Cooks & Chefs [Freshie Mex Pty Ltd, trading as Freshie Mex]

Our client, Freshie Mex Pty Ltd, trading as Freshie Mex, is a vibrant and popular dining destination located in the heart of Sydney’s Northern Beaches at Shop 3/22-26 Albert St, Freshwater NSW 2096 (with venues across Freshwater and Collaroy Beach). Celebrated for its lively coastal atmosphere and authentic Mexican cuisine, Freshie Mex delivers flavour-packed customer favourites crafted with fresh, premium ingredients. The venue's diverse offering features handcrafted tacos, loaded burritos, sizzling fajitas, house-made salsas, and freshly shaken margaritas, prepared to high standards of consistency and presentation across busy lunch, dinner, takeaway, and weekend beachside trade.

To support sustained growth and maintain high culinary standards, Freshie Mex is seeking passionate, experienced, and energetic full-time Cooks and Chefs to join their kitchen brigade in Freshwater, NSW. Reporting to the Head Chef and venue management, successful candidates will be responsible for line cooking, food preparation, managing ticket flow during high-volume services, and ensuring kitchen stations run efficiently and cleanly. This role is ideal for dedicated culinary professionals who thrive in fast-paced, customer-driven environments and take genuine pride in fresh, authentic Mexican street-food flavours.

These are permanent, full-time positions offering a competitive salary within the range of $75,000 to $85,000 AUD per annum, plus superannuation, benchmarked against current market rates and negotiable based on the candidate's skills, qualifications, and operational capability.

SCOPE OF THE ROLE:

• Managing day-to-day kitchen operations on shift, including delegating tasks to junior staff, coordinating station readiness, maintaining stock rotation, and completing kitchen compliance logs.
• Preparing and cooking a diverse range of authentic Mexican dishes—including slow-cooked braised meats (carnitas, barbacoa), grilled proteins, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and house-made marinades—both for regular high-volume service and special functions.
• Setting up, calibrating, and organizing workstations, including firing up commercial grills, flat-tops, fryers, and ovens prior to service commencement.
• Executing customer orders rapidly and accurately, adhering to established recipes, portion controls, and high culinary presentation standards.
• Determining daily production schedules, bulk prep requirements, and mise en place lists to ensure timely and coordinated service delivery during peak trading periods.
• Estimating food supply requirements and ingredient costs, monitoring usage, and assisting with ordering fresh produce, specialty Mexican spices, tortillas, and dairy.
• Inspecting incoming stock, cool rooms, and prep stations to ensure strict adherence to freshness, product specifications, and quality benchmarks.
• Analysing recipes and advising on menu pricing based on raw ingredient costs, portion sizes, labour, and kitchen overheads.
• Collaborating with senior kitchen personnel to develop seasonal specials and menu concepts, incorporating seasonal availability of ingredients and customer demand.
• Demonstrating new cooking techniques and proper commercial kitchen equipment operation to junior kitchen members to drive culinary consistency.
• Assisting fellow cooks, apprentices, and kitchen hands across various stations during service rushes to maintain ticket speed and team cohesion.
• Maintaining, cleaning, and sanitizing workstations, utensils, and cooking surfaces throughout the shift to prevent cross-contamination.
• Enforcing strict compliance with food safety legislation, HACCP guidelines, sanitation standards, and Work Health and Safety (WHS) regulations across all kitchen operations.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS ROLE, YOU SHOULD:

• Hold a Certificate III and Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery from an Australian registered training organisation (or equivalent recognized trade qualification).
• Have at least 2 years of relevant professional work experience as a Cook or Chef in a fast-paced restaurant, casual dining bistro, or Mexican/Latin culinary venue.
• Demonstrated competency in managing high-volume service shifts, line cooking, flat-top grills, fryers, and fresh prep workflows.
• Strong practical knowledge of food hygiene standards, allergen management, HACCP principles, and Work Health and Safety (WHS) regulations.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to maintain composure and efficiency under high ticket volume.
• Full availability across a 7-day rotating roster, including availability on both weekend days, evenings, public holidays, and split shifts as required by trade.
• Willingness to work on-site in Freshwater, NSW, with the ability to commute reliably or relocate to the Northern Beaches region if currently based interstate or in another city.
• Must hold valid Australian work rights permitting full-time employment at the time of application.

WHAT'S ON OFFER:

• A competitive full-time salary package of $75,000–$85,000 AUD per annum, plus superannuation, negotiable based on qualifications and operational experience.
• The opportunity to work with an energetic, supportive, and community-focused team celebrating authentic Mexican cuisine.
• A dynamic and positive work environment with hands-on leadership and clear kitchen systems.
• Genuine opportunities for skill development and career progression within a growing venue group.
• Enjoy the relaxed coastal lifestyle and beachside culture of Freshwater on Sydney's Northern Beaches.

HOW TO JOIN THE TEAM

Please submit an online application to join our diverse, compassionate, and dedicated team for a rewarding career. Australian citizens and permanent residents are strongly encouraged to apply and will be given priority in accordance with labour market testing requirements and the objective of supporting the domestic workforce. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

Freshie Mex Pty Ltd, trading as Freshie Mex, is committed to an Australian-first employment strategy and a recruitment process that is fair, transparent, and strictly merit-based. Applications are assessed solely on skills, qualifications, experience, and role suitability, without regard to personal background.

Only where genuine recruitment efforts confirm that no suitably qualified or experienced local candidates are available will individuals with valid work rights, or those eligible for employer sponsorship, be considered, strictly in line with the Migration Act 1958, Migration Regulations 1994, and current Department of Home Affairs policy. Employer sponsorship is approached as a measure of last resort, reflecting our commitment to workforce integrity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term development of local talent.