Meritage Restaurant at Callaway Vineyard & Winery is seeking an experienced, hands-on Head Chef to lead the culinary operations of Meritage Restaurant & Catering in the heart of Temecula Wine Country. This is more than a traditional restaurant Chef position. The Head Chef has culinary oversight of Meritage Restaurant and all catering, including weddings, private events, wine club events, winery programming, concerts, off-site events, and promotional appearances. We are looking for a culinary leader who brings creativity to the kitchen while understanding that a successful culinary operation also requires strong food-cost control, labor management, organization, consistency, and accountability.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

• Lead all back-of-house operations for Meritage Restaurant.
• Oversee culinary execution for all catering, weddings, private events, winery events, and off-site/promotional events.
• Develop seasonal restaurant, catering, and special-event menus that complement Callaway wines and the winery experience.
• Maintain consistent recipes, portions, plating standards, quality, and presentation.
• Cost all menu items and actively manage food cost, labor cost, waste, purchasing, inventory, and menu profitability.
• Review BEOs and plan culinary staffing, prep, equipment, quantities, timing, and execution for upcoming events.
• Manage food purchasing, vendor relationships, receiving, inventory, and appropriate par levels.
• Recruit, schedule, train, coach, and develop the culinary team.
• Maintain a professional kitchen culture focused on accountability, teamwork, communication, and consistency.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, health department, and workplace safety requirements.
• Collaborate closely with Restaurant, Events, Wine Club, Tasting Room, Winemaking, Marketing, Accounting, and Executive Leadership.
• Support wine dinners, pairings, tastings, media appearances, promotional events, and other culinary initiatives representing Callaway Vineyard & Winery.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• 5+ years of progressive professional culinary experience.
• Previous Head Chef, Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or comparable culinary leadership experience strongly preferred.
• Restaurant leadership experience required; catering, banquet, wedding, or large-event experience strongly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of food and recipe costing, inventory, purchasing, labor management, and kitchen financial controls.
• Proven ability to lead and develop a culinary team.
• Ability to successfully manage restaurant service while simultaneously planning for weddings, catering, and special events.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation requirements.
• Culinary degree or formal culinary training preferred but not required with equivalent experience.
• ServSafe Manager Certification preferred.
• Valid driver's license and ability to support off-site events as needed.

SCHEDULE & ENVIRONMENT

This is a hands-on leadership position in a dynamic winery, restaurant, and events environment. Availability must include weekends, evenings, holidays, weddings, special events, and off-site events based on business needs. The right candidate will be equally comfortable leading a restaurant kitchen, executing a large wedding, reviewing food costs, developing a new menu, coaching a team member, and collaborating on a wine-pairing event. If you are a culinary leader who values creativity but also understands the importance of consistency, profitability, organization, and accountability, we would love to hear from you.

Pay:

From $71,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Paid time off

Work Location:

In person