SEASONAL POSITIONS
(Click job names for complete descriptions)
Wranglers
Outdoor Guides – fly fishing, hiking, archery
Dining Lodge Manager/ Head Wait Staff
Wait Staff
Cabin Host Manager
Cabin Host
Childrens Counselor
Sous Chef
Line Cook
Kitchen Assistant

Western Cuisine at Smith Fork Ranch

Food and Wine at SFR is extremely important to the guest experience here and has been touted in  Food & Wine Magazine, Town & Country Travel, Delta Sky Magazine, New York Times and other publications. The North Fork Valley here in our area is the garden center of Colorado with many organic farms, orchards and vineyards.  In addition to the fruits and vegetables that our chefs have access to on a daily basis, there are local purveyors of game, fish, lamb and beef, farm fresh eggs, etc. Our haute western cuisine is happily based on these wonderful local ingredients. We are also known for our extensive wine cellar with more than 250 labels – Californian, French, Italian, Australian, New Zealand, Spanish wine, etc., which are offered to guests at an extra charge.

Breakfast, served in the Dinner Bell Cookhouse, features a full, made-to-order breakfast as well as a cold buffet.  Picnic basket lunches are provided guests at 11:00 a.m. for those who will be eating lunch on the ranch.  Guests order items for their basket the previous evening from a picnic menu. Dinner is a special, fine dining affair served on the open pavilion on the back of the lodge with Smith Fork specialties such as local pheasant, lamb, Elk, Colorado Rainbow trout, etc. In addition, the SFR chefs are responsible for box lunches for all-day trail rides, hikes  and backpacking forays as well as preparing breakfast over a camp fire at a early morning  breakfast ride and meals at a weekly overnight pack trip to the back country. There is also a streamside cookout one evening and a welcome lunch buffet on Mondays with staff and guests in attendance.  Finally, SFR has a culinary weekend each year in the fall at harvest time which involves cooking demonstrations and instruction and other food related activities with guests. See our website – vacation specials for more information.

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Sous Chef

Responsibilities include:

• Assist chef with overall operations of the SFR kitchen
• Execute breakfast, lunch & dinner for guests and staff, in accordance with schedule
• High altitude baking
• Help direct line cook & assist with off-ranch meals and cookouts as needed
• Provide culinary demonstrations for guests
• Prepare birthday cakes or other special desserts for celebrations
• Must be able to work in and maintain a clean environment
• Dealing with last minute changes due to changes in guest schedules, weather, etc.
• Proper storage of food, according to ranch & health department regulations
• Ability to rotate product and assist with ordering food
• Prepare meals in accordance with special food or health requirements of  some guests—vegetarian, allergies, low-fat, etc.
• Work with local purveyors and growers for fresh produce & meats
• Make certain that food items are prepared and ready at appropriate times
• Provide appetizing, hot meals for staff – healthy and appropriate
• Clean work areas, floors, equipment and refrigerators
• Wash dishes, pots & pans

Requirements:

• Professional culinary training background; minimum two years culinary experience required; preference given to culinary school graduates
• Fine dining experience required
• Wine and food pairing a plus
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds
• Must wear proper chef’s uniform
• Must be able to take direction; yet work independently
• Must be able to function in commercial kitchen, maintaining even temperament and proper kitchen behavior with co-workers at all times

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Line Cook

Responsibilities include:

• Assist Chef and Assistant Chef with overall kitchen operations
• High altitude baking
• Preparing and executing all off-site meals (evening cookouts, overnight pack trips, breakfast rides)
• Assisting with on-ranch meals including breakfast, custom picnic basket lunches, and fine dining dinner preparation, according to chef’s schedule
• Must be able to work in and maintain a clean working environment
• Washing dishes, pots and pans
• Cleaning of work areas, floors, equipment and refrigerators

Requirements:

• Preference given to applicants with professional culinary training
• Professional cooking experience necessary
• Must be able to cook meats to proper temperatures
• Some western horseback riding experience
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds
• Must be thorough, able to take direction and attentive to detail
• Must wear proper chef uniform
• Must be able to function in commercial kitchen, maintaining even temperament and proper kitchen behavior with co-workers at all times

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Kitchen Assistant

Kitchen Assistant position is part of “Ranch Crew” – wait staff, housekeepers and kitchen assistant.  These positions are rotated for variety and flexibility in work schedules.  These individuals work as a team, rotating responsibilities on a weekly basis.

• Assists with preparation of meals as directed by Chef
• Helps prepare  custom lunch baskets for guests
• Helps prepare  lunches for guests on all day activities
• Helps with children’s dinner
• Helps set up of Monday lunch buffet
• Washing dishes, pots and pans
• Cleaning of work areas, floors, equipment & refrigerators
• Must be able to work in and maintain a clean work environment

Requirements:

• Some cooking experience –knowledge of  prep procedures
• Must wear proper uniform
• Must be able to take direction, be thorough and attentive to detail
• Must be able to function in commercial kitchen, maintaining even temperament and proper kitchen behavior with co-workers at all times.
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds