SENIOR CHEFS WANTED – SUMMER BY THE BEACH

The Salty Chook; Gold Coast City; On-site; AUD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Salty Chook is seeking senior chefs to lead busy beachside kitchens at Little Mali and The Salty Chook on the southern Gold Coast. You’ll run services, mentor junior staff and help manage both venues, with opportunities to advance into Head Chef roles.

We value practical, organised, calm professionals who can handle a fast-paced environment and maintain high standards across breakfast, lunch and dinner services.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in busy, high-volume kitchens.
• Ability to run a service independently and confidently.
• Experience leading kitchen teams and supporting staff.
• Strong cooking skills across breakfast, grill, fryer and prep.
• Experience with inventory, ordering and kitchen organisation.
• Solid understanding of food safety, portion control, quality and wastage.
• Practical, organised and calm under pressure.
• Reliable, with a positive attitude.

Responsibilities

• Run and supervise busy kitchen services.
• Lead and support other kitchen staff across two venues.
• Assist with ordering, stock management and stock rotation.
• Ensure food safety, portion control and waste minimisation.

Skills

High-volume kitchens

Lead and manage service

Kitchen staff support

Breakfast & grill skills

Ordering & stock control

Food safety & portion control

Calm under pressure

Reliable & proactive

Job description

SENIOR CHEFS WANTED – SUMMER BY THE BEACH

Little Mali + The Salty Chook | Coolangatta / Rainbow Bay

Full-Time | Competitive Salary | Head Chef Progression Opportunities

We’re looking for experienced, switched-on senior chefs to join our crew across our two busy, family-run venues on the southern Gold Coast — Little Mali and The Salty Chook.

We’re a small local family business with a great crew, relaxed beachside vibes and seriously busy kitchens. With summer here, we’re looking for capable chefs who can confidently run a service, take responsibility and help lead our kitchen teams.

We have two great venues, each offering something different:

• Little Mali — High-volume breakfast and lunch, café food, salads, cabinet food and prep.
• The Salty Chook — Smash burgers, rotisserie chicken, chips, fresh salads and busy lunch and dinner trade.
• Little Mali Taqueria — Our popular Thursday to Saturday taco nights.

You’ll primarily be based at the venue that best suits your experience, with the opportunity to work across both kitchens if it’s a good fit.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• Strong experience in busy, high-volume kitchens.
• Confidence running a busy service independently.
• Experience leading and supporting other kitchen staff.
• Strong cooking skills across breakfast, grill, fryer and general prep.
• Experience with ordering, stock management and kitchen organisation.
• Good understanding of food safety, portion control, quality and wastage.
• Someone practical, organised and calm under pressure.
• Reliability, common sense and a genuinely good attitude.

Weekend availability is essential. Some evening work may be required depending on the venue, but we’re not a late-night operation.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Competitive salary based on experience.
• Genuine opportunity to progress into a Head Chef role, potentially overseeing one or both kitchens.
• Variety across two established beachside venues.
• A supportive, family-run business with a great crew.

We’re looking for chefs who take pride in their work, lead by example and can keep a busy kitchen running smoothly.

For the right person, there’s real room to grow. We’re looking to build a strong senior kitchen team, with the opportunity for someone who proves themselves to step into a Head Chef or broader kitchen leadership role down the track, with a salary package that reflects those responsibilities.

We work hard and get seriously busy, but we also want work to be enjoyable. You’ll know the owners, work with a good crew and have the chance to make the role your own.

If you’re an experienced chef looking for a change and the idea of working by the beach sounds pretty bloody good, we’d love to hear from you.