Sous Chef

Sous Chef - Brine

Location: Bangalore Reports to: Head Chef Employment: Full-time, on-site

About Brine

Brine is a modern restaurant built on a simple idea: technique is universal, dishes are not.

We borrow methods from kitchens around the world and apply them to what grows around us - never copying the plate, always learning the craft.

We are a small, ambitious kitchen. Standards are high, egos are not welcome, and the

people who do well here are the ones who care about the twentieth cover as much as the

first.

The Role

The Sous Chef is the operational backbone of the kitchen. You are the person who makes sure that what the Head Chef designs actually happens - every service, every day, at the same standard.

This is a systems role as much as a cooking role. We are looking for someone who thinks in par levels, prep lists, schedules and checklists, and who can run the kitchen independently when the Head Chef is not on the floor.

What You'll Own

Kitchen Operations

Run daily service on the pass; hold the line on timing, plating and standards

Take full charge of the kitchen in the Head Chef's absence — service, team, and decisions

Build and run the daily prep schedule; make sure every section starts service ready

Own par stocks: set them, review them, adjust them by season and covers

Manage ordering, receiving, stock rotation and month-end inventory

Control waste, yields and utilisation across every station

Systems & Consistency

Build and maintain the systems that make consistency possible — recipe cards, prepsheets, station checklists, opening and closing routines

Document processes so standards survive staff changes and days off

Train the team to the documented standard, then audit against it

Identify where the kitchen is running on memory instead of process, and fix it

Hygiene & Food Safety

Own hygiene standards across the kitchen, cold rooms and stores - non-negotiable

Maintain temperature logs, labelling, FIFO discipline and cleaning schedules

Ensure FSSAI compliance and keep the kitchen audit-ready at all times

Lead by example; hygiene is a leadership behaviour, not a checklist

Food & Menu

Hands-on prep and cooking - this is a working sous chef role, not a supervisory one

Contribute to menu development and new dish creation alongside the Head Chef

Bring depth of knowledge on ingredients: seasonality, sourcing, handling, and what each

one is actually good for

Cost dishes accurately and work menu costs to target without cutting corners on quality

Build relationships with suppliers and growers

People

Lead, roster and develop a kitchen team

Run daily briefings; set the tone for the shift

Mentor CDPs and commis with patience and genuine investment in their growth

Hold people to standard through clear feedback, not through fear

What We're Looking For

Essential

Minimum 3 years in a professional kitchen at CDP level or above, with clear progression

Experience in a high-end, fine-dining or chef-driven restaurant

Proven ability to run a kitchen section independently and cover for a Head Chef

Strong command of stock control, par levels and food cost

Genuine eye for detail - in mise, in plating, in the corners of the kitchen nobody looks at

Working knowledge of HACCP and FSSAI standards

Calm under pressure; steady on a hard service

Willing to be based in Bangalore long-term

Preferred

International kitchen experience

Interest or experience in fermentation and preservation — we work with a fermentation larder, and while it's not the core of this role, curiosity here goes a long way

Experience opening a restaurant or building kitchen systems from scratch

Bakery, charcuterie, or in-house dairy exposure

Who does well here

Thinks in systems, not heroics

Curious about ingredients and unafraid of unfamiliar techniques

Brings ideas to the table; comfortable being challenged on them

Takes ownership without being asked twice

Wants to build something, not just hold a title

What We Offer

A kitchen with a real point of view and the freedom to contribute to it

Direct access to the Head Chef and founders; a short path from idea to plate

Growth alongside a group that is actively expanding

Compensation commensurate with experience

To Apply

Send your CV to [HIDDEN TEXT] and [HIDDEN TEXT], along with a short note on the most interesting thing you've cooked and why.