CHEF DE PARTIE, MCLAREN VALE HOTEL, MCLAREN VALE, S.A.

CHEF DE PARTIE, MCLAREN VALE HOTEL, MCLAREN VALE, S.A.

$76K

45-hour Salary

The wonderful McLaren Vale Hotel is seeking an experienced Chef De Partie for immediate start.

As part of the Palmer Hospitality Group, the McLaren Vale Hotel sits within an extensive portfolio of hospitality assets, including: The Highway Hotel, 2KW Bar & Restaurant, Warradale Hotel, Morphett Arms Hotel, AGSA_eats, Paloma Bar & Pantry, Arkhé & Clink at Tintara.

Requirements

Ability to work across multiple sections including grill, fryers, larder.
You are a team player with a love for food
Driven by quality and take pride in your work
You are career minded & love the industry
Minimum 1-2 years of experience as a Cook, Chef de Partie or similar role is required
Certificate III/IV in Commercial Cookery or equivalent culinary qualification is required
Roster flexibility but will include nights and weekend work.

For more information on this property please visit www.mclarenvalehotel.com.au

To apply, please forward your current resume, and a cover letter introducing yourself to adrian@cheffingaround.com.au or ring Adrian Grant on 0401 641 918 for more information.

Good luck!

COOK, FINNISS GENERAL STORE, FINNISS, S.A.

COOK, FINNISS GENERAL STORE, FINNISS, S.A.

$40.05 PER HOUR 24/7 (COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT)

The Finniss General Store are expanding their team in the kitchen and looking for an experienced cook to start ASAP.

• HOURS – roughly 30 hours a week, happy to sit down and discuss
• DAYS – 5 days a week, including Saturday and Sunday

Successful applicant will be hard working, reliable, experienced in a commercial kitchen and willing to work as part of a team but capable of working independently when required.

They are open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch, and Friday and Saturday nights for dinner.
Opening times are 8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday through Thursday,
Friday 8:30am – 8pm
Saturday 9am – 8pm
Sunday 9am – 4:30pm

For more information on this property please visit https://finnissgeneralstore.com.au

To apply, please forward your current resume with 3 referees, and a cover letter introducing yourself to adrian@cheffingaround.com.au
or ring Adrian Grant on 0401 641 918 for more information.

Good luck!

CHEF DE PARTIE, AUCHENDARROCH HOUSE/ OAK & IRON TAVERN, MOUNT BARKER, S.A.

CHEF DE PARTIE, AUCHENDARROCH HOUSE/ OAK & IRON TAVERN, MOUNT BARKER, S.A.

Position Type: Full Time

Location: 17 Adelaide Rd, Mount Barker SA 5251, Australia

Website: https://www.auchendarroch.com.au/oak-and-iron

Salary: $76,000 – $85,000

Located within the historic Auchendarroch House, The Oak & Iron Tavern is known for delivering high-quality pub dining and expertly catered functions.

Their kitchen is fast-paced, team-driven, and focused on consistency, flavour, and presentation across every plate.

As a Chef, you’ll take ownership of a specific section of the kitchen, supporting daily service and prep, ensuring smooth operations, and maintaining high culinary standards.

The typical job responsibilities will include, but are not limited to the following:

· Plan, coordinate, and execute daily kitchen operations, ensuring timely, high-quality meal service in the Tavern Bistro and for all events.

· Prepare, cook, and present a variety of dishes in line with established recipes, dietary requirements, and presentation standards.

· Monitor and maintain food quality, consistency, flavor, and visual appeal across all service periods.

· Actively contribute to ongoing menu development and updates, incorporating seasonal trends, promotional items, and customer preferences.

· Take a lead role in the kitchen during peak periods and assume full responsibility in the absence of the Head Chef and Sous Chef.

· Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene, and WHS regulations, and report equipment maintenance or safety issues promptly.

· Supervise, mentor, and train BOH team members, including induction of new staff, ongoing performance management, and skill development planning.

· Collaborate closely with FOH teams to ensure smooth, coordinated service and a positive customer experience.

· Plan and prepare for special events, including food prep, equipment setup, and location inspections to ensure smooth execution.

· Maintain accurate records of stock, inventory, supplier orders, and waste; manage ordering to reduce costs and minimize wastage.

· Assist with labor cost control, portioning, menu costing, and general kitchen profitability planning.

· Demonstrate leadership by setting the standard in kitchen operations, teamwork, and workplace culture.

Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for the role:

· Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery/Kitchen Management qualification recognized in Australia.

· Minimum 1 year of experience in a busy, fast-paced professional kitchen, with proven ability to execute a wide range of menu items to a high standard.

· Strong understanding of food hygiene practices, HACCP compliance, and workplace health and safety standards.

· Demonstrated ability to supervise, mentor, and motivate kitchen staff to maintain team productivity, morale, and consistent performance.

· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across both kitchen and front-of-house teams.

· Creative flair for menu development, adapting to seasonal ingredients and customer preferences.

· Strong time management, organizational skills, and the ability to work efficiently under pressure during peak periods.

· Professional conduct, reliability, and a positive attitude, including punctuality, respect for colleagues and guests, and the ability to take direction and feedback constructively.

· High standards of work output, with a focus on quality, consistency, and attention to detail in a high-volume environment.

To apply, please forward your current resume, and a cover letter introducing yourself to adrian@cheffingaround.com.au or ring Adrian Grant on 0401 641 918 for more information.

Good luck!

HEAD CHEF, ESILIO WINES, ULEYBURY, S.A.

HEAD CHEF, ESILIO WINES, ULEYBURY, S.A.

$80K- $85K

Esilio wines on the lookout for a dedicated Head Chef to join their small team on a full-time basis (40 hours per week).
This role is ideal for someone who thrives working independently, takes pride in their food, and is confident running all aspects of a kitchen. They operate both a wood oven pizza service and a basic à la carte menu, so the right candidate will be comfortable leading across both styles.

Full-time, 40 hours per week

Wednesday to Sunday roster

Includes Friday nights during the summer season

Occasional Saturday evenings for private functions.

Manage all kitchen operations day-to-day

Menu development and seasonal updates

Ordering and stock management

Liaise directly with directors to deliver food and service goals

About You:

Experienced chef confident in taking charge of a kitchen

Comfortable working autonomously in a small team environment

Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

Hands-on approach — happy to roll up your sleeves and get the job done

Excellent communicator who can liaise with management and front of house

Passionate about seasonal produce and delivering quality dining experiences

What’s on Offer:

A supportive, close-knit workplace

The opportunity to have creative input into menus

Autonomy and ownership of the kitchen

Consistent hours and a clear work-life balance with two set days off

For more information on this property please visit www.esiliowines.com

To apply, please forward your current resume with 3 referees, and a cover letter introducing yourself to adrian@cheffingaround.com.au
or ring Adrian Grant on 0401 641 918 for more information.

Good luck!

2026 PRICE RISE

1st of March 2026, our hourly price will increase to $67.20 per hour with our Chefs registered for GST charging $73.92 per hour all days, including Sundays and public holidays.

Cheffing Around, Australia's premier chef employment agency

TEMPORARY CHEFS, ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

TEMPORARY CHEFS, ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Cheffing Around PTY LTD. are looking for qualified Chefs who have been a Head Chef with at least 10 years’ post apprenticeship experience, and more importantly, a genuine, punctual, sober and friendly human being!

Our chefs work as a subcontractor, so payment is made directly to you from your client within 7 working days at $52.10 per hour.

We work right across South Australia, so be prepared to travel and work in some of South Australia’s most beautiful locations with free accommodation and meals supplied.

This job is not for the faint hearted as we value our clients highly, as we have over 485 active clients, and we have made our name by hard work, word of mouth and client satisfaction.

Cheffing Around has been operating successfully for over 18 years, owned and operated by actual Chefs, and we are a LICENSED employment agent with SAFEWORKSA.

If you are looking for a more flexible and exciting workstyle with plenty of travel, then this may be the job for you!

To apply, please forward your resume to adrian@cheffingaround.com.au or ring Adrian Grant on 0401 641 918 for more information!

Good luck!

RECRUITMENT TIPS

Restaurants, pubs and hotels face many challenges when it comes to staff recruitment and this has only been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Here are some excellent tips on how to recruit employees for your kitchens:

Don’t advertise with multiply recruitment agencies and every social media platform.

Advertise with 1 reputable licensed recruitment agency and 1 social media platform.

Chefs looking for work see your advert everywhere and wonder why no-one else wants the job and they usually avoid applying.

Reduce High Employee Turnover

Many restaurants struggle with high turnover, and it is important to take steps to improve staff retention from the very start of the recruitment process.
Ensure that you only employ staff with a solid history of longevity in their previous employment or reach out to a recruitment agency to help with this process.
In some areas, the high turnover can be seasonal when restaurants recruit workers for the prime seasons.

