Cook / Chef

Ever Hospitality Group; Orange City Council; On-site; AUD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fresh kitchen

Competitive rate

Growth opportunities

Local hospitality group

Job summary

mabels. is a new neighbourhood cafe opening late October on McLachlan Street in Orange, part of the Ever Hospitality Group family alongside Larder & Home. We’re building our opening kitchen team around a simple idea: a few dishes done exceptionally well, with you owning the execution day to day.

You’ll work hands-on in a small, focused menu, collaborating with front-of-house and keeping costs in check while delivering high-quality food across a 7-day roster including weekends.

Qualifications

• Experience cooking in a cafe, restaurant or similar kitchen.
• Creativity and interest in menu development.
• Cost management mindset: portion control and waste.
• Cert III in Commercial Cookery is preferred, but strong cooks welcome.
• Reliable, calm under pressure, tidy.

Responsibilities

• Cook a deliberately limited, high-standard menu each service.
• Develop dishes and specials with the team.
• Manage food cost and waste to protect margins.
• Prep, mise en place, ordering and kitchen cleanliness.
• Keep the line moving during busy periods without sacrificing quality.
• Collaborate with front-of-house to ensure smooth operations.

Job description

mabels. is a brand-new neighbourhood cafe opening late October on McLachlan Street in Orange, part of the Ever Hospitality Group family alongside Larder & Home. We're putting together our opening kitchen team — and we're after a cook or chef who takes pride in simple food done really well.

This is a hands-on, on-the-floor kitchen role built around a simple idea: a tight, carefully chosen menu done extremely well. We'd rather do a handful of dishes brilliantly than a long list adequately. You'll own the execution of that menu day to day — and have a real hand in shaping it.

What you'll be doing:

• Cooking a deliberately limited menu to a high, consistent standard every single service
• Developing dishes and specials with us — bringing creativity and ideas, not just following a spec
• Managing food cost: smart produce use, tight portioning, controlling waste and keeping margins healthy
• Prep, mise en place, ordering and keeping the kitchen spotless
• Keeping the line moving cleanly through busy periods without dropping quality
• Working closely with our front-of-house team so the whole room runs well

What we're looking for:

• Experience cooking in a cafe, restaurant or similar kitchen
• Creativity and a genuine interest in menu development — someone who wants to build dishes, not just plate them
• A head for cost management — food cost, portion control and waste are second nature
• Cert III in Commercial Cookery is great, but a strong cook without the paper is welcome too
• Someone reliable, calm under a rush, and genuinely tidy
• Pride in doing a small number of things exceptionally well
• Availability across a 7-day roster including early starts and weekends
• Valid working rights in Australia

What we offer:

• A fresh kitchen and a team that actually cares about the food
• A competitive rate, negotiated on experience
• Being part of a growing local hospitality group with room to progress
• A genuine neighbourhood cafe, not a chain