Head Chef

Betel Boy  ·  Modern Asian  ·  Daylesford, regional Victoria

Full-time, ongoing   •   A kitchen to make your own   •   Visa sponsorship available

An unexpected gem in the heart of Daylesford. Bold, dark and moody Modern Asian, with the electric energy of an open kitchen. Slide into a booth or cosy up at the bar, vibrant cocktails, plates made to share, and Boy Bar for private dining. Part of the Macora group, 90 minutes from Melbourne.

We’re looking for a Head Chef to take full ownership of the kitchen and the menu and the timing is rare. We’re about to install a brand-new woodfire and charcoal grill, and we want someone who’ll build the next chapter of Betel Boy around it.

This is a genuine Head Chef role: your kitchen, your menu, reporting straight to the owners.

Why this one’s special

•     A new live-fire grill, and free rein to use it. We’re installing a woodfire and charcoal parrilla — an adjustable live-fire grill that runs to 300–500°C, with coals raked beneath and real smoke and char. A blank canvas for grilled meats, seafood and vegetables, however you want to take it.

•     The menu is yours. Full creative freedom to evolve Betel Boy’s Modern Asian food and make it your own. We back chefs with a point of view.

•     An open kitchen. Your cooking is the theatre, you’re on show, and the room is built around the pass.

•     A beautiful room to cook for. Premium fit-out and art, dramatic lighting, and the Boy Bar for private dining and events.

•     Report straight to the owners. No layers between you and the decisions, real autonomy over how the kitchen runs.

•     Two days off together, every week. Dinner-only, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

What you’ll do

•     Own and run Betel Boy’s dinner service on the pass, Thursday to Monday.

•     Design, develop and evolve the menu, building around the new woodfire and charcoal grill as a signature.

•     Master live-fire cooking across meats, seafood and vegetables, and bring the team with you.

•     Cost the menu and manage food cost and gross profit to target.

•     Hire, lead, train and roster the kitchen team; set and hold the standard.

•     Manage ordering, stock and supplier relationships for the kitchen.

•     Uphold food safety, hygiene, allergen management and HACCP standards.

•     Work with us and the bar team on Boy Bar private dining, events and specials.

•     Keep quality and consistency high, in an open kitchen, in full view, every service.

What we’re looking for

Essential

•     Trade-qualified chef (Certificate III/IV in Commercial Cookery or equivalent), or substantial equivalent experience.

•     Experience as a Head Chef, or a strong Sous Chef ready to step up, in a quality, high-volume restaurant.

•     A real feel for live-fire, charcoal or woodfire cooking or genuine hunger to master it.

•     Strong background in Modern Asian or Pan-Asian cuisine, or the skill and adaptability to lead it.

•     Menu development experience. Writing menus, costing dishes, managing GP.

•     Proven kitchen leadership, running a brigade, hiring and training.

•     Current Food Safety Supervisor certificate (or willingness to obtain).

•     Valid right to work in Australia, or eligibility for employer sponsorship.

Desirable

•     Experience in a destination, regional or high-end venue.

•     A point of view about food, and a folio you’re proud of.

•     Familiarity with kitchen systems such as Restoke, Operandio, Deputy or Square.

Visa sponsorship

We’re open to sponsoring the right candidate. Daylesford is a designated regional area, which can be an advantage for skilled visa pathways. If you’d need sponsorship to take this on, tell us in your application and we’ll talk it through, any visa specifics are handled with our registered migration adviser.