Meal Prep Chef / Meal Prep Program Lead

81 Catering is a growing food service company specializing in fresh, high-quality meals with a strong focus on healthy, balanced ingredients. Our business currently serves major corporate clients, private events and weddings, as well as customers through our two storefront locations, where guests can build customized meals using a variety of proteins, grains, vegetables, sauces and fresh ingredients.

As demand for convenient, healthy meal-prep options continues to grow, we are expanding into a dedicated Meal Prep Program and are looking for an experienced, organized and creative Meal Prep Chef / Program Lead to help develop and manage this new division.

The Role

This is a unique opportunity for someone who wants to do more than simply work a kitchen station.

The successful candidate will take ownership of our meal-prep program—from developing the menu and calculating nutritional information to coordinating orders, purchasing ingredients and leading weekly meal production.

Because 81 Catering already works with a large selection of fresh proteins, vegetables, grains, sauces and other ingredients, an important part of this role will be creating exciting meal-prep options that strategically utilize ingredients already used throughout our existing operations. This will allow us to maintain quality and variety while minimizing waste and keeping food costs efficient.

You will work closely with ownership to develop a meal-prep program that is healthy, delicious, operationally efficient and capable of growing significantly.

Key Responsibilities

- Develop and maintain a rotating meal-prep menu featuring healthy, balanced and appealing meals.
- Create recipes that make strategic use of ingredients already purchased and prepared across 81 Catering’s existing operations.
- Develop meals for different nutritional goals and dietary preferences, including high-protein,



calorie-conscious and balanced options.
- Calculate and maintain accurate nutritional information and macros for each meal, including calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat.
- Standardize recipes, portions and preparation methods to ensure nutritional and product consistency.
- Take responsibility for meal-prep customer orders, including organizing weekly orders, quantities and special requests.
- Forecast ingredient requirements based on incoming orders and expected demand.
- Order food, packaging and necessary supplies from vendors while monitoring inventory and controlling waste.
- Coordinate and lead meal-prep production, including prep schedules, cooking, portioning, assembly, sealing, labeling and storage.
- Utilize our commercial meal-sealing equipment to ensure meals are packaged properly and consistently.
- Ensure meals meet 81 Catering’s standards for taste, presentation, portion size and freshness.
- Maintain proper food safety, sanitation, labeling and storage procedures.
- Monitor food costs and portion costs and work with ownership to ensure menu items remain profitable.
- Help identify opportunities for new meals, seasonal menus, packages and meal-prep programs based on customer demand.
- As the program grows, help develop systems and lead additional kitchen staff dedicated to meal-prep production.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone who combines culinary ability with organization and an entrepreneurial mindset.





The ideal candidate is comfortable taking ownership of a program rather than simply being assigned daily kitchen tasks.

Experience with meal prep, healthy cooking, nutrition-focused menus, recipe development or high-volume food production is strongly preferred.

You should have:

- Skilled culinary or commercial kitchen experience.
- Strong knowledge of healthy cooking and balanced meal preparation.
- Experience developing and standardizing recipes.
- A solid understanding of calories, portioning and macronutrients.
- The ability to accurately calculate and document nutritional information.
- Strong organizational and inventory-management skills.
- Experience ordering food and supplies from vendors.
- The ability to plan and lead efficient large-batch production.
- Strong attention to detail and consistency.
- Excellent communication and customer-service skills.
- The ability to work independently and take ownership of projects.
- An understanding of food costs, waste reduction and kitchen efficiency.
- A genuine interest in helping build and grow a new part of an established food business.

Why This Position Is Different

81 Catering already has the infrastructure, ingredients, kitchen operations and customer demand needed to build a successful meal-prep program.

We are looking for the right person to take ownership of it.

Rather than stepping into a completely established menu and routine, you will have the opportunity to help shape the program—developing meals, creating systems, improving operations and growing alongside the business.

For someone who is passionate about healthy food, meal prep and building something from the ground up, this position offers significant opportunity for creativity, responsibility and growth.

Pay: $20.00-$36.65 per hour

Expected hours: 30.0 – 40.0 per week

Benefits

- Casual dress
- On-site parking

Work Location: In person

📌 Chef - Meal Prep (Mississauga)
🏢 81 Catering
📍 Mississauga