Head Chef

Position: Head Chef (2 vacancies)

Type: Full-time

Employer: VRMH Spice Co Foods Pty Ltd

Location: Campbelltown SA 5074

Salary: $80,000 per annum plus superannuation

About the Business:

VRMH Spice Co Foods Pty Ltd, trading as Bikanervala Adelaide, is bringing one of India's most iconic vegetarian restaurant brands to Australia with its first local restaurant at 618 Lower North East Road, Campbelltown. Founded in 1905, Bikanervala is renowned for authentic North and South Indian cuisine, traditional sweets, namkeen, street-food chaats, thalis and Indo-Chinese dishes prepared to time-honoured recipes. The Campbelltown venue is the starting point of the brand's Australian expansion and is designed as a welcoming, high-volume family restaurant that combines Indian hospitality with local service standards. The business values consistency of flavour, food safety, teamwork and a professional kitchen culture that supports both experienced chefs and developing staff.

About the Position:

The restaurant operates across two daily shifts and is recruiting two Head Chefs, one for each shift. Each Head Chef leads, coordinates and supervises kitchen operations during their allocated shift, ensuring authentic vegetarian Indian dishes, sweets and snacks are prepared, presented and served to brand standard. The role directs menu execution, quality control, food cost, hygiene and kitchen team performance during that shift so the restaurant delivers a consistent guest experience throughout busy service periods. As a senior culinary leader, each Head Chef is central to opening readiness, daily production and the ongoing reputation of Australia's first Bikanervala restaurant.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead, coordinate and supervise all kitchen operations during the allocated shift

Plan, organise and supervise the preparation and cooking of authentic vegetarian Indian menu items, including curries, thalis, South Indian items, Indo-Chinese dishes, chaats, sweets and snacks

Maintain consistent flavour, portioning, presentation and brand standards throughout the shift

Estimate food and labour costs, control wastage and order supplies in line with restaurant demand

Monitor quality at every stage of preparation and plating, and correct issues immediately

Enforce food safety, hygiene and workplace health and safety requirements throughout the kitchen

Lead, roster, train and supervise the kitchen staff on shift, including cooks and kitchenhands

Demonstrate cooking techniques and advise the team on authentic methods, timing and finishing

Hand over production status, stock levels and outstanding tasks to the incoming Head Chef at the end of the shift

Coordinate with front-of-house and management on service flow, specials, dietary requests and high-volume periods

Contribute to menu planning, seasonal adjustments and operational improvements as the restaurant grows

Requirements:

Australian citizens and permanent residents are encouraged to apply.

Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery or Certificate IV in Asian Cookery (or equivalent).

Minimum two years' relevant full-time experience (or equivalent part-time experience) as a Chef in a commercial Indian vegetarian restaurant environment, including demonstrated experience in kitchen coordination and/or supervision.

Strong practical experience in Indian vegetarian cookery, including spice blending and the preparation of dishes to consistent recipe standards, with experience in one or more areas such as tandoor and grill work, sweets, chaat, North Indian, South Indian or Indo-Chinese cookery.

Demonstrated experience in a high-volume commercial kitchen, maintaining quality and food-safety standards under pressure.

Previous experience with Bikanervala, including familiarity with Bikanervala recipes, preparation methods, SOPs and brand quality standards, will be highly regarded but is not essential.

Excellent leadership, communication, time-management and food-safety skills, and availability to work the allocated shift, including evenings, weekends and public holidays.

How to Apply:

To apply, applicants must submit their resume with a valid email address through this online portal. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.