About This Role
Leading the kitchen, building the team, and shaping the menu are the core responsibilities of this Head Chef role at a landmark hotel on the Bellarine Peninsula. The position suits an experienced chef ready to take ownership of the kitchen and work directly with the Executive General Manager to elevate the hotel's dining experience.
Responsibilities
- Lead, recruit, and develop the kitchen team, building a culture people want to be part of
- Create menus that make the most of Bellarine produce and work across dining, functions, and accommodation guests
- Develop a summer menu balancing affordable pub classics with Portarlington mussels, quality local seafood, and a smaller selection of more refined dishes showcasing the Bellarine
- Set the standards and systems for prep, ordering, stock control, food safety, and hygiene
- Own the numbers: food cost and gross margins, wastage, rostering, and labour
- Work closely with Front of House management on large bookings, walk-ins, peak periods, and accurate order entry, ensuring the kitchen is prepared for every service
Requirements
- Experience as a Head Chef, or a senior Sous Chef ready to step up, ideally in high-volume hotel, pub, or functions kitchens
- A track record of building teams and lifting standards
- Menu development and food costing experience, and comfort owning a budget
- Strong food safety knowledge, including a Food Safety Supervisor certificate or willingness to get one
- Calm, organised, and hands-on when it's busy
Benefits
- $10,000 performance bonus after successful completion of the 6-month probation period, linked to KPIs including service delivery, COGS, and labour cost ratio
- Your own team to build, and genuine influence over our food direction
- A direct line to the EGM, so decisions get made quickly
- Staff meals, parking
- Coastal living on the Bellarine, around 30 minutes from Geelong
- Open to discussing relocation assistance for the right candidate
Important Details
- Schedule: 5 days on a rotating roster across days, nights, and weekends
- Start date: as soon as possible, ready to lead the kitchen into summer
Application Process
- Apply with your CV and a short note about a kitchen you've built or turned around
About the Company
The Portarlington Grand Hotel is a landmark on the Bellarine Peninsula, offering bistro and atrium dining, functions, and accommodation just back from the bay. Under new management, the company is investing in its kitchen.
