Healing Cuisine / Functional Food Chef

Responsibilities

• Design and execute healing cuisine programs for wellness retreat guests
• Collaborate with retreat Ayurvedic practitioners, naturopaths, or integrative medicine doctors on dietary protocols
• Produce therapeutic menus — anti-inflammatory, gut healing, detoxification, energy restoration
• Incorporate Mayan healing plants and adaptogens alongside Ayurvedic herbs and functional mushrooms
• Educate guests on healing food philosophy through meal presentations and cooking experiences
• Adapt menus to individual guest health needs — allergies, intolerances, specific health goals

Requirements

• 3–5 years kitchen experience with functional food and healing cuisine knowledge
• Understanding of nutritional healing approaches — Ayurveda, Chinese medicine food therapy, or integrative nutrition
• Knowledge of adaptogens, functional mushrooms (reishi, lion's mane, chaga), and healing herbs
• Collaborative personality for working within multi-disciplinary wellness team
• English required — wellness retreat clients are international

Benefits

• IMSS, Aguinaldo, vacation + premium
• On-site accommodation at wellness retreat
• Yoga, meditation, and wellness practice access in most properties
• Integration into Tulum's world-class wellness community

Work environment

Wellness retreat kitchen in Tulum's jungle zone. The work is collaborative — your kitchen is part of a healing program. Guest outcomes are measured by their health, not just their culinary satisfaction. This is a different kind of kitchen achievement.

About the role

Food as medicine. Making golden milk turmeric rice that reduces inflammation for a guest recovering from burnout, in a jungle wellness retreat surrounded by Mayan cenotes — your cooking is part of someone's healing journey. That responsibility and meaning is not available in any other kitchen context.