Join Chef Thomas Keller’s Culinary Garden team as a Garden Docent and Food Preservationist. In this unique dual-role position, guided by our Chef de Cuisine and Estate Gardener, you will oversee The French Laundry’s Garden Tour programs, planning signature tours, preservice walks, and special events, while enhancing the guest experience. Additionally, you’ll play a vital role in preserving fruits and vegetables at their peak freshness, serving as a key liaison between the garden and the kitchen.
Responsibilities:
- Curate Memorable Garden Experiences: plan, coordinate, and execute all garden tours and special events, ensuring timely communication with culinary and service teams to meet guest needs.
- Manage Garden Operations and Events: oversee garden-related programs, develop pricing collateral, and collaborate with the Estate Garden Manager to meet revenue goals while maintaining property standards and efficiency.
- Preserve Peak-Quality Ingredients: utilize various preservation methods, such as fermentation, curing, and pickling, to extend the freshness of garden produce. Collaborate with chefs to incorporate preserved ingredients into innovative dishes.
- Engage and Delight Guests: welcome guests, ensure satisfaction throughout the garden tours, and respond promptly to requests with a personalized and gracious approach.
Qualifications:
- 1–2 years of experience in gardening, event coordination, or related fields.
- Food Handler Certification is preferred.
- Previous management or hospitality experience is preferred.
- Ability to communicate and understand the predominant language of the restaurant. Effective verbal and written communication skills.
- A keen attention to detail, organization, and cleanliness.
- A deep enthusiasm for food, beverage, and hospitality with a desire to create memorable experiences for guests.
- Physical ability to reach, bend, stoop, and frequently lift up to 50 lbs.
Chef Keller’s collection of restaurants is founded on a culture of mentorship and provides a solid foundation of skills to support our profession. We are proud to offer:
- 401K plan with matching contributions up to 4% of income and no waiting periods.
- Company-sponsored medical, dental and vision plans*
- Voluntary plans such as life and AD&D insurance, accident, hospitalization, pet insurance and long-term disability insurance.
- Opportunities for growth and advancement
- Daily family meal
- Scholarship programs
- Peer mentorship program
- Employee discounts at Chef Thomas Keller’s casual properties
- Gym membership discount
Who we are:
With more than 10 properties and 800 employees, the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group (TKRG) has grown from one restaurant to a large family of businesses.
TKRG proudly represents The French Laundry, Per Se, The Surf Club Restaurant, Bouchon Bistro, Bouchon Bakery, Ad Hoc, and R O Restaurant & Lounge. The properties and people Chef Keller inspires are known for setting new standards in cuisine, service and employment experiences. Our goal is to collaborate with talented restaurant professionals and offer opportunities to learn and grow within the hospitality profession. As we have expanded over time, the expectations that set apart our restaurants have not changed: ensuring that every guest feels special, and every guest experience is exceptional. A guest can walk into The French Laundry or one of the Bouchon Bakeries and have the most enjoyable, unique and memorable experience. A chef will find the same blue aprons and green tape in each of our kitchens—symbols of a common striving for excellence. Outside the kitchens, every action we take must reflect the generosity, nurturing and finesse within. As members of the TKRG family, we have the responsibility to ensure this consistency. Beyond it all is a mission, perhaps summed up best by Chef Keller himself. “To make people happy, one guest at a time,” he says. “That is what cooking is all about.”
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.
*Company contribution depends on your plan selection. Benefit offerings are subject to change over time.
More detail about The French Laundry part of Thomas Keller, please visit