Identify “Unique Selling Points” To Attract The Best Staff

When considering how to recruit restaurant staff, identify and promote the USPs of your business.
It could be anything from offering higher rates of pay, free meals, childcare provisions, reward schemes
for high-performance employees or any other scheme that sets your business apart from your competitors.
Also, consider the image of your restaurant you want to present, so employees can get a true picture of the business.

Get Support With Recruitment

In a post-pandemic world, restaurants are likely to be overwhelmed with applications or none at all.
A trusted restaurant recruitment agency can help to ensure that you have access to only the best talent when recruiting for restaurants and will give you support when processing the applications.
This can take the stress out of the hiring process and ensure you do not waste time and resources on unsuitable candidates.

Be Realistic

Give a candid overview to both applicants and the recruitment agency about what to expect from the job roles.
Be honest and open about working hours, remuneration, benefits and responsibilities.
This will encourage the most suitable candidates to apply and ultimately reduce turnover.

Consider Training Opportunities

If you are offering training to new employees, be clear about the levels of training being provided.
If you have lower resources or are less inclined to provide a high level of training,
make sure this is explained to the more experienced candidates at the beginning of the recruitment process.
Remember, the amount of training you wish to provide to new employees will be the determining factor in the level of experience that you require.

Apprentice Chefs

There’s hardly any good chefs available at the moment because chef apprenticeships have been neglected for the last 15 years. If you haven’t placed any apprentices in your restaurant in the last 10 years, don’t complain because your part of the problem.
Sorry but its true, so another route to fill your vacancies is to start advertising for chef apprentices and really nurturing them through the 4 years because its tough and now more than ever, you need to look after these apprentices like they are part of your family not a commodity that gets thrown away when times are tough!

Please call Adrian on 0401641918 or email adrian@cheffingaround.com.au for help with staff recruitment.

Orange Mud Cake

ORANGE MUD CAKE (40 PAX)

Cakes for special occasions can be quite expensive.Looking for a cake recipe to make for a special occasion for approximately 40 people?
This recipe is perfect for such occasion. you can change the citrus to your preferred flavor. IE Lemon, Lime, Combination.

18 flat teaspoons of grated orange rind
875gm unsalted butter
450 gm of white chocolate
5 cups of caster sugar
3 tsp of vanilla essence
2 tsp of natural orange essence
3.75 cups of milk
7 large eggs
5 cups of plain flour
1.75 cups of self raising flour

WHITE CHOCOLATE ICING

900gms of white chocolate
10 flat teaspoons of orange rind
1 tsp of natural orange essence
1.5 cups of sour cream

2 cups of toasted threaded coconut for sides.
1 cup of triple sec liquor.
Decorations IE, Ribbon, Flowers,Candles,Cake board ETC

Baking/Roasting/cake dish 29cm x 38cm

METHOD:

1.Preheat oven to 160C or 140C if using a fan forced oven.
2.Grease dish and line base and sides with 2 layers of baking paper
3.Combine orange zest,butter,chocolate,sugar,vanilla/orange essences and milk in a saucepan over low heat.Stir until smooth and transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
4.Beat eggs together until smooth and add to mixture and mix well.
5.Add sifted plain flour and self raising flour and stir to combine well and then pour into prepared cake dish.
6.Bake for 2 hours or until a skewer comes out clean.
7.Stand in cake for as long as possible before decoration.

8.To make ganache,place chocolate, orange rind and sour cream in a heatproof bowl over simmering water and gentle stir for 5 minutes until smooth.Remove from heat.
9. Refrigerate for 30 minutes of thick enough to spread over cake.
10. Cut cake length ways carefully into 3 equal slabs,Use a piece of grease-proof paper to slide between layers to remove and reset.
11. Soak cake layers with even liberal splashes of Triple sec liquor to add moisture.
12.Spread ganache to approx 5mm layer, and lay next layer of cake on the ganache and repeat layer of ganache to 5 mm thick.
13. Place top layer of cake of that layer of ganache and spread ganache on top and sides evenly making sure you use a hot palette knife to smooth the top icing nice and smooth with no ripples.
14.Gently push cold toasted threaded coconut into icing on sides making sure there is no gaps.Refrigerate.
Will keep for up to 3 days but for best results, serve within 24 hours of decorating.

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