Steward — Boutique Hotel Restaurant & Culinary Kitchen

Responsibilities

• Hand-wash all barro negro clay pottery: Oaxacan black clay pieces are among the most fragile and culturally significant serving vessels in Mexican cuisine — machine washing is never acceptable; dedicated hand-wash basin, soft brush only
• Care for green-glazed traditional pottery: wash gently with mild detergent; avoid thermal shock from hot water on cold clay; stack carefully to prevent chip damage during storage
• Manage standard restaurant dishwashing for non-artisanal items: glassware, stainless steel, and ceramic plates can be machine-washed with appropriate temperature and chemical settings for Oaxaca's 1,550m altitude
• Clean kitchen equipment after service: ranges, comal surfaces, clay pot cooking stations, and prep surfaces — traditional Oaxacan cooking uses many clay and stone implements that require specific care
• Maintain kitchen to Distintivo H standard: the hotel restaurant's food safety certification requires daily compliance documentation
• Support events and cooking classes: Oaxacan boutique hotels frequently host culinary tourism experiences and cooking classes that generate their own cleaning load

Requirements

• Barro negro and traditional Oaxacan clay pottery handling experience preferred — critical that fragile pieces are treated correctly
• Traditional Mexican culinary kitchen awareness: comal, stone metate, clay pot cooking equipment
• Altitude awareness for dishwasher temperature calibration
• Care and patience for artisanal item handling

Benefits

• IMSS, aguinaldo, paid vacation + premium
• Staff meals during shift — exposure to Oaxacan culinary tradition in one of the world's most respected food cities
• Uniform supplied
• Opportunity to observe professional Oaxacan culinary operations and cooking classes

Work environment

Colonial boutique hotel restaurant in Oaxaca City. Specialist stewarding in one of Mexico's most culinarily significant cities, with daily care of culturally important artisanal serving pieces.

About the role

A piece of barro negro pottery from a Oaxacan artisan workshop arrives at the boutique hotel restaurant table as a vessel that connects the food on it to the hands that made the clay it's served on. The steward who washes that piece every night — gently, in the hand basin, with the soft brush — is one link in a chain that starts with a Coyotepec artisan and ends with a guest experience. Handling it with care is handling the chain with respect.