Lead Events Chef - Events Venue (Hunterish Region)
We're working with a premium boutique catering company that's built a serious reputation across Australia for their plated dining experiences. They specialise in private functions, destination weddings, and high-end brand events, focusing heavily on seasonal Australian produce with authentic Italian techniques at the core.
They operate from their own production kitchen in Sydney's Inner West and manage 50+ weddings annually across six exclusive venues. Now they've secured a stunning venue in the hills outside Newcastle, and have an opportunity for someone to lead operations there.
What you'll be doing:
This is hands-on leadership - you'll own event-day operations from start to finish, working directly with the Executive Chef and company founders. That said there is a prep kitchen in Sydney but you will stall have ownership.
You'll be running kitchen brigades for functions usually ranging from 90-120 guests, executing refined shared banquets, and representing the business at some seriously high-end events in the region.
The role involves managing food transport (they provide a refrigerated vehicle), collaborating on seasonal menu development, and maintaining their quality standards across different venue environments. You'll also interact directly with clients, planners, and VIP guests, so strong people skills matter.
Who we're looking for:
Someone with solid Head Chef or Senior Sous experience, ideally from banquets, fine dining, or high-end events. Strong cooking background is essential - traditional and modern approaches, though you won't need fresh pasta skills :).
You need to be organised with logistics, comfortable managing kitchen admin, and able to lead teams in flexible environments. Full Australian driver's licence and valid work rights are non-negotiable. Most importantly, you should be confident executing events solo and passionate about developing your team.
The Owners
The founders are hospitality people themselves, so they actually understand what it's like to work events. They're deliberately building this to reduce chef burnout while maintaining high standards and good pay. As one of their first regional leads outside Sydney, you'll help shape where the business goes next.
Interested? Let's talk.
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