Great food. Great people. Great opportunity.

The Oriental Hotel Tumut (The Ori) is more than your typical country pub.

We're a proudly pokie-free, community-focused venue with a reputation built on great hospitality, quality food and memorable guest experiences. Located in the heart of Tumut, the gateway to the Snowy Mountains, we've become a destination for locals and visitors alike.

Food is at the heart of our business, and we're continuing to invest in our venue, our people and our future. We're now looking for an experienced and passionate Head Chef to lead our kitchen into its next chapter.

About the Role

This is a genuine leadership opportunity for a chef who enjoys balancing creativity with commercial thinking.

You'll lead a talented kitchen team, drive consistency and quality, mentor developing chefs and apprentices, and work closely with ownership to continue building one of the region's strongest food offerings.

We're looking for someone who enjoys creating excellent pub food done exceptionally well—not fine dining for the sake of it, but food that keeps people coming back.

What You'll Be Doing

- Leading the day-to-day operations of a busy commercial kitchen.
- Inspiring, mentoring and developing a team of chefs and apprentices.
- Maintaining exceptional standards of food quality, presentation and consistency.
- Designing seasonal specials and contributing to menu development.
- Managing food costs, ordering, stock control and kitchen budgets.
- Driving food safety, cleanliness and WHS compliance.
- Working collaboratively with front-of-house to deliver outstanding guest experiences.
- Supporting recruitment, rostering and kitchen planning.
- Helping identify opportunities to improve systems, efficiency and profitability.





About You You'll be someone who leads by example and genuinely enjoys building a positive kitchen culture.

You'll ideally bring

- Previous experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef ready to step up.
- Trade qualifications in Commercial Cookery.
- Strong leadership and mentoring skills.
- Experience managing food costs, ordering and stock control.
- Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
- A calm, hands-on approach during busy service.
- Passion for creating consistently outstanding food and developing your team.
- A commitment to food safety, quality and continuous improvement.

Why Join the Ori? This is a chance to join a venue that's investing in hospitality—not poker machines.

You'll be part of a supportive ownership team that values ideas, encourages innovation and invests in people. Our culture is built on collaboration, professionalism, respect and creating memorable guest experiences.

We offer

- Competitive salary package
- Flexible roster with genuine work-life balance
- Opportunity to shape menus and seasonal specials
- A modern, well-equipped kitchen
- Ongoing career development
- Long-term career opportunity within a growing hospitality business
- The lifestyle benefits of living in the beautiful Snowy Valleys

Why Tumut? Imagine finishing work and being only minutes from rivers, mountain bike trails, national parks and some of Australia's best outdoor recreation. Tumut offers an affordable lifestyle, a welcoming community and an outstanding quality of life—all while working in one of the region's leading hospitality venues.

Apply Now

If you're passionate about leading people, creating exceptional food and helping shape the future of a growing hospitality business, we'd love to hear from you.

Please submit your resume along with a brief cover letter telling us why you're the right person to lead the Ori kitchen.

Pay: $100,000.00 – $110,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

📌 Head Chef | Food-Led Regional Hotel | Great Team (Tumut)
🏢 Oriental Hotel Tumut
📍 Tumut