Benefits:
Employee discounts
Opportunity for advancement
Paid time off
Health insurance
Head Chef & Culinary Operations Lead
Location: Connecticut (On-site / Kitchen-based role)
About Honeyplate Honeyplate is a fast-growing meal prep and catering company serving Connecticut. Originally founded as Edibolic Kitchen, we’ve spent more than a decade creating scratch-made, flavorful meals designed to make healthy eating convenient. Our mission is simple but powerful: nourish people with food that brings balance, flavor, and time back into their lives. We’re scaling into catering, corporate accounts, and institutional partnerships, and we’re searching for a culinary leader who thrives on both creativity and operational excellence.
The Role
This is not a clipboard chef position. This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll cook alongside the team while driving menu development and running the back-of-house operation like a true culinary director. You will have the opportunity to shape our menus, build systems, and lead a motivated team. It’s perfect for someone ready to step into full ownership of a kitchen while enjoying stability, creativity, and the chance to grow with a company on the rise.
What You’ll Do
Menu Development & Creativity
Own seasonal, health-forward menu design for meal prep and catering
Standardize recipes, portions, and plating guides for consistency
Innovate with balanced nutrition: lean proteins, complex carbs, plant-forward dishes, gluten-free or allergen-aware options
Stay on trend with food culture while keeping menus approachable and efficient
Kitchen Leadership & Team Building
Recruit, hire, train, and supervise a strong kitchen team
Lead daily production while modeling high standards
Build a culture of accountability, efficiency, and continuous improvement
Write SOPs, create prep lists, and streamline workflow for scale
Operational Efficiency & Quality Control
Manage food costs, budgeting, and forecasting
Oversee purchasing, vendor negotiations, and inventory management
Minimize waste through efficient prep, portioning, and smart ordering
Ensure food safety and compliance with HACCP, ServSafe, and health code standards
Partner with logistics to align kitchen workflow with delivery schedules
What We’re Looking For
5+ years in professional kitchens (meal prep, catering, banquets, or high-volume production a plus)
Leadership experience managing teams and kitchen systems
Proven ability to design menus, control costs, and run efficient operations
Hands-on cooking expertise: grilling, roasting, batch prep, plating, and production scaling
Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and allergen protocols
Creativity balanced with operational discipline
Strong communicator who leads from the front
Bonus: Experience in subscription meal services, catering, vending, or institutional food production.
Why Join Honeyplate?
Lifestyle Upgrade: 45-hour workweek, daytime focus, no late-night grind
Creative Freedom: Full say in menus, sourcing, and systems design
Growth Path: Opportunities in catering, vending, and institutional expansion
Stability & Perks: Free meals, paid time off, professional development, predictable holidays
Mission-Driven Work: Join a company that values scratch cooking, health, and innovation
Position Summary
The Head Chef at Honeyplate leads both with vision and with their knife in hand. You’ll balance the role of culinary director, team leader, and cook. If you are tired of burnout kitchens, want predictable hours, and crave a role where you can still be creative while growing a business, this is your next step.
How to Apply
Please send:
Your resume or culinary background
A brief note on why Honeyplate excites you
Optional: a sample menu concept or example of a system you’ve implemented
We respond quickly to strong candidates — if this sounds like the leadership role you’ve been waiting for, apply today.