08/06/2026
HIRING - Senior Kitchen Lead
The Bale Cafe & Catering
Full Time | Monday–Friday | 5:30am–1:30pm
40 hours per week.
We're looking for an experienced, motivated Senior Kitchen Lead to join our growing cafe and catering business.
This is a hands-on senior kitchen role working directly alongside the owner, helping lead the day-to-day operation of our kitchen while maintaining the high standards, pace, and culture we've built.
Based in an industrial area, our cafe serves a loyal mix of local workers, regular customers, and retirees, alongside a well-established catering business delivering food for events and functions of all sizes.
This role would suit someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys early starts, loves variety, and takes genuine pride in producing quality food efficiently and consistently.
About the Role
Your mornings will begin with preparing our daily cabinet offering, including a variety of sweet and savoury items. We place a strong focus on baking, pastries, and dough-based products, so an interest or background in this area would be highly valued.
Throughout the day you'll work alongside 1-2 others preparing menu items, supporting catering production, maintaining kitchen organisation, and helping ensure service runs smoothly. Training will be provided to get confident across our recipes and products.
While this is not a management position, it is a senior role. You'll be expected to confidently oversee daily kitchen operations in the owner's absence, maintain workflow and standards, and support junior team members to stay productive and organised.
Because this role supports the owner in the day-to-day operation of the kitchen, we are looking for someone who understands the responsibility that comes with being a senior team member. Consistency, communication, and dependability are just as important as cooking ability.
Key Responsibilities:
- Daily preparation of cabinet food, including baked goods, sweet and savoury products.
- Preparation and service of our cafe menu
- Catering production and event preparation
- Supporting and guiding junior kitchen staff during service
- Maintaining kitchen organisation and workflow
- Assisting with stock rotation and food quality control
- Communicating effectively with the owner regarding daily operations
- Supporting front-of-house when required
- Sharing responsibility for cleaning, dishes, and general kitchen maintenance
- Contributing ideas for new products and menu development
What We're Looking For:
We're searching for someone who brings experience, initiative, and a strong work ethic.
You'll ideally have:
- Previous experience in a cafe, bakery, catering kitchen, or similar hospitality environment
- Strong cooking skills and confidence working across multiple kitchen functions efficiently.
- Excellent organisation and time management
- The ability to work quickly and efficiently without compromising quality.
- A calm approach under pressure
- Strong communication skills
- A positive, team-focused attitude
- The ability to take ownership of daily operations when required
- A high level of personal accountability and professionalism
- Reliability and commitment to long-term early morning starts
A background in baking, pastry, dough production, or high-volume food preparation would be a significant advantage.
What Makes This Role Different?
This isn't a repetitive production role where you'll do the same thing every day.
You'll work closely with the owner and team, while also having the opportunity to take responsibility and make an impact within the kitchen.
We are looking for someone seeking a long-term position who values stability, takes pride in being dependable, and enjoys being part of a close-knit team. This role is best suited to an experienced hospitality professional who understands the importance of showing up consistently, communicating well, and taking ownership of their work.
Most importantly, you'll be joining a team that genuinely enjoys working together and takes pride in producing quality food and providing excellent service.
Hours
Monday to Friday
5:30am – 1:30pm
40 hours per week
Occasional Saturday work may be required for catering events
Remuneration
Competitive remuneration available based on experience, reliability, and capability.
Apply
Please send your applications with a CV and Cover Letter to Sam at [email protected]
