Head Chef

A vacancy has been confirmed for a Head Chef based in Queenstown, Eastern Cape. The successful candidate will join an established team within the hospitality jobs function.

The Role

An experienced Head Chef is needed to support operations in Queenstown. The role forms part of how the business keeps its hospitality jobs portfolio strong in Eastern Cape.

Expect a structured first ninety days, with onboarding milestones, regular check-ins, and an early focus on getting comfortable with the systems and processes that underpin the Queenstown team.

Reasonable working hours and respectful planning are part of how the role runs. The team values strong delivery, and load is balanced fairly across the hospitality jobs group in Queenstown.

Tools, systems and information are there to support the role rather than slow it down. The company continues to invest in the technology that backs its Queenstown teams, and the new Head Chef will feel that from the first week.

The role has been written to be sustainable, not just busy. Strong output is expected, and managers in Queenstown also pay attention to recovery, learning and the kind of breathing room that keeps people doing good work over time.

Growing With Us

This role can grow with you. Strong performers in the hospitality jobs team in Queenstown have moved into senior, supervisory and specialist positions, and that journey is supported through coaching, training and exposure to bigger projects.

Internal mobility is encouraged. People who start in Queenstown have moved into roles in other branches, specialist functions and project teams across Eastern Cape.

Training is a mix of formal courses, structured on-the-job learning and exposure to broader projects, all geared at building practical skills.

Growth conversations happen at a regular cadence — not just at year-end — so the path forward stays current and realistic for every Queenstown team member.

Working in Queenstown

Queenstown continues to grow as an employment hub in Eastern Cape, with along the Sunshine Coast tourism belt. This role gives you a foothold in one of its busier business communities, with access to the local services, suppliers and partners that keep the work moving.

If you are relocating, the team can share practical pointers on neighbourhoods, transport and the typical pace of life in Queenstown, Eastern Cape.

Accessibility is taken seriously: where the role allows, the team works toward a balance of in-office presence and flexibility for candidates based in and around Queenstown.

Many candidates already living within reach of Queenstown cite the location as one of the role’s quiet wins, with shorter commutes and a real sense of being plugged into the local Eastern Cape economy.

Meet the Team

You will join a tight-knit, collaborative team that knows the hospitality jobs side of the business inside out. The Queenstown group is a healthy mix of experienced operators and newer joiners, all of whom share a strong commitment to delivery and to one another.

Collaboration is the default working mode. Whether picking up a quick query or working through a complex project, you will find colleagues willing to lean in and help.

Equally, the team mix in Queenstown reflects a balance of experienced operators and emerging talent, with deliberate space for diverse voices and backgrounds.

Line management is hands-on without being heavy. Expect regular one-to-ones, honest feedback and the support needed to do good work consistently.

A Typical Day

Your shift usually starts with a brief from the duty manager, a quick station check and a look at the day’s bookings or specials. As guests arrive, you slip into a steady rhythm — warm welcomes, accurate orders and seamless coordination with the kitchen and bar. Service peaks demand calm focus and tight teamwork, and quieter moments are spent resetting tables, polishing glassware or training a new starter. When the last guest leaves happy, you know you have delivered a memorable hospitality experience.

Equally, the rhythm rewards people who plan ahead but also pivot quickly when Eastern Cape operations throw up the unexpected.

Notably, the Queenstown office buzzes through peak hours and settles into focused, productive lulls in between, giving you time to plan and reset before the next stretch of work.

No two days look exactly the same — and that variety is part of what keeps the role engaging for the right candidate in Queenstown.

The Environment

Beyond that, the environment is service-led and people-centred. Expect varied hours, a high tempo during peaks, and a team culture built on hospitality and pride in the guest experience.

Notably, a respectful, professional environment is the standard in Eastern Cape. Bullying, harassment and unfair conduct have no place here, and managers are trained to act decisively when concerns are raised.

Health, safety and well-being are taken seriously. Current policies and procedures are maintained, and the Queenstown site adheres to the standards expected of a responsible South African employer.

Beyond that, the working environment is set up to give the team the focus needed for deeper work, while keeping collaboration and quick problem-solving close at hand.

Why This Role

Equally, you will join a team that values respectful collaboration, honest feedback and shared wins. The Queenstown colleagues take pride in supporting one another and in doing the hospitality jobs side of the business properly, day in and day out.

Beyond that, the company reinvests in its people: paid training, internal moves and the chance to take on bigger projects are all part of how careers in Queenstown keep progressing.

Recognition matters here. Strong performers are noticed quickly, and many promotions across the business have started in the Queenstown teams.

Benefits are clear and consistent. Beyond the package on offer, the role includes the supports you would expect from an established South African employer in Eastern Cape.

Our Commitment to Transformation

On top of that, the organisation is committed to transformation and equal opportunity. Hiring is on merit, and applications are actively encouraged from women, youth, people with disabilities and other historically disadvantaged groups in line with the Employment Equity plan and B-BBEE objectives.

Practical steps back the words. Structured EE reporting, transformation initiatives and learnership programmes give real opportunities to candidates from across Eastern Cape.

Inclusive hiring extends through onboarding and into how teams operate every day. Respectful, fair conduct is expected from every team member in Queenstown.

B-BBEE compliance is more than a scorecard here. It informs how the business invests in skills development, supplier diversity and community engagement across the country.

Your Role

• Respond promptly to guest requests, complaints and special needs
• Promote menu items, daily specials and loyalty programmes
• Manage stock, breakages and consumables for your section
• Prepare and present food in line with kitchen recipes and standards
• Drive guest satisfaction scores and online review ratings
• Take orders accurately and deliver food and beverages to standard
• Maintain the required uniform and presentation standards during all shifts
• Train casual staff on service standards and SOPs

Essential Criteria

• Ability to work shifts, weekends and public holidays
• 1-3 years’ experience in a similar hospitality environment
• Awareness of tourism grading and quality expectations
• Good verbal communication skills in English; second language an advantage
• Computer literacy and experience with POS systems
• Willing to follow the company’s uniform and grooming policy on shift
• Strong customer service orientation and warm guest interaction

Beyond that, if most of these boxes are ticked, you are encouraged to put your name forward.