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 skilled 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

📌 Sous Chef (Bentleigh East)
🏢 The Merchants Guild
📍 Bentleigh East