Head Chef/ Senior Chef

Silky Otter Cinemas; Papakura; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Silky Otter Cinemas in Ponsonby Central, Auckland, is seeking a Head Chef to lead the kitchen for our cinema, restaurant, and events. You will oversee food prep, production, admin and staff training, ensuring HACCP and NZ food safety standards, and delivering five-star service.

With a minimum of 3 years in kitchens, you will manage sourcing from local suppliers, control stock, and work evenings and weekends to meet guest expectations for in-cinema dining and glamorous events, including private

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of kitchen experience.
• NZ citizen or resident required.
• Ability to work nights and weekends.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Proven HACCP experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage all kitchen activities from prep to staff training.
• Maintain high standards of food hygiene and safety.
• Oversee kitchen operation for in-cinema dining and events.
• Coordinate with front-of-house and suppliers; minimize waste.
• Lead, train and develop kitchen staff.

Skills

Leadership

Food safety

HACCP

Staff training

Stock management

Communication

Job description

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Silky Otter Cinemas – Takanini, North Island

Silky Otter Cinema – Engineered to Entertain

Looking to be part of a new Hospitality operation, showcasing the very best of NZ produce and its unique flavours?

We are looking to deliver a high-quality product that aligns with our world-class cinema experience. Our service and presentation standards will rival some of the best in the business. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of something new and fresh located in Palmerston North.

About Us:

Silky Otter is a New Zealand owned cinema chain with six locations; Takanini and Orakei in Auckland, Wigram in Christchurch & Richmond in Nelson, Palmerston North and our flagship cinema and restaurant in Ponsonby Central.

Far from your average movie theatre, Silky Otter is designed to change the way you enjoy movies. Focused on providing a fully immersive cinema experience from the moment tickets are booked through to when the film is finished. Most importantly, we pride ourselves on being both the friendly local cinema, and the buzzing hive for all things latest in big screen content. We are looking to deliver a high-quality product that aligns with our world-class cinema experience. Our service and presentation standards will rival some of the best in the business.

With a reputation for delivering five-star service from throughout New Zealand, we are looking for an innovative and creative Head Chef keen to celebrate the very best. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of something new and fresh located within Ponsonby Central.

The Position

You will be responsible for managing all activities in the kitchen from food preparation and production to administration and staff training. You will be required to maintain excellent standards of food hygiene, cleaning and food handling which meet current standards of legislation and compliance.

We are looking for someone to make their mark on ensuring guests have the ultimate experience.

The position is for full-time employment with a guaranteed minimum of 40 hours per week.

You will oversee and direct all aspects of the kitchen operation for the smooth running of the restaurant, in-cinema dining and events; whether it be a five-person cinema hire or a glamorous event dinner for 200 people.

We are looking for someone to make their mark on ensuring guests have the ultimate experience.

Who you are:

Passionate about food & hospitality, dedicated to using your creative flair and vision to showcase this to our guests

Keen to lead from the top: you will always hold food safety, flavours, presentation, and delivery to the highest of standards

Ability to work well under pressure, independently and as part of a team

Ability to work on nights and the weekends

Committed to ongoing review and improvement, and ensure the relationship with front-of-house staff is of a high standard at all times

Manages the kitchen within specified targets and KPIs and ensures orderingand stock control is effective, whilst achieving minimal wastage where possible.

Ensures food prep areas and equipment are clean and maintains a functional and hygienic kitchen with appropriate paperwork filled out punctually

Experience maintaining local supplier relationships, ordering and stock management

Proven experience with HACCP and FCP.

Ability to follow instructions, processes and procedures.

Create a fun, safe and supportive work environment in the kitchen

Good organizational ability

Excellent understanding of NZ Food Safety and Hygiene,

Excellent understanding of NZ Health and Safety,

Good interpersonal and communication skills

A minimum of 3 years prior experience in kitchens is required.

We are looking for a New Zealand citizen or resident only.You must state in your CV that you are a New Zealand citizen or resident.

If this sounds like you and you are searching for a long-term career path with future opportunities ahead, we want to hear from you.