Cook - Casual

Summerset Retirement Villages; Tasman; On-site; NZD 30,000 - 41,000; Part time

Job summary

Summerset Retirement Villages is seeking a dedicated Cook to join our Richmond and Nelson villages. This casual role involves preparing production meals for the care centre and café, while maintaining an audit-ready kitchen and collaborating with care teams to deliver a great dining experience.

Ideal candidates have prior cook experience in healthcare or residential settings and a strong food safety mindset, with flexibility to cover weekends and holidays as required.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Cook, ideally in a healthcare or residential care setting.
• Food safety knowledge; safe food handling certification preferred.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and accommodate weekend/holiday shifts.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook production meals for the care centre and short order meals for the café.
• Maintain an audit-ready kitchen following Summerset’s Food Control Plan.
• Collaborate with kitchen staff, care teams and management to deliver an exceptional dining experience.

Skills

Cook duties

Food safety

Healthcare kitchen experience

Flexibility

Education

Food safety certification (preferred)

Job description

Company Description:

At Summerset, from the moment we start developing a village, to when our residents call it home, it’s the passion and dedication of our people that brings our villages to life. We are one team united by being part of something bigger – to bring the best of life to our residents.

Job Description:

We’re looking for a dedicated Cook to join our Richmond and Nelson villages. This is more than just a kitchen job - it’s a chance to be part of something meaningful, where every meal you prepare brings joy, comfort, and nourishment to the lives of our residents.

As a Cook, you will play an essential role in creating fresh, wholesome meals in a supportive and team-focused environment. Your work will help ensure our residents enjoy nutritious food that supports their health and wellbeing.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Preparing and cooking production meals for our care centre as well as short order meals for the café, based on established menus and dietary needs
• Maintaining an “audit-ready” kitchen by adhering to Summerset’s Food Control Plan
• Working collaboratively with kitchen staff, care teams and management to deliver an exceptional dining experience

This is a casual role, working on an as-needed basis, with shifts often offered at short notice. The successful candidate must be available to take shifts from both our Richmond and Nelson villages.

Qualifications:

This role is ideal for someone who takes pride in their work, loves bringing people together over food, and enjoys going the extra mile for their customers. You will bring a warm and positive approach to everything you do, along with:

• Previous experience as a Cook, ideally in a healthcare or residential care setting
• Strong knowledge of food safety standards Certification in safe food handling (preferred)
• Confidence to work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high standards
• Flexibility to work casual shifts, including weekends and holidays as required

At Summerset, we believe diversity strengthens our team and enriches the care we provide. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, and walks of life.

Additional Information:

We are proud to show our appreciation for the passion and commitment our people show every day, by offering a selection of employee benefits:

Our benefits include:

• The ability to grow your career across a variety of roles in Summerset
• Opportunities to gain recognised culinary qualifications
• Discounts from a range of suppliers and free access to Telus Health (EAP)
• Uniform is provided

Next Steps:

Applications for this role will close on the 30th of November. This role may close early due to an increased number of applications.