Head Chef

Amore Italian Limited is seeking an experienced and skilled Head Chef to lead its kitchen operations in Christchurch, Canterbury. The successful candidate will be responsible for planning menus, overseeing food preparation and cooking, supervising kitchen staff, maintaining food quality and safety standards, and managing kitchen resources to ensure efficient daily operations. The role requires strong culinary expertise, leadership capabilities, and the ability to maintain consistent standards of food quality, presentation and service.

Key Duties:

Manage and oversee kitchen operations, including planning, organising and supervising food preparation and cooking activities to ensure efficient service and consistent food quality.

Plan, develop and update menus, including Italian dishes and seasonal offerings, taking into account customer preferences, ingredient availability, food costs and the restaurant's style of cuisine.

Prepare and oversee the preparation of dishes, ensuring that ingredients, cooking methods, portion sizes, flavours and presentation meet the restaurant's quality standards.

Manage food purchasing and inventory, including forecasting ingredient requirements, ordering supplies, monitoring stock levels and ensuring appropriate storage to minimise waste and control costs.

Monitor food costs and kitchen expenditure, maintain appropriate portion control, review ingredient usage and implement measures to improve operational efficiency and profitability.

Maintain food safety and hygiene standards, ensuring compliance with applicable New Zealand food safety requirements, safe food handling procedures, temperature controls, allergen management and kitchen sanitation practices.

Inspect food quality before service, ensuring that dishes are prepared correctly, meet established recipes and quality standards, and are presented appropriately before being served to customers.

Organise kitchen schedules and workflow, coordinate preparation activities with service requirements, and ensure that meals are prepared and served within appropriate timeframes during busy periods.

Oversee kitchen equipment and facilities, ensure that work areas and equipment are maintained in a clean, safe and serviceable condition, and arrange maintenance or repairs where necessary.

Contribute to kitchen planning and operational improvements, work with restaurant management to review menus, improve preparation methods, manage resources and maintain customer satisfaction.

Oversee and manage kitchen staff by allocating daily responsibilities, coordinating work schedules and ensuring adequate staffing levels to meet the restaurant’s operational requirements.

Monitor staff performance, provide constructive feedback, address performance issues and ensure kitchen employees consistently follow established work procedures and quality standards.

Ensure compliance with workplace health and safety procedures, promote safe working practices, and maintain a clean, organised and professional kitchen environment.

Monitor kitchen productivity and identify operational inefficiencies, implementing improvements to preparation methods, staff coordination and the use of kitchen resources.

Collaborate with management on budgets, operational plans, and service improvements to support business development and customer satisfaction.

Minimum Hours: 30 hours per week

Hourly Rate: $30.00 - $38.00 per hour.

Requirements for the role:

A minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in a professional kitchen, including experience in a senior or supervisory culinary position.

Availability to work weekends, late evenings, and public holidays.

Physically fit and able to stand for extended periods.

Strong attention to detail and ability to multitask effectively.

Proven ability to supervise kitchen staff and lead a team.

Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment while maintaining food quality standards.

Strong teamwork and communication skills.

* A proactive approach to kitchen operations, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

Pay: $30.00 – $38.00 per hour

Work Location: In person