Swapnil Dhotre

Culinary-trained Executive Chef with 15+ years of progressive leadership across senior living, healthcare, campus dining, and multi-unit foodservice operations, including 8+ years in leadership roles spanning Head Chef, Sous Chef, and Kitchen Manager capacities. Proven ability to plan, organize, direct, and supervise all Kitchen Department activities while remaining 50%+ hands-on in daily production. Skilled in creating resident-centred dining experiences through scratch cooking, modern presentation, and therapeutic/modified-texture menu planning (IDDSI) that align with individual resident care plans.

Strong record of leading, training, and motivating culinary teams; managing kitchen budgets and food costs; and maintaining accurate invoices, reports, and statistics in accordance with regulatory and legislative requirements. Currently completing the CSNM designation through CHA Learning/Algonquin College. Holds HACCP, Ontario Food Handler, Smart Serve, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certifications, with working knowledge of the Ontario Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2021.

Sous Chef — Campus Dining Operations - Compass Group Canada - Greater Toronto Area, ON

(2025-08)

Plan, organize, and direct kitchen operations for a high-volume dining environment serving 300+ guests per meal period, maintaining consistent food quality, presentation, and service standards while remaining hands-on in daily production.

• Monitor workflow and evaluate team performance and production, adjusting staffing and processes as needed to improve service quality and efficiency.
• Manage inventory and supplier relationships through SKU-level monitoring, achieving measurable cost savings and reduced waste — directly transferable to senior living food cost management and procurement.
• Collaborate with the Executive Chef on seasonal menu development incorporating nutritional balance, scratch cooking, and diverse resident/guest dietary needs.
• Select, supervise, and mentor junior culinary team members through structured briefings, coaching, and performance evaluations; maintain complete HACCP documentation and food safety audit records.
• Prepare and maintain records including invoices, reports, and statistics in accordance with organizational policies and regulatory requirements, within a unionised kitchen environment.

Food Service Manager — Therapeutic Nutrition & Dietary Operations - Verve Senior Living - Greater Toronto Area, ON

(2025-05 - 2025-08)

Directed all Kitchen Department activities for 120+ senior residents with complex nutritional and clinical requirements, providing fresh, tasty, and attractively presented food with warm, attentive service.

• Designed and executed therapeutic menus for residents with autoimmune conditions (AIP), celiac disease, gluten-free, nightshade-free, vegan, and allergen-free needs, aligning meals to individual resident care plans in collaboration with clinical and care staff.
• Applied IDDSI framework standards to ensure modified-texture diets (minced & moist, pureed, liquidised) were prepared consistently and safely for residents with dysphagia.
• Served as primary liaison between culinary, clinical, and administrative stakeholders, communicating menu changes and special accommodations to interdisciplinary care teams — human resource skills essential to resident and family interactions.
• Ensured full allergen traceability and zero cross-contamination incidents through documented procurement, production, and plating protocols consistent with Ontario LTC Homes Act dietary standards.
• Achieved a 4% reduction in food costs through strategic procurement, hands-on budget management, and disciplined inventory control without compromising resident satisfaction.

Founder — Culinary Operations Consultancy - Czzle Culinary Solutions / Kebabgunj / udyogyantra.ai - Canada & India

(2022-08 - 2025-04)

• Designed and delivered chef training programmes focused on food safety compliance, HACCP documentation, kitchen standardisation, and performance targets across multi-client kitchen sites.
• Applied Lean Six Sigma DMAIC principles to audit and optimise back-of-house operations, reducing process variability and improving throughput — methodology directly applicable to senior living kitchen production scheduling and compliance auditing.
• Led human resources recruitment and onboarding for kitchen and service staff, and conducted comprehensive operations audits and records reviews.

Co-Founder — Multi-Site Foodservice Platform - FoodCoWorks | BonEats | AgroBazaar - India

(2016-04 - 2022-08)

Built and scaled a shared culinary infrastructure platform serving 12+ food brands across multiple sites — a multi-unit operating model directly parallel to multi-community senior living kitchen management.

• Maintained 100% food safety compliance across 4+ years of multi-site operations; managed vendor relationships and procurement pricing for diverse dietary requirements, including allergen-free and vegan product lines.
• Developed internal procedures, operational guidelines, and compliance frameworks establishing scalable production standards across all kitchen sites.

Culinary Operations Manager - TinyOwl HomeMade - India

(2015-02 - 2016-04)

Oversaw production of 5,000+ meals per month, managing inventory, supplier coordination, and hands-on kitchen leadership in a high-volume setting.

• Achieved a 20% reduction in mise en place time through standardised prep lists and workflows; trained 10+ kitchen team members on food handling, station setup, and sanitation.

Chef — International Premium Hospitality - InterContinental Hotels | Hilton UK | Church's Chicken - Singapore & UK

(2010 - 2015)

• Applied strict food safety, allergen control, portion control, and hygiene standards across high-volume, multi-outlet international hospitality environments.
• Improved dish consistency by 20% through kitchen checklists, scratch-cooking discipline, and proactive process improvements.

Food Service & Nutrition Management (FSNM) - Food Service & Nutrition Management - CHA Learning / Algonquin College (2026-06 - 2027-06)

Postgraduate Diploma - Culinary Arts & Kitchen Management - Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College (2010 - 2012)

BSc - Hospitality & Hotel Administration - Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition (2006 - 2009)