Cook Wanted — Drift Cafe, Crescent Head

6:30AM STARTS · HOME BY MID-AFTERNOON · 2 MINUTES FROM THE BEACH

Picture this: you finish your shift while there's still half the day left. You grab your board or your towel, walk two minutes down to Crescent Head beach, and you're in the water before most of the coast has even had lunch. That's not a rostered day off - that's every day you work.

Drift Cafe is looking for an experienced, reliable Cook to join our small team. This is genuine hospitality work-life balance: early starts, no late nights, and your afternoons and evenings are always your own. With summer on the way, there's no better place to do it than Crescent Head.

Why You'll Love This Role

- Early starts from 6:30am, and you're home by mid-afternoon, every day. No 10pm finishes, no split shifts eating your evenings.
- Genuinely rare in hospitality: real free time. Surf, swim, see your family, or just enjoy a normal afternoon, your choice.
- Two minutes from one of the best beaches on the Mid North Coast. Crescent Head is a relaxed, tight-knit coastal community without the Port Macquarie traffic or price tag.
- A small, supportive team and a kitchen culture where people actually want to come to work.
- Permanent part-time to start,



with a genuine pathway to full-time hours as you settle in.
- Pay based on your experience, in line with the Restaurant Industry Award.

About the Role

- Permanent part-time, transitioning to full-time
- Weekend work is part of the regular roster
- Early morning starts (from 6:30am), no late nights
- Preparing and cooking our menu to a consistently high standard
- Working alongside a small, close kitchen and front-of-house team

What We're Looking For

- Proven experience as a Cook in a café, restaurant or similar kitchen
- A good understanding of food safety and hygiene practices (Food Safety Supervisor certificate highly regarded)
- Someone reliable, calm under pressure, and easy to work with
- Availability across weekends as part of a standard roster
- Based locally, or happy to be, this one's for someone who calls the Kempsey / Crescent Head area home

About Drift Cafe We're a busy local café in the heart of Crescent Head, known for good food and an even better crew. We look after our team, and it shows, this is a genuinely positive place to work.

How to Apply

Click Apply to send through your resume. We'd love to hear a bit about you and your experience in your application.

📌 Cook (Kempsey)
🏢 ForgeHR
📍 Kempsey