Head Chef / Manager

Head Chef – Lyric’s Bar & Underground, Maylands

Lyric’s Bar & Underground is an upmarket, medium-sized, family-owned bar, restaurant and live music venue located in the heart of Maylands, with a capacity of approximately 400 patrons.

We are a diverse and well-established local venue, hosting frequent events in the award-winning Lyric’s Underground, attracting patrons from across Perth and beyond.

Our restaurant offers a relaxed, upmarket menu with an emphasis on innovation, quality produce and consistency and is well regarded by both locals and visitors.

We are seeking an accomplished, self-motivated and innovative Head Chef to take ownership of our kitchen and work closely with our experienced hospitality management team to further develop the success of Lyric’s.

This is a genuine leadership role. We are looking for someone who can elevate kitchen standards, increase the appeal of our food offering and drive growth in food sales while maintaining efficiency, cost control and a positive kitchen culture.

You must have proven ability to design an interesting and commercially successful menu, train and manage kitchen staff, and control labour and cost of sales against agreed KPIs.

The successful Chef will work closely with the Venue Manager and report directly to the Managing Director. You will also have the opportunity to assist in selecting and employing a senior chef to support the kitchen operation.

The position offers a high level of reasonable autonomy within the Lyric’s kitchen, while requiring you to build and maintain a strong, collaborative relationship between the kitchen, front of house and the wider management team.

Key Responsibilities

You will be responsible for:

• Managing the day-to-day operation and performance of the kitchen
• Designing and developing seasonal menus, specials and new food offerings
• Maintaining consistently high standards of food quality and presentation
• Setting appropriate staffing levels and managing labour costs against agreed KPIs
• Sourcing quality produce while effectively controlling food costs and wastage
• Training, supervising and developing kitchen staff
• Maintaining food safety, cleanliness and compliance standards
• Working collaboratively with front of house and management
• Helping drive food sales and improve the overall customer experience
• Maintaining a strong work-life balance for yourself and your team
• Supporting the professional wellbeing and development of your team through training and skills development

The Kitchen

The kitchen normally operates with two to three chefs, including the Head Chef, plus a kitchen hand during busy periods.

The current team includes a fulltime third-year apprentice and a casual experienced chef, providing the incoming Head Chef with an established base from which to build the kitchen team.

Employment Conditions

Salary will be negotiable based on experience and capability and subject to performance.

Our current trading hours are deliberately structured to provide permanent staff with an excellent work-life balance:

• Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays
• Wednesday and Thursday: from 4 pm
• Friday to Sunday: from 12 noon

Unlike many senior hospitality roles, our trading structure provides the opportunity for genuine regular time away from the kitchen.

Applicant Requirements

Applicants should have:

• Current Senior First Aid Certificate
• Food Safety Supervisor certification
• A minimum of four years’ experience in a relevant senior kitchen role
• At least two years’ experience in kitchen management
• Demonstrated menu development and food costing skills
• Proven ability to manage labour and cost-of-sales KPIs
• Strong staff training and supervisory skills
• A hands-on approach and the ability to multitask efficiently
• Strong organisational and communication skills
• A genuine interest in developing both the food offering and the people working within the kitchen

Applicants with a strong background as a Sous Chef who are ready to take the next step into kitchen leadership may also be considered. However, only exceptional candidates will be assessed through this pathway.

How to Apply

To learn more about Lyric’s Bar & Underground, visit our website and Facebook page:

Website: www.lyriclane.com.au
Facebook: facebook.com/lyriclanemaylands

You are also welcome to visit the venue during service and introduce yourself to our management team.

Please submit your CV including your work history and at least three independent and recent referees with current contact numbers. Referees must be available and willing to provide a verbal reference.

If you are an experienced Chef looking for the opportunity to take genuine ownership of a kitchen, develop your own food direction and become an important part of an established independent venue, we would like to hear from you.

Thank you for considering a leadership role with Lyric’s Bar & Underground.