Ranch Chef Assistant (We Train!) - Summer 2026

Maybe we should call this the "Sous Chef in Training" position? We are all about training the right and eager people— experience isn't everything. Our Chefs are patient teachers who want others to grow their culinary skills. We have seen so many team members become really confident cooks here!

Our guests and team members rave about the food at Red Horse Mountain Ranch and the Chef Assistant is vital to that success. They are part of a small team that works closely together to make really good food. The rest of the kitchen team members rely on our Chef Assistant and the work they do– keeping up with dishes, food prep, baking– to make the meals the best they can be and to serve them on time.

You have to enjoy cooking, cleaning, and moving quickly to do well in this role. You will thrive if you bring a great attitude, ready to learn some valuable skills you will take with you the rest of your life. Led by kind and encouraging managers, you can expect to be held to a high standard as you grow, be on the move, work hard, have a lot of fun, and be proud of the summers you’ve spent with us.

What Your Day Will Look Like:

Prep Work

• Cleaning vegetables

• Trimming meats

• Chopping and knife work

• Mixing and stirring 

• Making dressings

Cleaning

• Using our commercial dishwasher to wash kitchen and guest dishes-- all plates, silverware, bowls, and glasses come through the kitchen for cleaning

• Scrubbing stuck on food on hotel pans

• Teaching staff from other departments how to use the dishwasher and properly wash dishes

• Washing and disinfecting work surfaces and keeping the dish area clean of food debris

• Taking out the garbage, cardboard, and compost as needed

• Sweeping and mopping the kitchen and food storage areas

Possible Roles the Chefs will Delegate to You

• Making sauces and salads

• Grilling meats

• Baking pastries and other dessert preparations

• Cooking Kids Menu orders

• Improving the meals we have

Other

• Running up and down the stairs to bring up items from the food storage areas of the basement

• Helping to check in and put up the food deliveries

• Accommodating food allergies

• Plating the Wine Dinner

• Making sure the food that goes out is perfect

• Having fun while you learn and grow in your skills in a great kitchen!

Other Things to Expect

• Attend ranch meetings and training sessions so we can improve communication and you can become a successful team member.

• Complete assigned employee housing chores in your free time because it is your home for the summer and it “magically” gets messy. This is another key way to have a great summer and be successful here… being a kind and courteous roommate!

• Help in other departments (such as Saturday cabin cleaning) because everyone helps each other here. The people who have the best summers at our ranch are the ones who get to know the folks and duties in the other departments. They not only make new friends, but also learn to appreciate the hard work everyone is doing.

• Yes, you get 2 days off a week here because we definitely value ME time! Extra hours are almost always available for our folks who prefer the 6-7 day work week.

• Participate in our Unreasonable Hospitality Program - This. Is. So. Fun. Your kindness and creativity will shine here! We like to go above and beyond in making memorable life moments happen for our guests. It is fun to see what everyone comes up with each week!

• You need to be willing to learn how to be a great cook as we like to see the chef assistants here take on more responsibility from the chefs as they gain experience and knowledge.

• Physically fit and capable of all Chef Assistant duties

• Be able to lift 50 pounds and work 45-55 hours/week.

• Work with minimal supervision and take directions from ranch leaders

• Familiar with or willing to be trained on sharing satellite internet with your roommates!!

• Able to demonstrate good communication skills and customer relations

• Ok with a 10 minute drive to get cell phone reception or having to use a land phone (Gasp! What’s a land phone!?) to make a phone call while on the ranch….training provided.

• Be willing to help in other departments as needed

• Be able to laugh and have fun!

• Must be a citizen of The United States of America or possess a current and appropriate working visa.

• Hold a valid drivers license

• Must be at least 21 years of age