Prepares and cooks food in an institution, institutional camp or Washington State Patrol training facility.

Weighs and prepares food for special diets;

Prepares and cooks vegetables, fruits, meats, soups, and cereals; prepares salads, desserts, and beverages;

Cans fruits and vegetables; cleans kitchen area; washes utensils and equipment; requisitions, checks, and stores food and kitchen supplies; keeps simple records; assists in preparing menus; makes reports;

Prepares meat, fish and fowl by baking, broiling, boiling, or frying, etc., according to standard recipes, menus, or verbal instructions;

Operates cooking and kitchen equipment;

Adjusts recipes to volume of demand;

Inventories and maintains necessary supplies and goods for assigned meals;

Stores leftover ingredients and products; assists in their utilization; rotates stock;

Directs food service workers;

May function as head cook or an assistant cook depending on size of kitchen and which meal is being prepared (i.e., breakfast, lunch, dinner);

Performs other work as required.

Knowledge of: practices, methods, and procedures of large‑scale food preparation and cooking; personal hygiene, food handling, sanitation, and safety precautions; care and use of kitchen utensils and equipment; record keeping; report preparation.

Ability to: establish work methods and instruct others in routine kitchen work; maintain cooperative working relationships with others; estimate quantities and follow large‑scale recipes; follow written and oral instructions.

There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position.

Persons legally authorized to work in the U.S. under federal law, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, are eligible for employment unless prohibited by other state or federal law.

One year of experience in food preparation or cooking. Completion of course in large‑scale cooking may be substituted for experience.

New class, consolidates 4025 Cook, 80100 Cook 1; adopted May 10, 2007, effective July 1, 2007.
Base range salary adjustment adopted 6/13/2019, effective 7/1/2019.
Shadow class adopted 6/22/2023, effective 7/1/2023.

Revised Legal Requirements; effective June 6, 2024, due to adopted legislative action.