Italian Head Chef - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Overview

The First Group Hospitality is a leading hospitality management company pioneering a new era of excellence. With a rapidly expanding portfolio of award-winning upscale hotels, signature restaurants, and distinctive leisure destinations, we are committed to creating unforgettable experiences at every touchpoint.

Our team of seasoned professionals brings decades of experience from renowned hotel brands, combined with a deep understanding of the Dubai and GCC markets. With a comprehensive infrastructure spanning all key areas of hotel management, we offer tailored solutions to maximise efficiency, drive revenue growth, and enhance guest satisfaction.

At The First Group Hospitality, we are dedicated to building long-term partnerships with our clients. By leveraging our global insights, regional expertise, and strong operational foundation, we ensure that every aspect of your hotel is managed with precision and care. Our goal is to optimise performance, boost profitability, and deliver sustainable growth for your property.

Job Description

The Head Chef for Castelli's Restaurant will lead the kitchen of one of Addis Ababa's most storied Italian dining rooms, protecting its heritage while sharpening the food quality, consistency and commercial performance of the restaurant. He/she must possess a high level of knowledge in classic Italian cuisine, fresh pasta, seasonal produce, traditional techniques, recipe standardisation, plating, kitchen discipline and food cost control. He/she will manage and organise all requirements for the Castelli's kitchen to the highest standards and in accordance with the standard operating procedures implemented by TFG Hospitality and the property management team. The Head Chef will ensure the menu remains rooted in Italian heritage while bringing a fresh, seasonal perspective across antipasti, handmade pasta, filled pasta, mains, sides and dolci. He/she will maintain proper hygiene and sanitation, adequate stocks of working materials, inter-departmental coordination, staff training and operating equipment controls. He/she will work closely with Food & Beverage leadership to support lunch, dinner, private room dining, business dining, social gatherings, evening occasions, wine-led experiences and aperitivo-led revenue opportunities. The Head Chef will ensure that food quality, service support, guest satisfaction and profitability are consistently maintained.

• To lead the Castelli's kitchen and ensure that the quality levels of Italian kitchen production, preparation and presentation are always maintained at the highest level.
• To preserve the heritage and trusted classics of Castelli's while supporting a refreshed, sharpened and commercially disciplined dining experience.
• To deliver a menu direction rooted in classic Italian cuisine with a fresh, seasonal perspective, including antipasti, handmade fresh pasta, filled pasta, mains, sides and dolci.
• To ensure quality produce, classic technique and minimal intervention guide all preparation, cooking and plating standards.
• To standardise recipes, tighten plating, update recipe manuals and ensure that every dish is consistently executed across lunch, dinner, private dining and special events.
• To engineer specials and seasonal menu changes to protect margins while maintaining authenticity, guest appeal and Castelli's culinary identity.
• To ensure recipe costing is updated as menus change and that menu prices are engineered to avoid deviation from the approved food cost targets.
• To maintain the restaurant food cost at all times through portion control, purchasing discipline, waste management, yield monitoring and stock rotation.
• To monitor systematically the performance of the kitchen and intervene immediately if deviations occur in quality, consistency, hygiene, timing, cost or staff performance.
• To coordinate with the Food & Beverage Director/Manager on restaurant promotions, private room bookings, special events, wine dinners, aperitivo moments and operational actions.
• To support Castelli's positioning as a refined, social and elevated Italian restaurant for business dining, social gatherings, evening occasions and destination dining.
• To work with the service and beverage teams to align food with the wine programme, classic Italian cocktails, aperitivo rituals and upselling opportunities.
• To attend daily operational briefings and relevant Department Head, F&B and management meetings as required.
• To conduct daily pre-service briefings with kitchen team members and communicate menu changes, specials, VIPs, events, shortages and standards clearly.
• To ensure mise en place, service readiness and pass discipline are maintained for lunch and dinner service.
• To ensure all food items are received, stored, labelled, dated and rotated according to hygiene, sanitation and food safety policies.
• To conduct regular spot checks on expiry dates, food labelling, storage conditions, cleanliness, equipment condition and kitchen organisation.
• To maintain a safe, hygienic and well-organised working environment and report any maintenance concerns, hazards or faults immediately.
• To supervise the undertaking of physical stock and asset inventories when required and maintain full responsibility for operating equipment under his/her jurisdiction.
• To ensure all fixed assets and kitchen equipment are used correctly, cleaned properly and maintained in good working order.
• To establish and maintain smooth personal and working relationships within the kitchen, service team and wider Food & Beverage operation.
• To recruit, train, coach, motivate and develop kitchen employees in line with Castelli's standards, Italian culinary technique and TFG Hospitality expectations.
• To assist in generating work schedules for kitchen personnel according to forecasted demand, reservations, events and business requirements.
• To delegate responsibilities clearly to staff and ensure that assigned tasks are completed accurately and on time.
• To conduct performance appraisals for kitchen employees and provide regular feedback, coaching and development plans.
• To ensure disciplinary actions are taken, when necessary, according to company policies and local labour requirements.
• To handle guest complaints professionally, support service recovery and use guest feedback to improve food quality and service support.
• To present oneself in a way that enhances the overall guest experience and demonstrates passion, pride and energy for Castelli's.
• To remain updated on all restaurant happenings, including reservations, VIP guests, private room bookings, arrivals, departures, daily events and operational priorities.
• To maintain the highest levels of personal hygiene and grooming at all times, as per standard.
• To practise proper telephone etiquette and professional communication with colleagues, guests, suppliers and management.
• To ensure all channels of communication are respected and that information is disseminated to the correct receivers.
• To understand and apply company policies and procedures, including emergency, health and safety, hygiene and cash/stock control procedures where applicable.
• To attend training carried out by the Training Department and ensure kitchen staff attend training as scheduled by the department.
• To demonstrate knowledge and interest in the goals, standards and objectives of TFG Hospitality and the Castelli's brand refresh.
• To ensure annual leave, public holidays and staffing levels are managed to protect business continuity and service standards.
• To ensure all activities are carried out honestly, ethically and within the parameters of Ethiopian law and company policy.
• To perform any additional or special duties as directed by a superior.

Desired Skill & Expertise

• Minimum of 2 years' experience as a Head Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or Senior Sous Chef in a comparable restaurant or hotel environment.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive culinary experience in quality restaurants or hotels, preferably specializing in Italian cuisine.
• Extensive expertise in classic Italian cuisine and traditional Italian cooking techniques.
• Team-oriented professional who fosters collaboration and a positive kitchen culture.
• Strong leadership and kitchen management skills with the ability to motivate and develop high-performing teams.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to coordinate effectively across departments.
• Proven ability to develop, document, and train teams on recipes, standards, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Solid understanding of food cost management, recipe costing, menu engineering, yield optimization, and waste control.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and kitchen administration systems.
• Experienced in using recipe management and food costing software.
• Holds valid health, hygiene, and food safety certifications, with a strong commitment to maintaining compliance and best practices.