Head Chef

Poronui New Zealand; Taupo; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Live on property

Travel allowance for travel > 35 km

Job summary

Poronui New Zealand is seeking an experienced Head Chef who leads a team across five distinctive dining venues, from riverside camping to the luxury Lodge and the Retreat homestead. You will oversee kitchens and create memorable dining experiences for guests and residents.

The role requires at least five years in fine dining leadership, strong people skills, and a passion for seasonal, locally sourced produce.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years’ experience as a chef and running a kitchen at a fine dining level, or similar Lodge and with international and catering experience.
• Natural leadership skills, self-motivated, hard-working and pride in oneself
• Personable, friendly and worldly ( We operate our open kitchens with people at the pass engaging with our chefs)
• A passion about great food & culinary trends
• Commitment to sourcing local and seasonal produce with a sustainable story to share with guests
• Attention to detail when plating and providing meals
• Creative teaching skills and techniques for cooking classes
• Flexibility for change and quickly picking up new techniques and styles with our changing menus through the seasons
• A team player – with a focus on creating and working with the whole team until the job is complete
• Happy to spend Christmas, New Year and Public Holidays with the team and working during the busy period

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchens across five locations, each with its own dining style.
• Prepare meals across riverside camping, luxury Lodge, Retreat homestead, underground wine cellar and outdoor cabana.
• Develop menus, oversee food quality, sourcing and presentation.
• Mentor and train staff, including cooking classes.

Skills

Leadership

Fine dining

Menu planning

Team management

Culinary trends

Local produce sourcing

Job description

Poronui is looking for an experienced, forward-thinking Head Chef who is passionate about culinary arts and hospitality, and who enjoys leading a team.

Our vision is to provide every guest, resident and non-resident, with a unique five-star experience, and to hold the highest standards across every aspect of their stay. You will continuously grow our food repertoire and create a memorable experience for our new and returning guests.

In this role, you will be responsible for the kitchens and for preparing meals across five unique locations, each with its own style of dining, from bespoke riverside camping and the luxury Lodge to the Retreat homestead, our underground wine cellar, and the outdoor cabana. Along with the occasional off-the-grid culinary experience.

The attributes & qualities you will have/need are:

• At least 5 years’ experience as a chef and running a kitchen at a fine dining level, or similar Lodge and, with international and catering experience.
• Natural leadership skills, self-motivated, hard-working and pride in oneself
• Personable, friendly and worldly ( We operate our open kitchens with people at the pass engaging with our chefs)
• A passion about great food & culinary trends
• Commitment to sourcing local and seasonal produce with a sustainable story to share with guests
• Attention to detail when plating and providing meals
• Creative teaching skills and techniques for cooking classes
• Flexibility for change and quickly picking up new techniques and styles with our changing menus through the seasons
• A team player – with a focus on creating and working with the whole team until the job is complete
• Happy to spend Christmas, New Year and Public Holidays with the team and working during the busy period

Our chefs focus on all aspects of food at Poronui from breakfast to dinner, including lunches, canapes, home baking, and preserving. We expect the same level of passion for whatever is produced.

The position is salaried at a minimum of 45 hours per week. Candidates for this position require a current full driver's licence, vehicle, New Zealand residency or a current work visa.

Excellent remuneration based on experience – best suited for a chef wanting to live on property, or a $45.00 per workday travel allowance if required to travel more than 35 kilometres from Poronui.

For any questions, please contact Claire Hall, Lodge Manager– Phone [phone]; ***email_hidden***