Kitchen chef/Manager

We're looking for a passionate and experienced Kitchen Chef/Manager to lead operations at Kapiti.

You'll oversee the preparation, cooking, packing, and dispatch of meals, ensuring compliance with food safety and health standards while leading a dedicated team to deliver excellence every day.

Your responsibilities: • Manage daily food production, packing, and dispatch operations in line with the Food Control Plan. • Ensure adequate staffing and training across kitchen, stores, and dispatch teams. • Oversee stock ordering, storage, and rotation, including regular stocktakes. • Supervise kitchen staff or Volunteers during service. • Make sure meals are served on time and on a high standard. • Maintain high standards of hygiene, safety, and allergen management across all areas. • Coach and mentor team members, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.

Communicate with club members and front-of-house for smooth service.

Experienced in cafe or commercial style cooking.

Reliable – Shows up on time and follows through with responsibilities.

Organised – Can manage kitchen flow, prep, and stock without stress.

Calm Under Pressure – Stays cool during busy dinner service or when short-staffed.

Team Player – Works well with staff, volunteers, and club members.

Good Communicator – Clearly communicates with kitchen and front-of-house.

Clean and Tidy – Keeps the kitchen hygienic and orderly at all times.

Creative – Comes up with simple but appealing meal and snack ideas.

Customer-Focused – Cares about the quality of food and member satisfaction.

Flexible – Able to adapt to changing club events, numbers, or menu needs.

Leadership Skills – Can confidently lead a small kitchen team or work solo when needed.