Sous Chef – The Acorn Restaurant
The Acorn is looking for a talented, organized, and motivated Sous Chef to join our kitchen leadership team.
The Acorn is an award-winning, Michelin Recommended, owner-operated, vegetable-forward restaurant on Main Street in Vancouver. We work with unique seasonal ingredients sourced 100% locally, building our menu around what is available from BC farms, foragers, and producers. Our kitchen is rooted in scratch cooking, creativity, careful technique, and zero-waste practices that challenge us to make the most of every ingredient.
We’re looking for someone who is passionate about cooking, calm under pressure, and excited to work closely with the Chef to support a small, focused kitchen team.
The Sous Chef works closely with the Chef on all aspects of the kitchen, including daily prep, service, ordering, menu execution, staff training, and overall organization. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who takes pride in both the food and the people making it.
Responsibilities include:
- Leading prep and service with consistency, focus, and professionalism
- Working closely with the Chef on daily operations and menu execution
- Supporting creative, seasonal menu development rooted in 100% local sourcing
- Maintaining high standards of scratch cooking, organization, cleanliness, and food quality
- Bringing creativity, strong technique, and curiosity to working with seasonal ingredients
- Helping train, mentor, and support kitchen staff
- Assisting with ordering, inventory, waste tracking, and prep planning
- Supporting zero-waste practices and thoughtful use of ingredients throughout the kitchen
- Participating in off-site catering, fundraising events, special events, and chef collaborations, both at The Acorn and in the community
- Contributing to a kitchen culture that is respectful, supportive, collaborative, creative, and efficient
The ideal candidate:
- Has strong cooking fundamentals and previous leadership experience in a professional kitchen
- Is excited by vegetables, seasonality, and unique local ingredients
- Has experience with scratch cooking and strong attention to detail
- Has strong technique, creative instincts, and a genuine curiosity for working with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients
- Is organized, reliable, and able to communicate clearly
- Works well as part of a close-knit team
- Can lead calmly during busy services
- Cares about sustainability, hospitality, and the details that make a restaurant feel special
- Has a positive attitude and a willingness to keep learning
What we offer:
- A creative, supportive kitchen environment
- A chance to work with exceptional BC farms, producers, and foragers
- Competitive pay based on experience
- Staff meals
- Medical benefits after 3 months
- Free counselling
- Staff yoga pass
- Four-day work week
- Gratuities
- 2 weeks paid vacation
- Opportunities for growth within a respected, independent, owner-operated restaurant
- This is a full-time, permanent position
To apply - send us a resume and a brief introduction about why you think you'd be the right fit for this position! Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Pay: $50,000.00-$60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Dental care
- Discounted or free food
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Paid time off
- Store discount
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision care
- Wellness program
Application question(s):
- This role requires strong prep, service, organization, leadership, and communication. What part of a Sous Chef role do you feel strongest in, and what part are you still actively developing?
- The Acorn works with 100% locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and a scratch-cooking, zero-waste approach. Tell us about a time you had to be creative with limited, seasonal, or unusual ingredients in a professional kitchen. What did you make, and what was your thought process behind it?
Experience:
- Kitchen: 5 years (preferred)
- Managing: 2 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person
