We are looking for an experienced, reliable and hands‑on Café Chef / Kitchen Leader who can independently manage daily kitchen operations, develop appealing menus and consistently deliver quality food in large quantities. You will work in a busy, well‑established café located within a major hospital in Parkville, Melbourne, serving hospital staff, patients and visitors. Our kitchen focuses on freshly prepared, high‑volume hot meals served through our Bain Marie food display, along with a variety of café‑style dishes and daily specials.
Key responsibilities
- Independently manage daily food preparation, cooking, kitchen organisation and workflow
- Prepare a variety of hot meals in large quantities for Bain Marie service, ensuring consistency, quality and efficient production
- Independently create and rotate daily specials, develop new dishes and maintain a varied, appealing menu
- Maintain high standards of flavour, presentation, portion control and food consistency
- Confidently operate and maintain commercial kitchen equipment
- Manage ingredient ordering, stock levels, stock rotation and inventory control
- Monitor ingredient costs, minimise food waste and maintain profitable food production
- Take ownership of your kitchen area, including preparation schedules, cleanliness, organisation and daily operations
- Work closely with other chefs, kitchen hands, front‑of‑house and sandwich preparation teams to ensure smooth operations
- Maintain high standards of food safety, hygiene, temperature control and safe food handling
About you
- Proven experience as a Chef, Café Chef, Kitchen Leader or similar role in a busy commercial kitchen
- Strong experience in bulk cooking, batch preparation and Bain Marie‑style food service
- Ability to independently operate and organise a commercial kitchen with minimal supervision
- Confident in developing menus, daily specials and new dishes independently
- Experienced in preparing a variety of Western‑style café meals, hot dishes and other popular cuisines
- Strong knowledge of food costing, ordering, stock control and waste reduction
- Excellent time management and ability to meet daily production deadlines
- Able to plan cooking quantities according to customer demand
- Organised, efficient, reliable and able to work under pressure
- Strong communication and teamwork skills
- Stable, full‑time, long‑term position
- Monday to Friday only – no weekends or public holidays
- Friendly and supportive working environment
- Opportunity to develop your own menu ideas and take ownership of kitchen operations
- Competitive salary based on experience
About us
We are a busy, well‑established café located within a major hospital in Parkville, Melbourne, serving hospital staff, patients and visitors. Our kitchen focuses on freshly prepared, high‑volume hot meals served through our Bain Marie food display, along with a variety of café‑style dishes and daily specials.
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