Sarah Carlson
Barberton,OH
Summary
Forward-thinking professional offering more than 17 years of experience working in fast-paced kitchen and event situations. Executive Chef and Owner at The Red Hare Personal Chef and Catering, adept at menu planning and inventory management. Achieved significant cost reductions while enhancing customer satisfaction through innovative recipe development and exceptional hospitality service. Proven leader in training kitchen staff and cultivating client relationships, ensuring top-notch culinary experiences. Skilled at staying focused and productive in high-stress situations and maintaining calmness in busy times. Excellent and proven culinary and management skills.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Chef and Owner
The Red Hare Personal Chef and Catering
10.2008 - Current
- Inventoried food, ingredient, and supply stock to prepare and plan vendor orders.
- Delivered excellent food quality and maximized customer satisfaction by preparing meals according to customer requests.
- Maintained high food quality standards by checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity.
- Oversaw business operations, inventory control, and customer service for restaurant.
- Handled and stored food to eliminate illness and prevent cross-contamination.
- Requisitioned food, selected and developed recipes and standardized production recipes for consistent quality.
- Coordinated employee schedules and developed staff teams to boost productivity.
- Implemented food cost and waste reduction initiatives to save money.
- Developed new recipes and flavor combinations to enhance customer dining experience.
- Managed day-to-day business operations.
- Implemented business strategies, increasing revenue, and effectively targeting new markets.
- Cultivated and strengthened lasting client relationships using strong issue resolution and dynamic communication skills.
- Managed purchasing, sales, marketing and customer account operations efficiently.
- Trained and managed kitchen personnel and supervised related culinary activity.
- Conceptualized menus to account for dietary restrictions, food allergies and personal requests.
- Cooked for large groups of people and managing various types of food for large events.
- Created catering menu based upon client specifications, event type, dietary needs, and budget.
- Provided friendly, courteous service to create memorable moments for guests.
- Collaborated with clients to plan event venues, menus and budgets.
- Researched menu options for customers with food allergies or special dietary preferences to accommodate varied dietary needs.
- Prepared and served meals for small dinner parties and large events and complied with diet requests and special accommodations.
- Advertised and participated in networking and social events to promote business.
- Generated invoice to request payment for services provided in client home or specifically requested location.
- Labeled food to include reheating and safe storage and handling instructions.
- Shopped at specialty grocery stores to obtain ingredients needed for food preparation.
- Developed recipe inventory to offer meal options for variety of tastes and needs.
- Coordinated schedules and timelines for events.
- Managed event logistics and operations.
- Organized logistics and prioritized tasks for small to large-scale weddings.
- Liaised between wedding venues, vendors and engaged couple to help plan and deliver successful event.
Education
Professional Chef Diploma - Culinary Arts
Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts
Portland, ORSkills
- Recipes and menu planning
- Banquets and catering
- Food and beverage pairing
- Forecasting and planning
- Food spoilage prevention
- Business operations oversight
- Budgeting and cost control
- Inventory management
- Kitchen staff management
- Marketing business and client retention
- Hospitality service expertise
- Hiring, training, and development
- ServSafe certification
- Recipe development
- Catering and events
Timeline
Executive Chef and Owner
The Red Hare Personal Chef and Catering
10.2008 - Current
Professional Chef Diploma - Culinary Arts
Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts