Line Cook/ Prep Cook

Job Summary Sunstone Winery is launching a culinary program focused on pizza, cold-prep menu items, and pickup-window service. We are seeking a detail-oriented Prep / Cold Line Cook to support daily culinary production, cold station execution, and food presentation within our tasting room and private event program. This role owns the cold prep station and is responsible for station readiness, advance prep, product freshness, cleanliness, organization, ticket timing awareness, and clear communication around supply needs, prep levels, and service flow. The ideal candidate is organized, efficient, food-safety focused, and able to execute prep and cold station work with consistency and attention to detail. Key Responsibilities Prepare all cold-prep menu items. Complete advance prep for weekends, holidays, private events, club events, and peak hospitality periods. Maintain appropriate par levels for produce, cheeses, charcuterie, dressings, garnishes, desserts, packaging, and cold station ingredients. Communicate supply needs, low inventory, product shortages, spoilage, or ordering needs to leadership before they impact service. Label, date, rotate, and store all prepared items, produce, dairy, proteins, dressings, and cold ingredients according to food safety standards. Follow food safety rotation and maintain proper storage practices to protect freshness and reduce waste. Keep produce, cold storage, prep tables, cutting boards, knives, containers, and food prep areas clean, sanitized, organized, and service-ready. Support composed plates with precise portioning, clean presentation, and consistency. Maintain garnish station, plating components, and cold station mise en place throughout service. Work closely with the Pizzaiolo / Pizza Station Lead, dishwasher/BOH support, checkout/order support, and expo to maintain smooth ticket flow. Stay mindful of ticket times and communicate delays, pacing issues, or service needs to expo/order support and hospitality leadership. Support pickup-window and expo flow during peak service to help ensure completed orders are accurate, organized, and ready for guest pickup. Monitor product freshness, quality, and presentation throughout the day. Minimize waste by communicating over-prep, spoilage, expired product, incorrect orders, or quality concerns. Follow all California food safety requirements, sanitation standards, handwashing procedures, allergen awareness, and cross-contamination prevention practices. Maintain required Food Handler certification and any applicable food safety documentation required by California law. Assist with opening, closing, cleaning, and kitchen reset duties as assigned. Maintain a clean, organized, and professional work area during daily service, weekends, events, and peak hospitality periods. Qualifications Required 1-2 years of prep cook, cold line, culinary production, restaurant, catering, or hospitality kitchen experience preferred. Strong knife skills and attention to detail. Ability to own and maintain a clean, organized, and service-ready cold prep station. Ability to prep in advance for weekends, holidays, events, and peak service periods. Ability to monitor par levels and communicate ordering needs before supplies run low. Ability to work efficiently and cleanly in a fast-paced environment. Strong organizational habits and ability to follow prep lists, recipes, portion standards, and service procedures. Ability to maintain consistency in freshness, plating, portioning, timing, and presentation. Understanding of food safety, sanitation, FIFO, labeling, dating, storage, allergen awareness, and cross-contamination procedures. Ability to communicate clearly with hospitality leadership, expo/order support, the Pizzaiolo / Pizza Station Lead, and BOH support staff. Current Food Handler certification required, or ability to obtain before start date, in accordance with California food safety requirements. Availability to work Thursday-Sunday, weekends, holidays, events, and peak hospitality periods as needed. Preferred Experience preparing salads, boards, cold plates, desserts, or composed menu items. Experience in a winery, restaurant, hotel, catering, event, or hospitality environment. Experience with pickup-window, counter-service, or high-volume ticket flow. Experience supporting kitchen opening and closing procedures. Interest in seasonal ingredients, garden-driven items, and wine-friendly food presentation. Schedule Requirements This position is expected to support the culinary program Thursday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Weekend availability is required. Additional availability may be needed during holidays, holiday weekends, private events, club events, and high-volume hospitality periods. Sunstone Winery is closed on Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Physical Requirements Ability to stand for extended periods. Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds as needed. Ability to bend, reach, twist, carry, push, pull, and move quickly during service. Ability to work around kitchen equipment, sharp tools, cold storage, cleaning chemicals, wet floors, and active service areas. Ability to safely use knives, prep tools, cutting boards, storage containers, and smallwares. Ability to perform repetitive motions related to chopping, slicing, portioning, plating, lifting, carrying, cleaning, and stocking. Working Environment This role operates in a hospitality-focused winery environment with a lean culinary launch model. The position supports cold-prep production, pizza service, pickup-window service, private events, and general kitchen operations.

The work environment may include:

High guest volume Weekend rushes Fast-paced prep and plating needs Cold station production Event-related service needs Coordination with pizza station, dishwashing support, checkout/order support, and tasting room leadership Changing needs as the culinary program develops

Pay:

$20.00 - $23.00 per hour

Work Location:

In person