Sous Chef ~ Halaal at Sun International

Job Purpose

• The Halaal Sous Chef is responsible for ensuring full compliance with Halaal (NIHT) standards, food safety regulations, and organisational quality requirements across all kitchen operations.
• The role oversees the procurement, preparation, and service of Halaal-certified food, ensuring strict control measures are in place to prevent cross-contamination and maintain traceability at all times.
• It includes leading daily kitchen operations, supervising staff, maintaining operational efficiency, and ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality food across outlets in line with approved standards and procedures.

Key Performance Areas

Duties and responsibilities include:

• Ensure full compliance with Halaal standards across procurement, storage, preparation, and service in line with NIHT requirements
• Verify that all ingredients are sourced only from approved Halaal-certified suppliers with valid certification
• Inspect all deliveries, reject non-compliant goods, and maintain accurate receiving and traceability records
• Prevent cross-contamination by enforcing strict separation of Halaal and non-Halaal areas, equipment, and utensils
• Conduct daily kitchen inspections and implement corrective actions where required
• Report all critical compliance issues to management and NIHT immediately
• Collaborate with auditors and certification bodies during inspections
• Manage daily kitchen operations for the Halaal section, ensuring smooth service delivery and operational efficiency
• Supervise food preparation, cooking, presentation, and portion control to maintain quality standards
• Support menu planning and production of Halaal-compliant dishes across outlets
• Oversee stock control, ordering, inventory rotation, and waste management
• Ensure cleanliness, organisation, and efficiency of all kitchen workflows
• Supervise and guide kitchen staff within the Halaal section, including chefs and stewards
• Train staff on Halaal compliance, food safety, and cross-contamination prevention
• Allocate tasks, monitor performance, and maintain team discipline and productivity
• Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, and high standards
• Ensure consistent quality, taste, and presentation of all dishes
• Maintain recipe standards, portion control, and production consistency
• Conduct regular quality checks and tasting sessions
• Support continuous improvement in kitchen processes and standards
• Liaise with procurement, outlet managers, and senior chefs to ensure Halaal requirements are met
• Support multiple outlets with Halaal-compliant production as required
• Communicate operational risks and compliance issues promptly to management
• Work closely with health, safety, and compliance teams to meet regulatory standards

Job Requirements

Education

• 3 -Year Culinary Diploma or equivalent National Culinary Qualification at a Diploma level
• Membership with South African Chef’s Association and other relevant culinary accreditation

Experience

• 5-6 years’ experience and track record in a similarly graded hotel / restaurant kitchen environment of which at least 2 years’ experience must have been as a chef de partie
• Strong knowledge of Halaal dietary laws and certified Halaal kitchen operations

Skills and Knowledge

• Expert knowledge of Halaal (NIHT) compliance requirements
• Food safety and hygiene standards (HACCP principles)
• Cross-contamination prevention and control procedures
• Culinary skills (food preparation, cooking techniques, presentation)
• Stock control, inventory management, and ordering systems
• Recipe standardisation and portion control
• Kitchen operations management
• Quality control and sensory evaluation (tasting and consistency checks)
• Menu execution and production planning
• Basic cost control and waste management principles