This is the role for the chef who has spent years earning their stripes in serious kitchens and is ready to own the whole story -- from vine to plate.
THE OPPORTUNITY
You'll be the founding voice of food at a boutique winery estate with sweeping views across the vineyard and ocean, where the brief is simply to cook the region beautifully. This is the role for the chef who has spent years earning their stripes in serious kitchens and is ready to own the whole story — from vine to plate.
We are building something rare: a destination with genuine soul. Our 20-acre property — 7 under vine — sits 90 minutes from Melbourne with no comparable food destination in the area. This is your canvas. There is no predecessor to shadow, no legacy menu to maintain. Just exceptional produce, an outstanding wine list made on-site, and the freedom to define what dining here means.
What you'll lead
As Head Chef, you'll have full culinary direction — menu, kitchen culture, supplier relationships, and ultimately the dining experience our guests talk about long after they leave. This is a producing estate that will grow to include roasted coffee, handmade gelato, and smoked products distributed into premium retail including David Jones. You'll have a hand in shaping all of it.
What we're looking for
You have trained and worked in hatted or otherwise top-tier restaurants and know what excellence looks like from the inside. You are ready for the step up — hungry for ownership and the accountability that comes with it. You understand that country cooking at its best is not a lesser form of the craft; it is the most honest expression of it.
Essential
—Strong career history in hatted or high-calibre restaurants
—Deep respect for seasonal, local, and produce-first cooking
—Natural leadership — calm under pressure, generous with knowledge
—Commercial awareness: food cost, labour, and margins
—A food safety certificate and current Working with Food compliance
Highly valued
—Experience or genuine curiosity in charcuterie, smoking, or preservation
—Interest in artisan coffee or gelato production
—Affinity with wine — you don't need to be a sommelier, but you speak the language
—Regional or country kitchen experience, or a genuine desire to plant roots outside the city
