Hello Bendigo... We're Hiring
Are you a culinary leader who believes that great food can change lives?
WISE Employment is a successful not-for-profit organisation committed to providing quality employment, training, and allied health services to disadvantaged members of our community. Within our Social Enterprises division, Peppergreen Farm (PGF) stands as a unique regional destination and a successful business providing employment for people with disabilities.
We are seeking a visionary Head Chef to lead the Peppergreen Farm Café kitchen. This is a specialist leadership position focused on culinary architecture—elevating food quality, building replicable systems, and mentoring a diverse team to position our café as a regional culinary centrepiece.
This is a full-time, Monday to Friday role, with occasional weekend-days during events.
The Role: Your Culinary Impact
As Head Chef, you will design and deliver a cohesive culinary strategy that unifies our café, events, catering, and NDIS meals program.
Key Responsibilities:
* Culinary Leadership: Design a unified framework using PGF-grown produce as a foundational ingredient strategy.
* Menu Engineering: Create batch-production systems and recipe documentation that ensure consistency, reduce waste, and improve profitability.
* Kitchen Operations: Lead service during peak periods, oversee food costing, manage supplier negotiations, and maintain rigorous safety standards.
* Program Stewardship: Build scalable workflows for our NDIS meals program and event packages, ensuring nutritional integrity and cost control.
* Inclusive Mentorship: Partner with supervisors to ensure the kitchen is a safe, structured, and empowering environment for supported employees with diverse learning styles.
Perks of Joining WISE
We value our people and offer a range of benefits to support your professional and personal wellbeing:
* Competitive Salary + Tax Savings: Access Not-for-Profit Salary Packaging to increase your take-home pay.
* Wellness Days: 4 extra days off per year (one every quarter) to recharge.
* Work-Life Balance: Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave.
* Tech-Ready: iPhone and laptop provided.
* Exclusive Discounts: Access leading retail discounts through Flare.
* Health & Lifestyle: Participation in various health and lifestyle initiatives including "Fitness Passport".
What You'll Need to Succeed
To be considered for this role, you must bring a mix of technical mastery and the WISE Attributes: Customer Centricity, Curiosity, Resilience, Adaptability, Creativity, and a Growth Mindset.
Requirements:
* Experience: Minimum 5 years as a Head Chef, Sous Chef, or Executive Chef.
* Technical Skill: Demonstrated capability in menu engineering, food costing, and designing scalable food programs.
* Working Rights: Full Australian working rights and a full Australian driver's license.
* Compliance: Willingness to pass a National Police Check, Working with Children Check, NDIS Worker Screening, and a pre-employment assessment.
Ready to Make a Meaningful Contribution?
By joining Peppergreen Farm, you aren't just running a kitchen—you are creating a "game-changing" experience for our customers and providing life-changing opportunities for our team.
Apply Now
Our Commitment to Diversity
WISE is recognised by the Diversity Council Australia as an"Inclusive Employer 2024/2025". We actively encourage and welcome candidates from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, candidates with a disability, members of the LGBTIQA+ community and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates.