Klein Alto is a refined yet inviting restaurant that serves as Alto’s home away from home during estate renovations. The restaurant operates from a beautifully restored historic cellar building, with seating across the Atrium and an outdoor deck featuring panoramic Helderberg views. It offers wholesome, locally sourced, intentionally curated to complement Alto’s award-winning wines.
Klein Alto features curated wine experiences, seasonal menus, date night dinners, summer menus, canapés-and-wine pairings, and the popular Sunset Rouge evenings with live music.‑night dinners, summer menus, canapés-and-wine pairings, and the popular Sunset Rouge evenings with live music.
Position Overview
The Head Chef is responsible for leading the culinary direction and daily kitchen operations for Klein Alto Restaurant. This includes crafting seasonal menus, curating dishes that pair beautifully with Alto wines, upholding high service standards, and shaping an exceptional dining experience that aligns with the restaurant’s brand of authentic, heartfelt cuisine.
Key Responsibilities
- Menu Development & Culinary Creativity
- Develop and update seasonal menus featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
- Craft dishes specifically designed to pair with Alto’s wine portfolio and tasting experiences.
- Create specialty menus for:
- Summer/seasonal menus
- Date Night Experiences (4‑course shared menu)
- Sunset Rouge limited menus
- Canapé & wine pairing experiences
- Holiday or event offerings
- Kitchen Operations & Quality Control
- Oversee all daily kitchen activities, ensuring quality, consistency, and presentation standards.
- Maintain exceptional standards for plating—reflecting Klein Alto’s reputation for well‑presented, thoughtfully composed dishes.
- Ensure smooth service during lunch and dinner services.
- Wine Estate Collaboration
- Coordinate closely with:
- Alto winemaker
- Tasting room team
- Sales and Marketing team
- Ensure coherence between food menus, wine tastings, pairings, and special events.
- Team Leadership
- Recruit, train, schedule, and lead all kitchen staff.
- Implement consistent training on:
- Latest techniques
- Wine pairing fundamentals‑pairing fundamentals
- Seasonal ingredient handling
- Plating discipline‑dining plating discipline
- Build a positive and high-performance kitchen culture.
- Costing, Inventory & Supplier Management
- Manage food costs while maintaining high-quality ingredients.
- Develop strong relationships with local farmers, producers, suppliers, and estate resources.
- Conduct stock control, ordering, waste management, and compliance documentation.
- Health, Safety & Compliance
- Ensure full compliance with HACCP and food safety protocols.
- Maintain cleanliness and organization of all kitchen areas.
- Conduct regular audits and adhere to all health regulations.
- Guest Experience Support
- Collaborate with FOH team to ensure seamless service delivery.
- Adapt menus to customer feedback (noting trends from Dine Plan and Tripadvisor).
- Contribute to storytelling around food, wine pairing, and Alto heritage.
Required Skills & Experience
Formal Culinary Education (Preferred but Not Always Mandatory)
A strong educational foundation supports consistency and expertise. Most fine dining or winery establishments prefer:
- A professional culinary diploma or certification from a recognized culinary school.
- Advanced qualifications in:
- Classical French cooking
- Mediterranean/Italian cuisine‑influenced menu)
- Pastry or baking fundamentals
- Additional training in:
- Menu engineering
- Nutrition
- Hospitality management
While formal training is beneficial, extensive real world dining experience can compensate.
Essential Experience
A Head Chef typically requires 5 –10 years of progressive kitchen experience, including:
- Fine dining, luxury, winery or boutique hospitality restaurants.
- Demonstrated progression from:
- Commis → Chef de Partie → Sous Chef → Head Chef (or Executive Sous).
- Experience designing, costing, and executing seasonal menus.
- Strong track record managing full services during high-pressure services.
Winery or Estate Experience (Highly Advantageous)
- Working in restaurants attached to wine estates, vineyards, or tasting rooms.
- Designing dishes specifically for wine pairing.
- Experience coordinating with:
- Winemakers
- Tasting room managers
- Event coordinators
Core Technical Skills
- Advanced cooking techniques (French, Italian, modern techniques).
- Butchery and fish fabrication.
- Sauces, reductions, emulsions, and stock production.
- Pasta and Italian cooking foundations
- Plating and presentation.
Menu Development Skills
- Seasonal menu creation.
- Understanding of terroir-driven cuisine.
- Designing dishes that intentionally complement wine profiles.
- Ability to create:
- Tasting menus
- Canapé pairings
- Event menus
- Special menus (e.g., date-night or themed evenings)
Leadership & Management Experience
A Head Chef is a team leader first, chef second. Required experience includes:
- Managing teams of 6–12 kitchen staff.
- Training junior chefs in technique, hygiene, and standards.
- Conducting performance reviews and developmental coaching.
- Scheduling staff for seasonal fluctuations—particularly important on busy estates.
- Maintaining team morale in a high-pressure environment.
Operational & Business Competency
Winery restaurants require operational discipline. A Head Chef should have proven ability in:
Cost Management
- Food cost calculation
- GP management
- Waste and portion control
- Supplier negotiation
Inventory & Systems
- Stock rotation, ordering cycles, par levels
- Kitchen administration (recipe cards, audits, compliance)
- Knowledge of POS systems and kitchen management software