About the role

As Head Chef, you will take ownership of the day-to-day operation of the kitchen at Lord Roberts Hotel, a well-established neighbourhood pub in Darlinghurst offering quality gastro-pub food. This is a hands-on leadership role with a small kitchen and close-knit team.

Key responsibilities

- Leading, training and managing a small kitchen team
- Preparing and delivering consistent, high-quality gastro-pub food
- Managing kitchen rosters and staffing requirements
- Managing food costs, stock levels, ordering and waste
- Maintaining appropriate labour and food cost targets
- Overseeing food preparation, service and kitchen standards
- Ensuring food safety, hygiene and WHS requirements are consistently maintained
- Working closely with venue management to continually improve the food offering and overall guest experience
- Contributing to menu development and seasonal changes

About you

- Previous experience as a Head Chef, Sous Chef or in a similar senior kitchen role
- Strong rostering and kitchen team management experience
- Understanding of food costing, stock control, margins and waste management




- Organised and comfortable taking ownership of a kitchen
- Leads by example and works well within a small team
- Can maintain quality and consistency during busy services
- Current Food Safety Supervisor Certificate or relevant food safety certification
- Genuine interest in quality pub and gastro-pub food

About us Part of the Universal Hotels group, The Lord Roberts is the genuine local: warm, a little quirky, and proudly here for the community. A proper neighbourhood pub since 1901 — with a rooftop bar upstairs, a private function space in Bob’s Lounge, and a bottle shop out front. Pub classics, daily specials, and the kind of room where new faces become regulars, and regulars become furniture.

Benefits

- Full time role, 45 hours per week
- Competitive salary package negotiable based on experience
- A manageable, established kitchen with a small team
- The opportunity to take ownership of the kitchen and food offering
- Support from an established hospitality group
- Genuine opportunities for career progression within Universal Hotels

📌 Head Chef - Universal Hotels - The Lord Roberts Darlinghurst
🏢 Universal Hotels
📍 Darlinghurst