Kitchen Life at Camp Augusta

Being a part of the Kitchen Team at Camp Augusta is a unique culinary experience. Whether you have worked in restaurants, other summer camp kitchens, in a cafe, or never had a food-based job, there is so much to know and so many potential questions. Let’s start with some of the basics:

• You’ll work with a small team of 9-10 kitchen staff who may come from anywhere in the world and have any level of experience! Generally the team consists of 1 kitchen director, 1-2 kitchen managers, and various kitchen staff (often returners!) taking on various kitchen duties.
• We are part of a 65-person overall staff team and 100 campers at a time, so meals will be made for about 170 people, or up to about 220 for pre and post-season groups
• Kitchen Staff work together – for about 10 hours a day – 6 days a week. We share responsibilities, trade off on daily tasks, and share meals together. We sometimes even live together!
• The core of our camp is our focus on kids – for all of our roles. You will have campers in the kitchen and have opportunities to be involved in the clinics and activities of campers.
• We are passionate about training and providing our staff with the resources they need to have an excellent summer. If you’ve never cooked on a large scale before, that’s okay! We have leadership staff and returning staff who will share their knowledge.

There is so much to learn about being a counselor at camp, and we have so many resources for you to explore. We suggest starting with these:

There are many camps out there, and Camp Augusta is unlike most of them. We combine a ‘traditional’ Counselor role with additional rigor, support, responsibilities, and opportunities that make a Counselor here a unique experience. How?

Our Staff Training is 24 Days Long

This is the longest summer camp staff training that we know of. During that time you’ll learn essential kitchen and service skills, as well as interpersonal skills, camp philosophies, and lessons on how to lead camper activities.

Our Outdoor Dining Community

Though the kitchen is indoors, our 90-acre home – including our dining area – is mostly outside. You’ll live in the beautiful forest with big trees, bright stars, and lots of sunshine. You’ll have access to many of the camp activities in your time off or day off to enjoy.

Our Food & Process

We serve slow foods (prepared from scratch) and aim to use organic, seasonal, local, and/or sustainably produced foods. We focus on safe, flavorful, and thoughtful meal service – with room for beauty and creativity!

We Strive Toward a Flat Hierarchy

This means that input and ideas from any person are taken seriously, and staff are given time to implement ideas that can improve our camp or programming. No one person makes all the decisions.

Being a part of our kitchen team is more than a ‘normal’ kitchen job – we offer resources, connection, and support that can help you continue with your journey, no matter what that is.

• If you want to continue working in summer camping, we offer training and experiences key to your personal and professional development. Additionally, there are pathways for our returning staff to step into leadership their next summer in the kitchen, team management, or logistics.
• If you desire to work in food or hospitality, you will have a wide range of skills and assets from your time in our kitchen which can give you an upper hand. Additionally, you’ll have knowledge of alternative foods, inventory management, and other unique perspectives.
• Or, maybe you’re not sure what your path is – camp allows individuals to explore their capacities and passions. Members of our staff often leave camp with a very different understanding of the world and themselves than they came in with, and also found a new direction amidst some great kitchen conversations. 🙂