Casual Chef

Journey Early Learning; Ballarat; On-site; AUD 36,000 - 47,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Assistance Program

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Journey Early Learning is seeking a Casual Chef to support our Ballarat region centres, including Lucas, Lucas Rise, Sebastopol, Delacombe and Ballarat East. You’ll prepare fresh, nutritious meals and snacks across centres.

You’ll follow established menus, manage dietary requirements, uphold food safety, and travel between centres with flexibility. This is casual, varied work within a supportive Journey network.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Chef or Cook and ability to follow established menus.
• Knowledge of food safety, hygiene and safe handling practices.
• Understanding allergies and dietary requirements.
• Strong time management and organisational skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage kitchen responsibilities.
• Current Food Safety Supervisor qualification, or willingness to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Prepare nutritious meals and snacks in line with menus and guidelines.
• Support the Future Foodies program and positive mealtime experiences.
• Follow recipes and cater for allergies and dietary needs.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, hygiene and kitchen cleanliness.
• Manage kitchen routines, storage and ingredients to ensure timely service.
• Collaborate with centre teams and adapt to different kitchens across Ballarat.

Skills

Previous Chef/Cook experience

Menu following

Food safety knowledge

Allergen/dietary requirements handling

Time management

Independent work

Team collaboration

Ability to travel between centres

Food Safety Supervisor qualification

Job description

Casual Chef | Ballarat Region | Journey Early Learning

Good Food. Growing Minds. Make a Difference with Journey.

Are you a passionate Chef or Cook looking for flexible work where you can make a meaningful difference every day?

Journey Early Learning is looking for a Casual Chef to support our early learning centres across the Ballarat region, including Lucas, Lucas Rise, Sebastopol, Delacombe and Ballarat East.

This is an opportunity to bring your cooking skills to a supportive network of centres, preparing fresh, nutritious meals that help children grow, learn and thrive. If you enjoy variety, working with different teams and creating positive food experiences, we'd love to hear from you.

About the Role

As a Casual Chef, you'll support our kitchens across the Ballarat region, preparing meals and snacks in line with Journey's established menus and our Future Foodies program.

Future Foodies is an important part of how we encourage positive relationships with food, introduce children to nutritious meals and help build healthy eating habits from an early age.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Preparing nutritious meals and snacks in line with Journey's menus and food preparation guidelines
• Supporting the delivery of our Future Foodies program and creating positive mealtime experiences
• Following recipes and catering for allergies, intolerances and individual dietary requirements
• Maintaining high standards of food safety, hygiene and kitchen cleanliness
• Following safe food storage, preparation and handling procedures
• Managing kitchen routines and ingredients to ensure meals are prepared and served on time
• Working collaboratively with centre teams to support children's nutrition and wellbeing
• Adapting to different centre kitchens while maintaining consistent food quality and safety standards

Working across multiple centres means no two days need to look the same, while you’ll have the support of Journey teams throughout the region.

About Our Centres

Our Ballarat centres are part of a connected community of early learning teams who share a commitment to quality education, children's wellbeing and positive family relationships.

Food plays an important role in children's everyday experiences at Journey. Through our Future Foodies program, we aim to make mealtimes enjoyable and encourage children to explore food and develop healthy habits.

As a regional Casual Chef, you’ll help bring this approach to life across our centres.

Why Join Journey?

• Flexible casual work supporting multiple centres across the Ballarat region
• Make a meaningful contribution to children's nutrition and wellbeing
• Work alongside supportive centre teams across the Journey network
• Opportunities to build your experience across different kitchen environments
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for you and your immediate family
• Professional development and opportunities to grow with Journey

About You

We’re looking for a reliable, adaptable Chef or Cook who takes pride in preparing quality food and understands the importance of nutrition in early childhood.

You’ll bring:

• Previous experience as a Chef, Cook or in a similar food preparation role
• The ability to follow established menus, recipes and food preparation guidelines
• Knowledge of food safety, hygiene and safe food handling practices
• An understanding of allergies, intolerances and individual dietary requirements
• Strong organisation and time management skills
• The ability to work independently and manage kitchen responsibilities
• Flexibility to travel between centres across the Ballarat region
• A positive, collaborative approach when working with different teams
• A current Food Safety Supervisor qualification, or willingness to obtain one where required

Safeguarding

At Journey Early Learning, the safety and wellbeing of children is our highest priority. Our See, Act, Tell safeguarding framework empowers every team member to recognise concerns, take appropriate action and speak up to help create safe environments where every child feels protected, respected and heard.

If you're a Chef or Cook looking for flexible casual work where your skills can make a real difference to children's everyday experiences, we’d love to hear from you.