Head Chef – Bateau Bay Hotel

Hunter Hotel Group; Central Coast Council; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Brand-new kitchen

Four-day work week

Competitive package

Career path

Group support

Central Coast lifestyle

Job summary

Bateau Bay Hotel, part of Hunter Hotel Group, seeks an experienced Head Chef to lead a four-day-week kitchen on the Central Coast. You’ll helm an established operation in a brand-new, purpose-built space, driving menu development, cost control and service quality.

You’ll manage a proven kitchen team across lunch and dinner, own the kitchen P&L with support from the GM, and collaborate with the group on supplier strategy and food innovation, while enjoying NSW lifestyle benefits.

Qualifications

• Proven Head Chef experience in a high-volume hotel, pub or club kitchen.
• Strong leadership and team development capabilities.
• Solid understanding of GP, wastage and labour in a busy kitchen.
• Excellent knowledge of NSW food safety and kitchen compliance obligations.
• Ability to manage menu direction and supplier strategy with the group.

Responsibilities

• Full kitchen leadership – menu development, costing, ordering, rostering and compliance.
• Lead and develop an established team across lunch and dinner trade.
• Drive consistency and quality through high-volume service across dining and bar.
• Own the kitchen P&L – GP, wastage and labour – with support from the venue GM and group exec team.
• Work closely with the group on menu direction, supplier strategy and food innovation.

Skills

Head Chef experience

High-volume kitchen

Leadership

Food safety compliance

Costing & budgeting

Job description

Bateau Bay Hotel is one of the Central Coast's best-known pubs – a busy, well-established venue with a local following and consistent trade. The hotel has recently been rebuilt from the ground up, including a brand-new commercial kitchen, so you'll be leading an established operation out of a modern, purpose-built space. We're looking for an experienced Head Chef to take the reins and build on what's already a strong foundation – and to do it on a four-day work week, so the role comes with the balance to match the lifestyle.

This is a substantial, fast-paced kitchen servicing a large dining room, beer garden and busy public bar, with the volume and pace to keep you engaged. The new fit-out means well-designed workflows and modern equipment. You'll be stepping into an established kitchen team that knows the venue and the customer base, and is ready to be led.

About Hunter Hotel Group

Bateau Bay is one of ten hotel operated by Hunter Hotel Group across NSW, spanning the Central Coast, Hunter, Lake Macquarie and Mid North Coast regions. We're a privately owned, family-run group with a long-term view, and a genuine commitment to investing in our venues and our people. Joining Bateau Bay Hotel means joining a group that can offer real career progression, group-wide purchasing power, menu and operational collaboration with sister venues, and strong back-of-house support.

The role

• Full kitchen leadership – menu development, costing, ordering, rostering and compliance
• Lead and develop an established team across lunch and dinner trade
• Drive consistency and quality through high-volume service across dining and bar
• Own the kitchen P&L – GP, wastage and labour – with support from the venue GM and group executive team
• Work closely with the group on menu direction, supplier strategy and food innovation across the broader business

What we're looking for

• Proven Head Chef experience in a high-volume hotel, pub or club kitchen
• Confident running service at pace without losing consistency
• Strong commercial head – you understand GP, wastage and labour as well as you understand a plate
• Calm, capable leadership style that develops people and keeps good staff long-term
• Solid grasp of NSW food safety and kitchen compliance obligations

What's on offer

• A brand-new, purpose-built kitchen to make your own
• A four-day work week – genuine work/life balance in a senior kitchen role
• Competitive package commensurate with experience
• Genuine career path within a NSW hotel group
• Established team, loyal customer base, strong group support behind you
• Central Coast lifestyle – a four-day work week, beaches, lake and bush within minutes, no Sydney commute, and the lifestyle that comes with living where you work