CHAMAKA MENERIGAMA

• Lead culinary operations across five outlets, including restaurants, banquets, and In-Room Dining, ensuring consistent quality, efficiency, and guest satisfaction.

• Oversee a food revenue portfolio of approximately AED 10 million annually, implementing strategic initiatives to drive revenue growth and profitability.

• Design, develop, and implement innovative menus aligned with brand standards, market trends, and guest expectations, ensuring creativity and commercial viability.

• Conduct menu engineering and cost analysis to optimize food cost, improve profitability, and maintain competitive pricing.

• Plan and execute seasonal promotions, themed dining experiences, and revenue-generating events, particularly during low-demand periods such as summer.

• Supervise daily kitchen operations, ensuring seamless food production, timely service, and the highest standards of food presentation and taste.

• Maintain strict compliance with HACCP, food safety, and hygiene regulations, conducting regular kitchen inspections and quality audits.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a multicultural culinary team, focusing on training, performance development, and operational excellence.

• Monitor food cost, portion control, and waste management, implementing strategies to maximize efficiency and reduce operational expenses.

• Collaborate with procurement and suppliers to source high-quality ingredients at optimal cost while maintaining product consistency.

• Work closely with Food & Beverage, Sales, and Marketing teams to support promotions, new menu launches, and special dining events.

• Oversee banquet and catering operations, ensuring exceptional execution for corporate functions, weddings, and large-scale events.

• Engage with guests to understand preferences and enhance their dining experience through continuous improvement and feedback management.

• Stay updated with global culinary trends and modern cooking techniques, introducing innovative concepts and presentations to maintain a competitive market position.

• Designed and planned kitchen layouts to ensure optimal workflow, efficiency, and compliance with safety and hygiene standards.

• Developed complete menu concepts, including menu engineering, recipe creation, portioning, and costing sheets for operational and financial efficiency.

• Planned operational strategies for new outlets, including staff roles, training schedules, and SOP development to ensure smooth pre-opening operations.

• Created detailed food cost and inventory management systems to optimize procurement, reduce waste, and maintain budget compliance.

• Trained culinary teams on recipes, cooking techniques, hygiene standards, and service excellence to build high-performing kitchen staff.

• Coordinated pre-opening setup including equipment selection, procurement processes, vendor sourcing, and quality control measures.

• Implemented operational guidelines for daily kitchen management, menu execution, and quality consistency across all outlets.

• Provided strategic support for revenue growth through menu planning, seasonal promotions, and innovative dining concepts.

• Assist the Executive Chef in managing daily culinary operations across All Day Dining, Restaurants, Bars, Banquets, Events, and In-Room Dining, ensuring smooth and efficient service.
• Develop and update menus in line with restaurant concepts, market trends, and guest preferences, maintaining high standards of taste, presentation, and consistency.
• Lead and supervise a team of 35 kitchen staff, including Sous Chefs and Chef de Parties, providing training, mentorship, and performance development.
• Monitor food cost, inventory, and kitchen operations, ensuring proper storage, minimal waste, and efficient use of perishable ingredients.
• Prepare monthly reports on food cost, sales performance, and revenue, while analyzing guest feedback to improve satisfaction and service quality.
• Ensure HACCP compliance, equipment maintenance, and kitchen organization, while coordinating daily with procurement and operations teams to support seamless kitchen performance.

• Worked as a full in charge of The CROFT British restaurant.
• Worked at “Observatory” Steak House Hot & Cold) Motivate the staff & give them tasks. monthly Job chat.
• Vacation, Payroll, (EHCM, OYSIS) for every month Update.

• Worked at “Observatory” Steak House (Hot & Cold)

• Responsible for Brunch, New Setups, and Kitchen Planning.
• Ordering Vegetables and Assisting in maintaining the food cost.
• Discuss the upcoming events & extra things with the Chef de partie.
• Responsible for checking and maintaining enough mise-en-place for day-to-day.
• Brief the staff properly in advance and allocate them to their respective areas in the operation.
• Maintained records regarding kitchen equipment, handled all guest comments, and kept track.

• Media One Hotel is the Best four-star hotel in the U.A.E.
• Worked at Main Kitchen, (Breakfast, ALa carte. Buffet, Brunch, Pool bar, Room Serves. Garden on 8)

• Taj Samudra is the Best five-star hotel in Colombo.
• Excellent Practical knowledge of Hot Kitchen, Cold Kitchen, and Butchery.
• Served to the all-international cricket teams, Specially.
• ICC World Cup in 2011 & 2012/20 Cup.
• Worked at Hot Kitchen — Continental, Indian Food, Thai Food, Etc.