Chef

WhitePage Consultancy; Newcastle; On-site; AUD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Beaches Cantina on Darby Street in Cooks Hill, Newcastle, NSW, seeks an experienced Chef to join the kitchen team. You will lead hands-on cooking across the full menu from breakfast to dinner, and work confidently during busy morning and evening services.

The role requires a practical leader who can plan menus with the management team, monitor food safety and allergen handling, and maintain high-quality plating. Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents.

Qualifications

• At least 1 year of relevant experience working as a Chef in a commercial kitchen.
• AQF Associate Degree, Advanced Diploma or Diploma (ANZSCO Skill Level 2).

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook dishes across the full Beaches Cantina menu for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner.
• Explain and enforce food safety and hygiene rules on every shift.
• Plan and update the menu with management, cost dishes and order stock.
• Set up the kitchen before opening and keep sections stocked for smooth service.
• Train new starters on recipes, portions and kitchen routines.
• Check quality from ingredients to plated dishes and ensure correct portions.
• Manage batch cooking, labeling, chilling and stock rotation to reduce waste.
• Coordinate with managers and front-of-house for guest dietary requests.
• Maintain cleanliness and report equipment faults promptly.

Skills

Kitchen experience

Education

AQF Associate Degree / Advanced Diploma / Diploma

Job description

Job Type: Permanent position | Full time position

Job Description

Beaches Cantina is a lively café and Mexican-inspired eatery on Darby Street in Cooks Hill, one of Newcastle's most popular streets for eating out. The venue is run by KSAR Cafe Pty Ltd, which also operates Gamble & Brown Café, and it is open from early morning through to the evening. The day starts with good coffee made from quality beans and a fresh breakfast menu, carries on through weekend brunch, and moves into a Mexican menu of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, burgers, sides and desserts, with margaritas and other cocktails served from the bar.

The food is colourful and full of flavour, and vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian and gluten-free guests are well looked after. Guests can dine in, sit outside or order online to take away, and the venue also hosts private functions with a choice of event packages. Its customers are a mix of Cooks Hill locals, regulars and visitors to Newcastle.

Our client, Beaches Cantina (KSAR Cafe Pty Ltd) at Cooks Hill, NSW, is looking for an experienced Chef to join the kitchen team. The role will suit a hands‑on Chef who enjoys bold, fresh food and can hold standards across a busy all‑day menu.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook dishes across the full Beaches Cantina menu, from breakfast plates and weekend brunch through to tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, burgers, sides and desserts, and work the line confidently during busy morning and evening services.
• Explain food safety and hygiene rules to the kitchen team and make sure they are followed on every shift, including safe food handling, temperature checks, allergen control, cleaning schedules and the food safety records the venue must keep.
• Plan and update the menu with the management team, including seasonal specials, brunch dishes and menus for private events, cost each dish, estimate food and labour needs against expected trade, and order stock from suppliers, checking every delivery for quality and accuracy.
• Set up the kitchen before opening by preparing salsas, sauces, marinades, fillings and garnishes, and keep each section stocked so service runs smoothly as the day moves from breakfast into lunch and dinner.
• Show cooks and kitchen hands the right way to prepare and plate each dish, advise them on cooking methods and timing, help choose new kitchen staff, and train new starters on recipes, portion sizes and kitchen routines.
• Check the quality of food at every step, from raw ingredients and prep through cooking, plating and the pass, so each dish looks right, tastes right and is the correct portion before it leaves the kitchen.
• Portion, label, chill and freeze batch‑cooked meats, sauces and stocks, prepare pickled garnishes where the menu calls for them, and rotate stock in the fridges and freezers to keep food fresh and waste low.
• Talk through food preparation issues, timing and menu changes with the managers, the kitchen team and front of house staff, and work with them on guest requests such as vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten‑free and allergy orders so each one is handled correctly from order to table.
• Keep takeaway and online orders moving alongside dine‑in service and private functions, and keep the kitchen clean, safe and well organised, reporting any equipment faults straight away.

Qualifications and Experience

• At least 1 year of relevant experience working as a Chef in a commercial kitchen.
• AQF Associate Degree, Advanced Diploma or Diploma (ANZSCO Skill Level 2).

Hours: 38 hours per week - Full‑time Salary: $75,000 to $85,000 plus superannuation per annum.

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about fresh, bold flavours and keen to cook Mexican‑inspired food
• Calm, organised and quick on their feet during busy services
• A clear communicator who works well with both the kitchen and front of house teams
• Careful and consistent with food safety, allergens and dietary orders
• Happy to teach, guide and support junior kitchen staff
• Reliable, punctual and flexible with rostered shifts

To be considered for this role you will need to be an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident.