Test Kitchen Restaurants jobs

KFI Inc.

Location: 6295 Kestrel Road, Mississauga, ON, L5T 1Z4

The Position: Product Development Cook (NOC 63200)

The Offered Wages: $36.50 - $38.50 per hour for 30-40 hours per week

Terms of the employment: Full time, Temporary

The Need Explained:

This position is required to assist in developing, testing, and standardizing recipes for KFI’s planned expansion into the ready-to-eat market focussed on North Indian Cooking product range. The role necessitates a specialized cook proficient in traditional 'non-commercial' techniques ‘specifically domestic and community-kitchen styles’ to ensure the new product line replicates the authentic taste of North Indian home style cooking rather than standard restaurant-style preparations.

To support the culinary R&D of KFI's frozen vegetable and non-veg line, and assisting in the sensory attributes (taste, texture, and aroma) of traditional home-cooked meals are addressed throughout the industrial freezing process. This role bridges the gap between artisanal family recipes and factory production, requiring unique expertise in high-volume, traditional community cooking that standard commercial cooks do not possess.

The Job duties:

● Assist in preparing and cooking complete traditional meals and individual dishes (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian) in the test kitchen, strictly adhering to authentic "homestyle" cooking methods (e.g., slow-roasting spices, slow cooking) rather than using commercial fast-cooking shortcuts.

● Contribute in standardizing new menu items for the ready-to-eat product line by adapting traditional family recipes and community-kitchen formulas, ensuring the flavor profile remains consistent when scaled up for mass production.

● Support in determining specific food portion sizes and ingredient ratios required to maintain the "home-cooked" texture of meats and vegetables after the freezing and reheating process.

● Support and train batchers and production line staff on the specific manual techniques required for "homestyle" quality, such as the proper tempering of spices and hand-cutting vegetables to resemble domestic preparation.

● Estimate food requirements for pilot batches, supporting in selecting specific raw ingredients (e.g., specific lentil varieties) that replicate the authentic taste and texture found in home kitchens and community feasts.

● Assist in inspecting kitchens and food service areas to ensure that traditional cooking vessels and equipment are maintained according to health and safety standards while preserving their utility for authentic cuisine.

● Assist in monitoring and executing the precise staging of cooking, ensuring that gravies and curries are cooked to the specific reduction point required to prevent water separation during the freezing process.

● Be a member of the team conducting sensory evaluations (taste testing) of prepared dishes to verify that the final product matches the "home-cooked" benchmark, making immediate culinary adjustments to seasoning or cooking time as needed.

Education Needed: Completion of Secondary School

Work Experience Needed:

● 2-3 years of experience in South Asian/ North Indian household and community kitchen setting

● In-depth knowledge of traditional North Indian home cooked dishes is required

● Exposure to traditional regional spice blending, preservation techniques, large-scale batch cooking or institutional catering would be an asset.

Language: English

Contact: George@kficanada.ca

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $36.50-$38.50 per hour

Benefits:

• Extended health care

Work Location: In person