JOIN OUR TEAM
Cuyama Buckhorn is a timeless roadside inn & restaurant located on State Route 166 in the heart of Cuyama Valley, where community, locally-inspired food, and artistry flourish.
We are pleased to announce our resort reveal! Our resort retreat now boasts a full service, farm-to-table restaurant and bar, a craft coffee shop, and a market featuring house-made and local products. Wanderlust seekers can also enjoy a glistening pool to splash into under the warm California sun, a spacious jacuzzi to warm up in on cool desert nights, a barrel sauna with sunset views, outdoor fire pits and games to bring together friends new and old, as well as plenty of event spaces to celebrate the beauty of this unmatched haven.
We can’t wait to have you join our growing team to help create a warm and welcoming home away from home for locals and travelers, alike!
F&B
Sous Chef
Ever wanted to live in a rural community with vast untouched natural landscape? Cuyama Valley, also known as The Hidden Valley of Enchantment is surrounded by mountain ranges, national forests, national monuments, and wildlife refuges. If you enjoy countless backcountry hiking and mountain biking trails, live fire cooking utilizing local farm fresh ingredients and being a part of immersive events that take “farm-to-table” cuisine to the fullest extent, then this is the opportunity for you.
We’re looking for a dedicated and creative chef with a passion for utilizing quality ingredients. The ideal candidate is someone who works well on a team, takes direction well, is comfortable stepping into a leadership role, and is looking to gain experience in a fast paced and quickly growing culinary program. This role is a great opportunity to gain exposure in the industry via social media promotion and featured press.
This candidate will collaborate with the Executive Chef to continue to elevate and grow our culinary program and ongoing food-centric events and programming, in addition to running the day-to-day operations of The Buckhorn Restaurant. Our boutique resort is regularly booking weddings, retreats, celebratory buyouts and catered events with full food and beverage offerings. Additionally, we regularly put on our own immersive culinary experiences that highlight our local community, local ingredients, the breathtaking natural landscape of our valley and like-minded culinary partners. We’re looking for someone to help curate and execute these creative menus in collaboration with our Executive Chef.
Someone who loves the outdoors, agriculture, nature activities and embraces a remote lifestyle would enjoy the Cuyama lifestyle, as our valley is filled with amazing natural landmarks including, Carrizo Plain National Monument, Los Padres National Forest, amazing campgrounds and stargazing, as well as plenty of incredible local farms and ranches.
- Job Title: Sous Chef
- Department: Main Kitchen
- Location: Cuyama Buckhorn
- Reporting to: Executive Chef, Daniel Horn
- Compensation: Based on experience
- Housing will be provided for this position
ABOUT US
Cuyama Buckhorn is a timeless roadside resort in the heart of Santa Barbara County’s high desert.
The iconic property, originally built in 1952, has been re-imagined as an elevated retreat nestled in The Hidden Valley of Enchantment. It rests at the intersection of 4 counties, on the other side of The Los Padres National Forest from Santa Barbara proper; and is just two hours or less from Los Angeles, Bakersfield, and Paso Robles.
Cuyama Buckhorn offers an intimate getaway filled with thoughtfully crafted meals, a bar where conversation flows effortlessly, 21 newly refined rooms with stylistic nods to the past, and 2 acres of artfully designed outdoor space. The Enchanted Valley sits amidst star-filled night skies for some of the best stargazing in California and pastoral golden mountains boasting hiking trails, breathtaking wildflowers, and wilderness. The food, design, and creative spirit of Cuyama Buckhorn is inspired by the rich history of the local community and the bounty of Cuyama Valley.
This resort retreat boasts a full service, farm-to-table restaurant and bar, a craft coffee shop, and a market featuring house-made and local products. Wanderlust seekers can also enjoy a glistening pool to splash into under the warm California sun, a spacious jacuzzi to warm up in on cool desert nights, a barrel sauna with sunset views, outdoor fire pits and games to bring together friends new and old, as well as plenty of event spaces to celebrate the beauty of this unmatched haven.
THE BUCKHORN RESTAURANT
The Buckhorn Restaurant & Bar was originally established in 1952 as a roadside stop for weary travelers to enjoy a meal in good company. More than 60 years later, The Buckhorn has become a historic establishment nestled in the Hidden Valley of Enchantment, featuring treasured favorites such as Santa Maria tri-tip grilled on our historic Red Oak grill.
While The Buckhorn will always offer nostalgic classics, we have a new focus on connecting our food and beverage offerings to the local bounty of our valley. We offer thoughtfully crafted menus, in partnership with our neighboring farms, ranches and wineries, to create elevated and unexpected farm-to-table comfort food that everyone can celebrate.
F&B PROGRAM MISSION
We believe that what we eat and how we choose to eat matters. By learning where our food comes from and how it’s grown, consciously making our food choices, and investing in the localization of our food, we are able to create a more sustainable future for our local land, community, and the greater world. We draw on and collaborate with our community and like-minded organizations in order to model this ideal, bring awareness to the importance of localizing food systems, and to help complete this dependent circle in our own region.
We work to highlight the products and goods originating from our valley and our neighboring cities in every area of our property, from our food and beverage offerings in the bar and restaurant, to the mini bar trays in our guest rooms, to the retail products and farm fresh produce and groceries in our market.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Ensure the kitchen is clean, hygienic, well-maintained and organized at all times.
- Ensure all food safety procedures are being followed by the staff, including, FIFO, labeling and dating, handwashing, etc.
- Maintain restaurant and kitchen standards and confirm that restaurant and kitchen staff are following all recipes and procedures.
- In addition to the Executive Chef, maintain par levels of product needed to run the daily food operations as well as any special events that may be occurring at any given time.
- Work in conjunction with the Executive Chef to maintain budgeted food cost.
- Ensure all equipment is working correctly and being used, cleaned and stored in the appropriate manner by the staff.
- Work with the Executive Chef to provide a schedule that maintains the appropriate staffing levels to ensure smooth kitchen operations. In addition, assist with making sure staff is following the set schedule and make appropriate changes when necessary.
- Work with the Executive Chef on the conception, development, and installation of daily specials and new menu items, as well as special menus when required.
- Ensure a daily collaborative working environment
QUALIFICATIONS
- Must be able to read, write, and speak English. Fluency in Spanish is a plus.
- Must have at least 5 years’ experience with a comparable restaurant/resort.
- Must demonstrate organizational skills and professional communication skills.
- Must be adaptable, flexible, and have a positive, collaborative approach with other departments.
- Must be able to stand for long periods, as well as work extended hours and work weeks as occasionally needed, due to peak business volume, special events, or other relevant factors.
- Required to have knowledge of Farm to Table Cuisine, while also having experience with various Western Cuisines, with a passion for learning new concepts and techniques.
- Must have reliable transportation, and be willing to travel on occasion to local or regional farms to obtain specialty products as needed.
- Must possess a reasonable comfort level with face-to-face guest interactions.
- Must be able to pass a comprehensive background screening.
EOE STATEMENT
We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Job Type: Full-Time