Head Chef | Summerland Farm

Aruma; Pearces Creek; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

No split shifts

Salary packaging benefits

Purpose-driven organisation

Northern Rivers location

Job summary

Summerland Farm in Alstonville, NSW, seeks a Head Chef to lead our kitchen operations with creative input and strong commercial discipline. You’ll balance great food and guest experience while mentoring a dedicated team in a supportive, purpose-driven venue.

This role offers a stable leadership path with no split shifts, opportunities to influence menus, and a community-focused employer committed to work-life balance in the beautiful Northern Rivers.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in a busy kitchen environment.
• Experience balancing quality with cost efficiency.
• Ability to mentor and develop a kitchen team.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the kitchen team to deliver consistent quality.
• Manage food costs, stock levels and waste control.
• Contribute to menu development and daily specials.
• Maintain high food safety standards across all service periods.
• Foster an inclusive, supportive kitchen culture.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Menu development

Food costing

Stock control

Team mentoring

Job description

Alstonville, NSW

Lead a Great Kitchen. Create Great Food. Enjoy a Better Lifestyle.

Are you a talented Head Chef or ambitious Sous Chef ready for a role that offers genuine leadership, creative input and a lifestyle that’s hard to find in traditional hospitality? Summerland Farm is seeking an experienced hospitality professional to lead our kitchen operations in the beautiful Northern Rivers. This is a unique opportunity to join a well-established venue where you can focus on delivering great food, building consistency and leading a passionate team, without the burnout often associated with hospitality leadership roles.

Why You’ll Love This Role

• No split shifts
• Competitive salary + salary packaging benefits to increase your take-home pay
• Lead a supportive and engaged kitchen team
• Creative input into menu development and food offerings
• Work for a purpose-driven organisation making a positive impact in the community
• Beautiful Northern Rivers location
• A stable, long-term leadership opportunity
• Some evening and event work, without the demands of late-night trading

About The Role

As Head Chef, you’ll take ownership of our kitchen operations, balancing great food and customer experience with the commercial disciplines that underpin a successful hospitality business. You’ll lead and mentor the kitchen team, manage food costs, stock and waste, contribute to menu development and maintain high food safety standards. You’ll bring creativity to the role while ensuring our menus are commercially sound, operationally efficient and consistently delivered. You’ll also play an important role in creating an inclusive kitchen environment, working alongside and supporting employees with disability to build skills, confidence and meaningful employment opportunities.

We’re Looking For

You Might Currently Be a

• Head Chef looking for better work-life balance
• Senior Sous Chef ready to step into your first Head Chef role
• Hospitality leader seeking greater stability and career longevity

To Succeed, You’ll Bring

• Strong commercial kitchen leadership experience
• Passion for producing great food and customer experiences
• Strong understanding of food costing, stock control, waste management and kitchen profitability
• Ability to develop menus that balance quality, customer appeal and operational efficiency
• A hands-on, team-first leadership style
• Confidence working within systems and processes that support consistency and commercial performance
• Energy, creativity and a desire to continuously improve

More Than Just Another Hospitality Role

At Summerland Farm, you’ll still be doing what you love, leading a kitchen, creating great food and developing your team. The difference is that your work also contributes to creating meaningful opportunities for people in our community. It’s a role that combines professional satisfaction with genuine purpose, while offering the work-life balance many hospitality leaders are searching for.

Our Commitment

At Aruma, we’re committed to building a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are focused on creating an inclusive, high-performing workplace.

Closing Date: Friday 30/10/2026