Struggling to find skilled chefs for your hospitality business in Australia? You’re not alone. As of 2026, demand for reliable kitchen staff is still high — and traditional job boards often don’t deliver the quality or speed you need.
In this guide, we’ll show you exactly where to find chefs in Australia using hospitality-specific platforms, smart filtering tools, and proven hiring tactics that save you time and stress.
Platforms like Seek and Indeed might have wide reach, but they’re not designed for hospitality. You’ll often spend hours reviewing irrelevant applications — from retail, admin, or unrelated roles — instead of connecting with serious chefs or experienced cooks.
To hire faster and better, it’s time to move beyond general job boards.
A quality hiring platform tailored for hospitality should offer:
✅ Chef-specific profiles with experience summaries
✅ Filters by cuisine, shift preference, availability, or location
✅ Tools to manage job posts, applicant tracking, and shortlisting
✅ Access to reliable professionals across FOH, BOH, and leadership roles
A hospitality-first platform that connects venues with pre-qualified chefs and kitchen professionals. Whether you’re hiring a full-time head chef or a part-time prep cook, you can:
Post jobs for free
Get matched with talent based on cuisine, availability, and more
Message candidates and manage responses all in one place
Government-operated platform with general job listings. Useful for compliance and broader roles, though it lacks hospitality-specific focus.
Still relevant for fast, local hiring — especially for casual or temporary roles. Look for city-based hospo groups or kitchen-specific pages. Just be prepared to screen manually.
Sourcing talent is most effective when combined with clear hiring steps, which are covered in our ultimate guide to hiring kitchen staff in Australia
Even on the right platform, your job post needs to be clear, professional, and appealing. Here's what to include:
Job title (e.g. “Chef de Partie – Modern Mediterranean – Sydney CBD”)
Pay range or employment type (full-time, casual, etc.)
Cuisine or kitchen style
Shift details, days required, and any perks (e.g. meals, bonuses, team culture)
How to apply – always include a direct call to action
Unlike generic hiring sites, Venture Uplift is purpose-built for hospitality businesses in Australia. You get:
✅ Access to a pool of experienced hospitality professionals
✅ Smart filters by kitchen skills, experience level, or availability
✅ Free job postings and applicant management tools
✅ Faster, more relevant applications without the clutter
👉 Post your next kitchen job now on Venture Uplift — it’s free, fast, and built for hospitality.
Be proactive – don’t wait for applications. Use platforms that match candidates to your post.
Use referrals – ask current staff if they know anyone. Great chefs often move in tight circles.
Highlight your culture – many chefs are seeking positive kitchen environments with clear expectations and opportunities to grow.
Follow up quickly – hospitality candidates move fast. Respond to strong applications within 1–2 days.
Hiring chefs in Australia doesn’t have to be overwhelming — you just need the right tools and approach. By using hospitality-specific platforms like Venture Uplift, writing clear and appealing job ads, and leveraging your network, you can connect with top kitchen talent faster and more efficiently.
👉 Ready to find your next chef?
Post your kitchen job on Venture Uplift today — free for Australian venues.
