Sous Chef

Experienced Café Chef – Casual / Part-Time

Location: Bentleigh, Melbourne
Employer: The Merchants Guild

About the role

The Merchants Guild is seeking an experienced, motivated and professional chef to join our high-performing team in Bentleigh.

We are a boutique café known for high-quality modern Australian food, excellent customer service and some of the best coffee in the area. This is an excellent opportunity to work with premium produce in a busy, established Cafe.

We offer stable, long-term employment at a single location, with both full-time and casual opportunities available.

Key responsibilities

• Prepare and present high-quality modern Australian café dishes.
• Manage food preparation and other kitchen activities.
• Work effectively across multiple kitchen sections.
• Maintain consistency, quality and presentation during busy services.
• Assist with developing menus and introducing new culinary creations.
• Ensure each menu offers variety, quality and strong visual presentation.
• Manage time, priorities and workflow in a high-volume kitchen.
• Maintain excellent food safety, hygiene and cleanliness standards.
• Work collaboratively with the kitchen and front-of-house teams.
• Help maintain an organised, professional and positive kitchen environment.

About you

The successful candidate will:

• Have at least three to five years of experience in a professional kitchen.
• Hold relevant cookery qualifications.
• Have experience working in a busy, high-volume café or restaurant.
• Have a strong background in gourmet or modern Australian cuisine.
• Possess excellent knife skills and sound cooking techniques.
• Produce well-designed, visually appealing dishes.
• Remain calm, focused and productive under pressure.
• Demonstrate excellent time-management and organisational skills.
• Be flexible and capable of working across several kitchen sections.
• Adapt quickly to new environments, menus and procedures.
• Be hardworking, reliable, professional and well presented.
• Be available to work a flexible roster, including weekends where required.

What we offer

• A stable, long-term position at one Bentleigh location.
• Full-time and casual employment options.
• The opportunity to work with premium-quality produce.
• A professional and supportive team environment.
• A busy boutique café with a strong local reputation.
• Opportunities to contribute creatively to menu development.

If you are a passionate and experienced chef who takes pride in producing exceptional food, we would love to hear from you.

To apply, please submit your résumé and a brief cover letter outlining your relevant experience and availability.

Pay: $32.00 – $35.00 per hour

Expected hours: 20.0 – 38.0 per week

Benefits:

• Free food

Work Location: In person