Cooks [DALPARK PTY LTD, trading as Cruz The Bakehouse Kensington]

Our client, DALPARK PTY LTD, trading as Cruz The Bakehouse Kensington, is an established, family-run bakery and café destination located at 83 Johanna Blvd, Kensington QLD 4670. Backed by over 30 years of industry experience, the venue is celebrated for its warm, old-fashioned customer service, welcoming atmosphere, and dedication to product excellence. Alongside its freshly baked artisanal breads, specialty loaves, and flaky pastries, Cruz The Bakehouse Kensington offers an extensive café and hot food menu, including savory gourmet pies, hearty breakfast and brunch dishes, toasted melts, fresh salads, and rotating daily specials crafted with quality local ingredients.

The business is now seeking dependable, qualified, and motivated full-time Cooks to join their kitchen and food preparation team in Kensington, QLD. Reporting to the Head Chef and venue management, successful candidates will be responsible for preparing and cooking a wide range of café and bakehouse meals, managing line service during peak breakfast and lunch periods, upholding presentation consistency, and maintaining an organized, hygienic kitchen environment. This role requires practical culinary skill, speed, reliability, and a collaborative team attitude in a fast-paced hospitality setting.

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 commensurate with the candidate's skills, qualifications, and operational capability.

SCOPE OF THE ROLE:

• Assessing fresh produce, raw ingredients, and food items upon delivery to ensure strict adherence to quality, freshness, and food safety benchmarks prior to preparation.
• Operating, regulating, and monitoring commercial cooking equipment temperatures (ovens, flat tops, grillers, deep fryers, and hot-holding units) to achieve optimal cooking conditions.
• Preparing and cooking a diverse range of café meals and savory bakehouse offerings—including hot breakfasts, burgers, savory fillings for handcrafted pies and pastries, sandwiches, and daily specials—in accordance with established house recipes and presentation standards.
• Seasoning, marinating, and adjusting dishes throughout the cooking process to enhance flavours and maintain consistent culinary quality.
• Plating and portioning meals accurately, ensuring attractive visual presentation with appropriate garnishes, sides, and house-made sauces.
• Storing all raw, prep, and cooked food items in designated temperature-controlled environments with correct date labeling, stock rotation (FIFO), and airtight sealing to prevent spoilage and maintain freshness.
• Preparing meals that accommodate specific dietary requirements, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-friendly, and allergy-sensitive customer requests.
• Assisting the Head Chef with seasonal menu planning and development, providing practical input that reflects customer preferences and ingredient availability.
• Calculating daily food requirements and prep quantities for standard weekday trade and peak weekend rushes to minimize food waste while preventing stock shortages.
• Monitoring inventory levels of kitchen ingredients and consumables, conducting regular stock counts, and submitting timely purchase orders to management.
• Training and mentoring junior kitchen hands and apprentices on foundational cooking methods, safe equipment handling, knife skills, and efficient station workflow.
• Collaborating effectively with kitchen and counter staff to ensure smooth ticket flow, prompt service delivery, and clear communication between the kitchen and retail counter during busy service periods.
• Preparing trial recipes and executing daily blackboard specials under the guidance of the Head Chef, offering feedback on cooking procedures to support ongoing culinary refinement.
• Maintaining a sanitized, safe, and organized workstation at all times, strictly adhering to food hygiene regulations, HACCP protocols, and Work Health and Safety (WHS) standards.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS ROLE, YOU SHOULD:

• Hold a Certificate III or Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery, or an equivalent recognized culinary qualification (preferred).
• Have a minimum of 1 to 2+ years of professional hands-on cooking experience in a commercial kitchen, busy café, bakery-café, or bistro environment.
• Demonstrated ability to remain calm, focused, and productive during fast-paced, high-volume morning and lunchtime service rushes.
• Sound practical knowledge of food hygiene standards, temperature control logs, HACCP principles, and workplace health and safety (WHS).
• Dependable, well-organized, and practical approach to commercial food preparation and station management.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills with a positive, customer-focused attitude.
• Flexible availability to work across a 7-day rotating roster, including early mornings, weekends, public holidays, and split shifts as operational demand requires.
• Willingness to work on-site at the Kensington venue, with ability to commute reliably or relocate to the Kensington / Bundaberg region if required.
• 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, negotiated based on experience and capability.
• Opportunity to work with a friendly, supportive, and established family-run business with a strong local following.
• Practical opportunities to refine culinary skills and advance your career across the business.
• Enjoy the relaxed coastal lifestyle and community atmosphere of Kensington and the greater Bundaberg region in Queensland.

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.

DALPARK PTY LTD, trading as Cruz The Bakehouse Kensington, 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.