Chef Full Time NEW

Position: Chef

Position Type: Full-Time

Salary: $79,000 to $80,000 plus superannuation per annum

Location: Cremorne VIC 3121

Our client Crust Pizza Richmond is seeking an experienced Chef to join their team in Cremorne, Victoria.

The Chef is the senior kitchen appointment and carries responsibility for the entire back-of-house operation, including food quality, kitchen productivity, food cost control, staff supervision and food safety compliance.

The Chef is responsible for leading and managing all aspects of food production at the venue. The role plans and develops the menu within the framework of the business, controls food and labour costs, supervises and trains kitchen staff, maintains consistent quality and presentation standards across all dishes, and ensures the kitchen operates in full compliance with the Food Act 1984 (Vic), the Food Standards Code and the business’s Food Safety Program.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Menu planning and development

• Plan, develop and cost the venue menu, including seasonal specials, promotional items, catering menus and dietary-specific offerings (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options), within the requirements of the franchise system.
• Develop, test and standardise recipes, dough formulations, sauce bases, marinades and topping combinations, and document standard recipe cards and portion specifications for use by kitchen staff.
• Review menu performance against sales data and customer feedback, and recommend additions, deletions and price adjustments to the Director.

Food and labour cost control

• Estimate food and labour costs for the kitchen, set and monitor portion sizes and yields, and manage gross profit margins against budget.
• Order food supplies and consumables, liaise and negotiate with suppliers, verify deliveries against invoices, and manage supplier relationships and pricing.
• Conduct regular stocktakes, monitor stock rotation and manage wastage, spoilage and over-production.
• Prepare kitchen rosters against forecast trade, and manage kitchen labour hours within budgeted parameters.

Food preparation, quality and presentation

• Prepare and cook food to the required standard, including dough production and proving, sauce and marinade preparation, protein and vegetable preparation, stone-oven cooking and finishing.
• Monitor the quality of dishes at all stages of preparation, cooking, plating and presentation, and ensure consistency of taste, portioning and appearance across all service periods.
• Control kitchen flow and ticket times during service, and coordinate the timing and dispatch of dine-in, takeaway and delivery orders.
• Investigate and resolve customer complaints and quality issues relating to food, and implement corrective measures.

Supervision, training and coordination

• Supervise, direct and coordinate the work of cooks, kitchen hands and food preparation staff across all shifts, and allocate section responsibilities.
• Select, induct and train kitchen staff in preparation methods, cooking procedures, portion control, presentation standards, safe food handling and equipment use.
• Demonstrate techniques and advise staff on cooking procedures, and monitor and appraise staff performance, providing coaching and feedback.
• Discuss food preparation issues, menu changes, dietary and allergen requirements and service issues with the Director and with kitchen and front-of-house staff.

Hygiene, food safety and compliance

• Explain and enforce hygiene and food safety regulations within the kitchen, and ensure staff compliance with the venue’s Food Safety Program.
• Maintain temperature, cleaning, allergen and food-handling records, and manage cool room and freezer storage, labelling and stock rotation.
• Oversee the freezing, chilling and preserving of foods where required, and ensure correct thawing and holding procedures.
• Maintain the cleanliness and serviceable condition of kitchen equipment and work areas, arrange servicing and repairs, and ensure compliance with occupational health and safety obligations.
• Prepare the kitchen for, and participate in, local council and franchise audits and inspections.

Requirements:

• An AQF Diploma or Certificate IV level qualification in Commercial Cookery or Hospitality, or an equivalent overseas qualification
• A minimum of 12 months experience in commercial kitchens, including demonstrated experience in a senior or supervisory kitchen role.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and cost menus, develop recipes, and control food and labour costs against budget.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, rostering and training kitchen staff in a high-volume environment.
• Practical knowledge of dough production, stone-oven cooking and high-volume pizza and pasta production.
• Sound working knowledge of Australian food safety and hygiene requirements, including HACCP principles, allergen management and the Food Standards Code.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure during peak service, and availability to work a rotating roster including evenings, weekends and public holidays.
• Competent English language communication skills sufficient to direct staff, manage suppliers and maintain compliance records.

Desirable

• Food Safety Supervisor certification recognised in Victoria.
• Experience in a franchised or multi-site quick-service or casual dining environment.
• Experience with point-of-sale, inventory and rostering systems.
• Experience in catering and bulk-order production.