Cook at CocoVivo, make a little money while living in Paradise!
Cook at CocoVivo, make a little money while living in Paradise!
Looking for two pairs of adventurous and flexible humans to cook for guests at our magical jungle eco-retreat called CocoVivo in Bocas del Toro, Panama.
Summary:
Our private chefs are taking a vacation, and we are looking for one or two people to take over meal prep for groups of anywhere from 2-10 guests, while at the same time living rent-free at the property and taking full advantage of the glorious paradise that is CocoVivo. While there is no set menu, we would expect our chef to integrate local ingredients grown at CocoVivo into their dishes - including local chocolate, a vast variety of tropical fruits, local fish, and tubers. Meals are served three times daily, and most of our guests join us for at least breakfast and dinner.
You will split cooking responsibilities with another couple. Your first week, you will be responsible for breakfast and lunch and the other couple will do dinner. Then you will swap meals on a weekly basis. We can also adjust this plan based on your preferences. Note that you will be cooking every day that we have guests (which may end up being every day if we suddenly get very busy!) If rest days are needed then the couples will take turns making all three meals.
Date range:
Arrive April 20 - June 27
Experience:
Note that professional culinary training is NOT a requirement for this job. Rather we are looking for someone with a good balance of the following skills and interests:
-Flexible able to adapt to a new environment rapidly and enthusiastically
-Interested in innovating with local ingredients
-Curious about other cultures and learning local dishes
-Excited about the challenges of off-grid living
-Has some (practical, not necessarily formal) food safety training or experience
-Loves connecting with travelers from around the world
-Able to 'get the job done' in unpredictable conditions (see 'challenges')
Responsibilities:
-Plan meals (we can suggest some dishes that have worked well in the past, but feel free to create your own!). Breakfast and dinner would ideally be three courses, while lunch is simpler: like a sandwich.
-Buy groceries. Note that CocoVivo is on an island, but our boat goes to town almost daily to pick-up and drop-off guests. There are several groceries stores in town with a large selection of ingredients.
-Query guests about their food allergies and preferences (we try to do this ahead of time, but occasionally the only way to find out is when they arrive).
-Prepare meals (80% of our guests eat breakfast and dinner with us, but only about 60% eat lunch)
-Some kitchen clean up (Although we also have on-site staff who can help with doing dishes when there are larger groups).
-Basic hosting (chatting up guests, answering questions, pointing out where different things are located, just generally being friendly and helpful)
Compensation:
Guests pay you directly for food and you keep all the revenues after grocery expenses.
With our current set of professionally trained chefs, we charge $8-12 for breakfast, $10 for lunch, and $20 for dinner. After we have sampled your cooking, we will work with you to come up with a price list that matches the quality and portion size. Usually for meals prepared by temporary chefs we charge guests a little less.
Perks:
Now, for the best part! There are TONS of perks of spending a month at CocoVivo... like the chance to live for free in paradise and take full advantage of the magic of the jungle and the coral reef.
-Free accommodations in a private eco-friendly home with 360 views of the jungle and the dolphin-filled bay. Also, a private bathroom.
-Access to 55 acres of trails in a jungle teeming with sloths, monkeys, kinkajous, and fruits you never knew existed.
-Free use of the snorkeling equipment, kayaks, and standup paddleboards, which you can use to explore miles of spectacular coral reef right at our doorstep.
-Good wifi (we have two ISP's) for getting work done or simply posting beautiful photos of while you're @cocovivopanama. (Note that it would be a bit slow for regular YouTube video streaming).
-A chance to meet interesting people from all over the world who share your love of adventure!
Challenges:
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