Chef - Selwyn Village, Auckland

• Rostered shifts across Monday to Sunday – 40 hours per week

Cater Plus is proud to be the Food Service Provider for Selwyn Village, located in Point Chevalier, Auckland and owned by The Selwyn Village ltd.

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Chef to lead our kitchen team and oversee food service operations across this prestigious aged care village. This is an exciting opportunity for a chef who is committed to culinary excellence, team development, and delivering an outstanding dining experience for residents and visitors. This is a key role responsible for setting the culinary standard across the kitchen, leading and developing the kitchen team, and ensuring our residents consistently receive meals that are nutritious, beautifully presented, full of flavour, and prepared with genuine care.

As Chef, you will take ownership of the day-to-day kitchen operation, including food production, team leadership, menu execution, food and labour cost management, food safety, dietary requirements, stock control, and kitchen standards. You will work closely with the Catering Service Manager and wider operational team to deliver an exceptional food service experience for our residents, families, visitors, and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Kitchen Leadership & Food Quality
• Lead and take ownership of the day-to-day kitchen operation, ensuring a professional, organised, and high-performing kitchen.
• Lead by example and provide clear direction to chefs and kitchen team members across all services.
• Oversee food preparation, production, cooking, and presentation to ensure consistently high standards.
• Cover Chefs on their Day offs or any sickness absence.
• Ensure meals meet agreed recipes, portion sizes, presentation, nutritional requirements, and quality expectations.
• Maintain strong culinary standards with a focus on flavour, freshness, variety, and resident satisfaction.
• Ensure smooth and efficient kitchen operations across breakfast, lunch, dinner, and other required services.
• Support and oversee catering for village functions, resident events, special occasions, and seasonal celebrations.

People Leadership & Development
• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop the kitchen team to consistently achieve required standards.
• Create a positive kitchen culture built around teamwork, accountability, respect, and pride in the food we serve.
• Allocate duties effectively and ensure the kitchen is appropriately organised for each service.
• Support the onboarding, training, and ongoing development of kitchen employees.
• Identify and address performance or capability issues promptly and professionally.
• Build a strong team that can consistently deliver high-quality service in a busy environment.

Resident Dietary & Special Requirements
• Ensure all resident dietary requirements are accurately understood and consistently delivered.
• Oversee allergen management, texture-modified meals, special diets, cultural requirements, and individual resident needs.
• Ensure appropriate processes are followed to minimise dietary and allergen risks.
• Work collaboratively with relevant village and operational stakeholders regarding changing resident requirements.
• Maintain a resident-focused approach and respond constructively to feedback regarding meals and dining experiences.

Food Safety, Compliance & Kitchen Standards
• Take ownership of food safety standards within the kitchen and ensure full compliance with the Food Control Plan and company requirements.
• Ensure all required food safety records, temperature checks, cooling records, cleaning schedules, and other documentation are completed accurately and on time.
• Maintain excellent standards of kitchen cleanliness, hygiene, storage, and organisation.
• Ensure kitchen equipment is operated correctly, maintained appropriately, and faults are reported promptly.
• Conduct regular checks to ensure standards are maintained throughout all shifts, not just during peak service periods.
• Promote a strong health and safety culture and ensure safe working practices are consistently followed.

Commercial & Operational Management
• Manage food costs, ordering, stock levels, portion control, and wastage within agreed targets.
• Support effective labour management and ensure kitchen resources are used efficiently.
• Monitor purchasing and stock rotation to minimise waste while maintaining food quality and availability.
• Assist with menu planning and implementation, considering resident preferences, seasonality, dietary needs, operational requirements, and budget.
• Identify opportunities to improve kitchen efficiency, food quality, service delivery, and cost performance.

Relationships & Resident Experience
• Build positive and respectful relationships with residents, families, village employees, clients, and other stakeholders.
• Be visible and approachable and actively seek feedback on food quality and the dining experience.
• Work closely with the Site Manager and wider Cater Plus team to continuously improve the service.
• Demonstrate genuine pride and passion in creating enjoyable dining experiences for residents.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have:
• Proven experience as a Head Chef, Senior Chef, Sous Chef, or Kitchen Manager in a high-volume commercial kitchen.
• A recognised cookery qualification.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Experience managing food and labour costs and kitchen budgets.
• Excellent knowledge of food safety and hygiene requirements.
• Experience catering for special dietary requirements and large-scale meal services.
• Strong organisational and planning skills.
• A genuine passion for food and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
• The ability to remain calm under pressure and effectively manage competing priorities.
• A collaborative and supportive leadership style.

Who we are:
Cater Plus is one of New Zealand’s leading catering companies with over 800 team members nationwide. We’re known for great food, great service, and creating workplaces where people feel supported, valued, and proud of what they do.

How to apply:
You must be legally entitled to work in New Zealand (NZ citizen, resident, or valid work visa). Please include your current visa status and expiry date (if applicable) with your application.

Applications are reviewed as they come in, so don’t miss out. Apply now with your CV and a brief cover letter telling us why you’d be great for the role.