
- Staff training
- Butchery skills
- Portion control
- Ordering and requisitions
- Vendor relationship management
- Equipment usage
- Plating
- Garnishing and plating
Certification
- Food Handler Certification
- ServSafe
Languages
English - Expert
Timeline
Sous Chef
Madrona hotel
03.2022 - Current
Lead Line Cook
Madrona Manor
04.2018 - 06.2020
Line Cook
Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen
03.2015 - 04.2018
High school diploma -
Additional Information
Authorized to work in the US for any employer