Rita Carapinha

Supported kitchen operations in a high-volume hospitality environment, contributing to food preparation, kitchen organisation, food safety compliance, and the consistent delivery of high-quality dishes. Demonstrated the ability to work efficiently under pressure while maintaining excellent standards of food quality, presentation, and service.

Key responsibilities included:

• Assisting with the preparation, cooking, and presentation of food in accordance with company standards and recipes.
• Independently managing late-night kitchen operations during closing shifts (11:00 pm–1:00 am), overseeing food service, room service orders, and customer requests.
• Ensuring the kitchen was fully cleaned, organised, and prepared for the following day's operations.
• Maintaining compliance with food safety regulations, including allergen management, temperature monitoring, blast chiller records, and daily closing documentation.
• Managing stock rotation and food storage procedures in line with HACCP requirements.
• Coordinating multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment while maintaining efficiency and attention to detail.
• Working collaboratively with kitchen and front-of-house teams to ensure smooth service delivery and guest satisfaction.

• Developed strong organisational and communication skills, managing multiple orders, tracking portions, and collaborating with other sections. Utilised seasonal produce from the garden and learned preservation techniques such as pickling, fermenting, canning, dehydrating, and smoking.
• Managed the pastry section independently on my shifts, handling orders and running the section efficiently. Prepared bar tea cakes, cookies, celebration cakes, and breakfast items. Reviewed function sheets and cake orders daily, ensuring lunch and dinner service readiness.
• Managed ordering and addressed supplier issues
• Adapted menus when ingredients were unavailable
• Created recipes aligned with company values
• Conducted stock takes and ensured complete section prep
• Handled function menus and coordinated with other departments
• Managed kitchen inventory, ensuring freshness
• Collaborated on daily specials, boosting customer orders
• I maintained a positive attitude throughout my placement, demonstrating resilience and a strong desire to learn and improve.

• I was a diligent employee who always worked to improve my performance in every task. The restaurant brought 80/100 people every night; managing pastry and producing the amuse-bouche was a big responsibility. During this process, I learned to manage my time and created a method to keep my tasks balanced and on time for the orders and customers.
• I would start the day at 7 AM by making breakfast with a buffet system. I would check the stock left, re-stock if needed and prepare M.E.P.
• My schedule would rotate to the pool bar that served lighter meals such as salads, burgers, hot dogs, and fresh pizzas.