Wolfoods' Seasonal Work Opportunities: Flexible Food Service Jobs With A Community Focus

Food service, whether in casual restaurants or high-profile establishments, is a demanding career. Yet, millions dedicate their lives to making delicious food for hungry customers. Why is that? Well, kitchens are bustling places of energy. Staff enjoys fast-paced, rewarding work where they can give customers tasty meals every day.

However, chefs and food service professionals are seeking work with a purpose. Food service staff rarely build lasting relationships or memories with their customers. They often serve strangers who have little appreciation for their hard work.

WOLFoods, an institutional food service operator that specializes in summer camps and retreat centers, is trying to change that. The company provides rewarding seasonal work opportunities where staff can build relationships with campers, live in scenic locations and participate in cultural exchanges.

WOLFoods recently celebrated its 10th anniversary of disrupting traditional freezer-to-table fare. The company reinvents camp food, keeping youth and their staff in mind. In the words of founder Michael Wolf, "Everything at camp should be special." This philosophy is extremely important to WOLFoods as it strives to deliver nutritious, fresh and delicious food at summer camps throughout the U.S.

The team practices home-style scratch cooking as much as they can, utilizing local and sustainable ingredients that kids love. WOLFoods also has professional chefs with expertise in allergy food preparations and other dietary needs, enabling all campers to customize their meals.

The company's diversely talented staff is the fuel for satisfying the cravings of hungry children. WOLFoods' executive team has a wealth of corporate experience. They've worked in high-class dining establishments and support the company's mission to give back to the community.

Since the company operates for 10 to 12 weeks in the summer, staff live on-site and have room, board and travel covered. WOLFoods supports its staff with competitive wages and opportunities to enjoy camp experiences. A unique benefit of working for WOLFoods involves building personal relationships with campers and other staff while enjoying outdoor activities.

WOLFoods' staff are skilled professionals and their kitchens are built upon a strong teaching culture. Supplemental staff hired by the camp are managed by WOLFoods' employees and have plenty of chances to learn valuable culinary skills from experienced leaders in the kitchen. WOLFoods provides a summer externship program where students aspiring to build food service careers can earn up to 500 hours of professional experience. While mastering skills like recipe execution, food production and inventory management, they can experience camp activities like hiking and swimming while making friends.

WOLFoods currently provides food services in nine states throughout the U.S., and Wolf believes their seasonal work opportunities provide a sense of community that's not found in traditional food service jobs. WOLFoods' staff serves the same campers and staff for multiple months each summer, enabling them to make friends while doing what they love. Chefs and other food professionals working for WOLFoods are patient and motivated people who enjoy teaching others their craft.

"Our team is like an extended family," says Wolf. "We share the same goals for wanting to do good in the camping community. I feel very privileged to have attracted talented people who could choose any avenue in the food service realm but have opted to work with WOLFoods because they see value in what we're trying to accomplish."

WOLFoods demonstrates that food service can be rewarding far beyond a paycheck. Seasonal camp positions allow professionals to prepare great meals in beautiful environments and build relationships with people who appreciate them. This path is often left unexplored by chefs and food professionals, but WOLFoods provides this unique opportunity for culinary professionals to find meaning in their work while exploring summer camp.