Head Chef

About us

Alsahwa Estate is nestled in the Palmwoods region of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, offering an escape surrounded by natural beauty. More than just a destination, our estate is a place designed to bring people together, creating memorable experiences in a thoughtfully curated setting.

At the heart of our estate lies our restaurant, offering a unique farm-to-table dining experience — a Mediterranean-inspired menu celebrating the freshest local ingredients and a philosophy of sustainability. Alongside our restaurant, we host weddings, corporate functions, and private events across the estate. We've just been named 2026 Sunshine Coast New Restaurant Winner at the Restaurant & Catering Hospitality Awards for Excellence.

The role

As Head Chef, you'll own the culinary direction and day-to-day performance of our kitchen — across both restaurant service and our events program — leading a team that includes an Executive Sous Chef and Sous Chef, and setting the standard the whole kitchen works to.

Key responsibilities

●       Lead menu development and implementation, showcasing local, seasonal, farm-to-table produce across our Mediterranean-inspired offering

●       Own the kitchen's food and labour cost budgets, including rostering, overtime, and gross profit targets

●       Set and uphold quality control, plating, and portion standards across every service

●       Ensure food safety and HACCP compliance across the kitchen at all times

●       Coordinate event catering, including weddings, corporate functions, and private dining

●       Manage supplier relationships and ingredient sourcing

●       Oversee kitchen equipment, layout, and capital expenditure planning

●       Recruit, train, and mentor the kitchen team, building a strong culture and succession pipeline

What we're looking for

●       Proven experience as a Head Chef or Executive Chef in a high-quality, high-volume kitchen

●       Strong culinary vision with a genuine passion for local, seasonal, sustainable produce

●       Experience across both restaurant service and event/function catering

●       Solid financial acumen — budgeting, forecasting, and P&L management

●       Proven leadership of a multi-tier kitchen team

●       Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

●       Ability to stay calm and decisive under pressure in a fast-paced environment

●       Current food safety certification and strong HACCP knowledge

Why join us

Be part of an award-winning restaurant in one of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland's most beautiful settings — with real scope to shape the menu, run a growing events program, and build the culture of the kitchen.