The Kitchen at Bec Hardy is entering an exciting new chapter with a more relaxed, wine-led experience focused on grazing plates and seasonal dishes designed for sharing. We’re looking for a Kitchen Lead to take ownership of day-to-day food operations in our small, well-equipped kitchen.

This is a hands-on, solo or small-team role that’s perfect for a confident, capable cook who enjoys consistency, quality, and working in a calm, professional environment. You don’t need fine-dining experience, just great food instincts, good habits, and pride in plating food that complements our award-winning McLaren Vale wines.

This role would suit an experienced cook looking for a leadership position, or a qualified chef seeking their first kitchen leadership role within a growing winery hospitality business.

Key Responsibilities:

- Prepare and plate a consistent menu of seasonal dishes

- Manage kitchen prep, service, and pack-down each day

- Maintain excellent food safety and hygiene standards

- Provide accurate food costings for menu items to ensure profitability and alignment with agreed targets.

- Ensure accurate portion control, stock rotation and waste minimisation

- Assist with ordering and inventory management

- Work collaboratively with the front-of-house team to ensure smooth service

- Contribute ideas and assist with seasonal menu development within agreed business, brand, operational and budget parameters

- Responsibly manage kitchen operations within approved food and labour budgets

Skills & Experience:

- Proven experience in a similar cook or kitchen leadership role (café, pub, winery, restaurant etc.)

- Comfortable running a kitchen solo or with minimal support

- Excellent organisational skills and a calm, focused approach

- Strong understanding of food costing, stock control and efficient kitchen operations





- Commercially minded with an understanding of labour efficiency and profitability

- A genuine interest in wine and food pairing

- Food Safety Certificate

- Reliable, proactive and easy to work with

What We Offer:

- Predominantly daytime hours with no regular evening service

- Occasional evenings for special events.

- Consistent hours across a minimum 38-hour working week

- Generous monthly wine allowance.

- A scenic, supportive workplace in the heart of McLaren Vale wine country

- A focus on straightforward, high-quality food designed to complement wine rather than compete with it

- A family-owned, award-winning wine business with growth opportunities

A Few Important Things About This Role

The Kitchen at Bec Hardy operates within an owner-led food and wine strategy.

Creative input is encouraged and seasonal menu development is part of the role. However, menu direction, menu structure, pricing strategy, labour budgets and broader operational decisions remain the responsibility of business ownership.

This is a salaried leadership position requiring a minimum commitment of 38 hours per week. Those hours include food preparation, service, ordering, stock management, menu development, cleaning and general kitchen administration.

The successful candidate will understand that hospitality involves periods of higher and lower demand and will be expected to manage workload accordingly.

Additional labour, roster changes, overtime or engagement of additional staff must be approved by management prior to commitment.

Success in this role will come from balancing food quality, customer experience, operational efficiency and commercial outcomes.

We’re looking to fill the position in the coming weeks. If you’re ready for a fresh start in a calm, professional winery kitchen, we’d love to hear from you.

📌 Kitchen Lead (Cook or Chef) (Adelaide)
🏢 Bec Hardy Wines
📍 Adelaide