Head Chef

Portarlington Grand Hotel; Portarlington; On-site; AUD 99,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Coastal living near Geelong

Job summary

The Portarlington Grand Hotel on the Bellarine Peninsula is seeking a Head Chef to own the kitchen, lead a growing team and shape the menus. You will work directly with the Executive General Manager to set standards, costs and dining direction across bistro, atrium dining, functions and accommodation guests.

Responsibilities include recruiting and developing the kitchen team, menu development using local produce, and maintaining strong food safety and cost controls.

Qualifications

• Experience as Head Chef or senior Sous Chef ready to step up, ideally in high-volume hotel, pub or functions kitchens.
• Track record of building teams and lifting standards.
• Menu development and food costing experience, and comfort owning a budget.
• Strong food safety knowledge with certification or willingness to obtain one.

Responsibilities

• Lead, recruit and develop the kitchen team, and build a culture people want to be part of.
• Create menus that maximise Bellarine produce across dining, functions and accommodation guests.
• Develop a summer menu balancing pub classics with local seafood and refined dishes.
• Set the standards and systems for prep, ordering, stock control, food safety and hygiene.
• Own the numbers: food cost and gross margins, wastage, rostering and labour.
• Collaborate with FOH management for large bookings, walk-ins and peak periods.

Skills

Leadership

Team building

Menu development

Food costing

Food safety

Budgeting

Job description

Lead the kitchen. Build the team. Shape the menu.

The Portarlington Grand Hotel is a landmark on the Bellarine Peninsula, offering bistro and atrium dining, functions and accommodation just back from the bay. Under new management, we're investing in our kitchen. We want a Head Chef to own it and work directly with our newly appointed Executive General Manager.

This is a building role. You'll have real say over the team, the systems and the menu, and the backing to make our food a reason people come to Portarlington.

The kitchen at a glance

• Modern Australian pub and bistro dining built on local produce
• Kitchen open 7 days; this role works 5 days on a rotating roster across days, nights and weekends
• Start as soon as possible, ready to lead the kitchen into summer

What you'll do

• Lead, recruit and develop the kitchen team, and build a culture people want to be part of
• Create menus that make the most of Bellarine produce and work across dining, functions and accommodation guests
• Develop a summer menu balancing affordable pub classics with Portarlington mussels, quality local seafood and a smaller selection of more refined dishes showcasing the Bellarine
• Set the standards and systems for prep, ordering, stock control, food safety and hygiene
• Own the numbers: food cost and gross margins, wastage, rostering and labour
• Work closely with FOH management on large bookings, walk-ins, peak periods and accurate order entry, so the kitchen is prepared for every service

About you

• Experience as a Head Chef, or a senior Sous Chef ready to step up, ideally in high-volume hotel, pub or functions kitchens
• A track record of building teams and lifting standards
• Menu development and food costing experience, and comfort owning a budget
• Strong food safety knowledge, including a Food Safety Supervisor certificate or willingness to get one
• Calm, organised and hands-on when it's busy

What we offer

• $110,000 salary package, inclusive of super
• $10,000 performance bonus after successful completion of the 6-month probation period, linked to KPIs including service delivery, COGS and labour cost ratio
• Your own team to build, and genuine influence over our food direction
• A direct line to the EGM, so decisions get made quickly
• Coastal living on the Bellarine, around 30 minutes from Geelong
• Open to discussing relocation assistance for the right candidate