Kitchen Roles

Kitchen Roles

The Global Community Kitchen at Oregon State University is a program that allows students to self-produce food at their events. Events supported by the GCK are student run and volunteer based. This document is to clarify the roles of organization members, volunteers, and the GCK staff. 

Role Descriptions & Expectations

Organization officers and members are responsible for planning their event.

Duties for the kitchen include:

  • Have one assigned organization member or officer to be the kitchen and food service lead.
  • Have clear communication with David or one of the GCK staff.
    • During planning process and on day of the event
    • Any changes made to dishes must be communicated to GCK staff.
      • This allows staff to update menu signs and allergy information.
  • Provide volunteers throughout all parts of the event.
    • Educate volunteers on their role(s).
    • Make sure volunteers are wearing appropriate attire for the GCK.
      • Closed toed shoes, pants, and long hair tied up.
  • Uphold food safety and sanitation guidelines of the GCK.
    • Organization members and volunteers should not disregard kitchen safety guidelines.
    • Any produced dishes not indicated in recipe sheets will not be served at the event.

You will need additional volunteers for working in the kitchen and serving food. These volunteers could come from your organization or be outside volunteers.

  • Volunteers and organization members are responsible for the production of all of the event dishes.
    • GCK staff will not step in to cook for groups.
  • Respect food safety guidelines.
    • Listen to direction from GCK staff.
    • Follow instructions on recipe sheets.
    • Ask organization kitchen lead or GCK staff for clarification.
    • Communicate any changes to the recipes on day of event.
  • Responsible for serving food to guests.
    • If on serving line, communicate to staff if a pan is empty and needs to be changed out.
    • Read the menu/allergen sign in front of their dish, to become familiar with any potential allergens.
  • Responsible for cleanup during food production and after event.
    • Volunteers should clean dishes and equipment as they go.
    • Volunteers should come back to the GCK after the event to clean up any dirty dishes and equipment from the event. 

The main role of Assistant staff is to uphold safety and sanitation of the food produced and served at events that are supported by the GCK. Assistants also oversee the food service aspects of an event.

Duties inside the GCK include:

  • Unlock and prepare the GCK for events.
  • Directing volunteers within food safety parameters.
    • Ensuring volunteers are wearing proper attire.
    • Ensuring volunteers follow proper handwashing technique.
    • Maintaining proper sanitation after groups work with raw meat.
    • Watching over food production to reduce cross-contamination of allergens.
  • Aiding volunteers in navigating the GCK.
    • Explaining how to use the equipment.
    • Clarifying instructions on recipe sheets.
  • Taking temperatures of any dishes or drinks produced.
  • Work with organization kitchen/food lead to create a pull-sheet of equipment.
  • Ensuring the proper serving temperature of a produced dish is maintained.
  • Overseeing cleanup of the GCK.
    • Oversee the packaging or composting of leftovers.
    • Directing volunteers in the dish room.
      • Clarifying how to properly wash any used equipment.
      • Clarifying the locations of certain equipment.
      • Checking the cleanliness of equipment as they come out of the dishwasher.
      • Close down dish room when group is finished with cleaning equipment.
    • Directing volunteers in cleaning up the production area of the kitchen.
      • Clarifying how to clean kitchen equipment.
    • Collect and take out trash, recycling, and compost at the end of an event.
    • Double check cleanliness of GCK using ‘closing sheet’.
  • Lock up the GCK after cleanup.

Duties during food service:

  • Bring food warming boxes to event location.
  • Overseeing setup of food service lines.
  • Overseeing food service lines.
    • Replace empty pans of food.
    • Replace dropped or dirty serving utensils.
    • Replace empty utensil/napkin holders.
  • Directing guests in and out of the food service areas.
  • Cleaning up food service area and bring equipment back to GCK.

The main role of the Event Support staff is to oversee the use of chinaware for GCK supported events. The Event Support staff also oversee the food service aspect of an event.

Duties include:

  • Following Assistant filled out equipment pull-sheets for food service.
    • Collect specified equipment and set up equipment carts.
    • Collect specified chinaware.
    • Bring all equipment and chinaware to event location.
  • Bring food warming boxes to event location.
  • Set up serving lines at event location.
  • Assist in overseeing food lines (when needed).
    • Replace empty pans of food. 
    • Replace dropped or dirty serving utensils.
    • Replace empty utensil/napkin holders.
  • Cleaning up food service area and bring equipment back to GCK.
  • Oversee the busing stations at events with chinaware.
    • Run the dirty dishes back to the kitchen.
  • Oversee the cleanup of chinaware and silverware.
    • Soak, scrub, wash, and run through dishwasher.
    • Wipe down clean chinaware and repackage for use at next event.
  • Assist in cleanup of GCK.
    • Oversee the packaging or composting of leftovers.
    • Double check cleanliness of GCK using ‘closing sheet’.
    • Aid assistants in collecting and taking out the trash, compost, and recycling.

  • Cook dishes for a group
    • Ingredients not prepared by group within specified times, will be packaged or composted.
    • Staff will also not finish cooking dishes for a group.
  • Serve food at the event
    • If you do not have enough servers, staff will not fill in empty spots.
    • It is the organization’s responsibility to gather enough volunteers for food service.
  • Do all of clean up for a group
    • With the exception of chinaware, GCK staff is not responsible for cleanup of dirty dishes from an event.