Chef

Position: Chef

Position Type: Full-Time, permanent

Salary: $79,500 to $80,500 plus superannuation per annum

Location: Chirnside Park VIC 3116

Our client is seeking is seeking an experienced Chef to join their restaurant located in Chirnside Park, Victoria.

The Chef role plans and costs menu items and specials, prepares and cooks Mexican dishes to franchise standards, and supervises and trains kitchen staff. The Chef is also the nominated Food Safety Supervisor and keeps the kitchen compliant with the Food Act 1984 and the restaurant's food safety program.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Menu planning and costing

• Plan seasonal specials and banquet menus within the La Cabra approved menu framework, and submit them to the franchisor for approval.
• Calculate food and labour costs for each dish and keep food cost within the targets set by the Directors.
• Prepare standard recipe cards, portion guides and plating specifications for every menu item.
• Review sales and wastage data each week and recommend menu changes to the Venue Manager.

Food preparation and cooking

• Prepare and cook the full Mexican menu, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tostadas and share plates.
• Prepare masa and press and cook corn tortillas, tostadas and totopos (corn chips) daily.
• Slow-cook and braise proteins such as barbacoa, birria, carnitas and pollo tinga, and grill and char meats, seafood and vegetables over high heat.
• Prepare house salsas, moles, adobos, pickled chillies and onions, guacamole and other sauces and condiments from fresh and dried chillies, herbs and spices.
• Prepare Mexican desserts such as churros, flan and dulce de leche, and garnishes for the bar's cocktails and beverages.
• Plan the daily prep list, run the pass during service, and check every plate for taste, temperature, portion and presentation before it leaves the kitchen.
• Adapt dishes for allergen, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free requests in line with franchise allergen procedures.

Food safety and compliance

• Act as Food Safety Supervisor and implement the food safety program for the Class 2 premises.
• Monitor and record temperatures for receiving, storage, cooking, cooling and reheating, and keep cleaning and pest-control records current.
• Explain hygiene requirements to kitchen staff and enforce safe food handling, allergen controls and cleaning schedules.
• Prepare the kitchen for council inspections and franchise audits, and fix any issues raised.
• Follow workplace health and safety procedures for knives, hot oil, grills, chemicals and manual handling.

Stock and supplier management

• Order produce, meat, seafood, dry goods and specialty Mexican ingredients from approved franchise suppliers.
• Check deliveries for quality, quantity and temperature, and reject goods that do not meet standards.
• Store, rotate, freeze and preserve food correctly to reduce wastage, and complete weekly stocktakes.

Staff supervision and training

• Supervise cooks, kitchen hands and trainees, and allocate duties for each shift.
• Prepare the kitchen roster within the labour budget.
• Train new and existing staff in cooking techniques, recipes, plating and food safety, and demonstrate methods on the line.
• Take part in recruiting kitchen staff and give feedback on their performance.

Equipment and kitchen operations

• Make sure kitchen equipment is cleaned, maintained and in good working order, and report faults for repair.
• Open and close the kitchen, including prep, shutdown, cleaning and security checks.

Requirements:

Essential

• AQF Certificate IV in Kitchen Management or higher (Diploma of Hospitality Management or equivalent)
• At least one (1) year of full-time experience as a Chef or senior cook in a commercial kitchen.
• Food Safety Supervisor certificate, or willingness to obtain it before starting in the role.
• Experience supervising and training kitchen staff during busy service.
• Working knowledge of food costing, ordering, stock control and wastage reduction.

Desirable

• Experience cooking Mexican or Latin American cuisine, including masa, salsas, moles and slow-braised meats.
• Experience in a franchise or multi-site kitchen working to standard recipes and audits.
• Experience in a licensed restaurant with high-volume lunch and dinner service.

Skills and attributes

• Strong knife skills and command of grilling, braising, frying and pastry techniques.
• Ability to run the pass and keep ticket times and quality consistent under pressure.
• Clear communication in English with kitchen staff, front-of-house and management.
• Good organisation, time management and attention to detail.
• Reliable, hygienic and committed to food safety and allergen control.