Curry/Tandoor Chef

Bhaghwati Enterprise Limited; New Plymouth; On-site; NZD 34,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

Bhaghwati Enterprise Limited in New Plymouth, New Zealand, is seeking two dedicated full-time Tandoori/Curry Chefs to join the kitchen team and support growing demand for authentic Indian dishes. The role requires a minimum of 30 hours per week, rostered across six days, including weekends and holidays.

You will prepare ingredients, cook authentic curries, blend spices, and help design the menu while maintaining high standards of hygiene and food quality.

Qualifications

• 3 years of verifiable experience in cookery.
• Creativity and ability to develop new menu items.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle pressure.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook a diverse range of dishes from Curry and Tandoori cuisines.
• Preparation and presentation of selected food items in accordance with menu requirements.
• Make estimations of raw material required and the cost involved for new dishes.
• Determining the serving sizes and quality of meals.
• Planning and preparing menus and help in estimating cost.
• Ordering requests for purchasing with suppliers.
• Talk to suppliers with any quality issues.
• Keep food cost under control.
• Delegating and supervising to Kitchen staff.
• Demonstrate junior staff with new dishes and cooking techniques.
• Train and mentor junior staff.

Skills

Creativity

Time management

Leadership

Flexibility

Pressure handling

Education

Level 4 cookery/hospitality qualification

Job description

Job Description

We are a well-established Indian restaurant in New Plymouth, Taranaki, renowned for serving authentic Indian cuisine to our loyal customers and an ever-growing community of food lovers.

In our busy kitchen, we are looking for someone who is able to soak up the pressure to ensure that we servethe best quality food on time to our customers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Prepare and cook a diverse range of dishes from Curry and Tandoori cuisines.
• Preparation and presentation of selected food items in accordance with menu requirements
• Make estimations of raw material required and the cost involved for new dishes
• Determining the serving sizes and quality of meals
• Planning and preparing menus and help in estimating cost
• Ordering requests for purchasing with suppliers
• Talk to suppliers with any quality issues
• Make sure orders are filled correctly
• Required to check freshness of food & ingredients.
• Maintain and grow recipe file
• Discuss with Restaurant Manager of improvements required for the growth of the business
• To preserve the food and freeze them as required
• Maintain a good working relationship with the staff
• Follow the maintenance. health and safety issues
• Meeting hygiene requirements of the city council
• Keep the food cost under control
• Delegating and supervising to Kitchen staff
• Demonstrate junior staff with new dishes and cooking techniques
• Train and mentor junior staff

Requirements:

• 3 years of experience in any position of cookery
• Creativity and ability to develop new menu items.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle pressure.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Details of the positions:

• Location - New Plymouth Region
• Hours of work - 30.00 hours per week
• Hourly wage rate - $25.00 - $30.00
• Number of positions - 1

Tandoori/Curry Chef

Full-Time | Permanent | Minimum 30 hours per week | $27–$30 per hour

About Us

We are a well-established Indian restaurant in New Plymouth, Taranaki, serving authentic Indian cuisine to a loyal and growing customer base. Due to increasing demand and continued business growth, we are seeking two dedicated full-time Tandoori/Curry Chefs to join our kitchen team.

This is a full-time, permanent position offering a minimum of 30 hours per week, rostered across six days, including weekends, evenings and public holidays. The role requires flexibility, a strong commitment to food quality, and adherence to food hygiene, health and safety standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Preparing Ingredients – Cutting, chopping, marinating, and assembling ingredients such as meats, vegetables, spices, and herbs for curries.
• Cooking Authentic Indian Curries – Preparing a variety of Indian curries, including butter chicken, rogan josh, korma, vindaloo, and dal, using traditional methods.
• Spice Blending – Mixing and roasting spices to create unique curry pastes and masalas.
• Menu Planning – Assisting in designing the menu with a focus on Indian curry dishes.
• Quality Control – Ensuring that food meets taste, presentation, and hygiene standards.
• Portioning and Presentation – Plating dishes attractively while maintaining portion consistency.
• Food Safety & Hygiene – Following health and safety regulations in food storage, handling, and preparation.
• Stock Management – Ordering and managing inventory of ingredients and kitchen supplies.

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 3 years of verifiable relevant experience or
• A relevant Level 4 (or higher) qualification in cookery or hospitality.
• Specialisation in Indian cuisine, particularly Tandoor or Curry preparation, is preferred
• Good communication skills and the ability to follow kitchen systems and processes
• Pre-employment drug and alcohol testing may be required
• Applicants must have the legal right to work in New Zealand