Great food. Happy tamariki. A role that makes a difference every day!
Are you passionate about cooking delicious, nutritious meals and making a positive difference in your community? Do you enjoy working in a busy kitchen, take pride in your attention to detail, and love being part of a supportive team?
At The Y Gisborne, we're looking for a skilled, enthusiastic and reliable Allergens Chef to join our Food Services team, helping us provide healthy, nutritious school lunches to tamariki across Tairāwhiti.
This is more than just a cooking role. Every meal you prepare helps support the health, wellbeing and learning of local children, ensuring they have the nourishment they need to thrive.
If you love cooking with purpose and want to be part of something meaningful, we'd love to hear from you!
About the Role
As our Allergens Chef, you'll play an important role in preparing, cooking and packaging nutritious, high-quality meals for our school lunch programme.
A key focus of this position is preparing meals for tamariki with specific dietary requirements and food allergies, ensuring every child receives a meal that is safe, nutritious and enjoyable.
Working alongside our Service Manager – Food and kitchen team, you'll help keep our kitchen running smoothly, maintain excellent food safety standards and ensure meals are prepared and ready for delivery on time.
This is a hands-on, rewarding role where your cooking skills, organisation and attention to detail will make a genuine difference every day.
What You'll Be Doing
Preparing specialised meals for children with allergies, intolerances and other dietary requirements, including gluten-free, nut-free and vegetarian options amongst other specialised meals.
Following strict allergen management procedures to prevent cross-contamination and ensure meals are safe.
Packaging and accurately labelling meals for delivery to schools.
Supporting menu planning, meal preparation schedules and stock management with our Food Service Manager.
Maintaining a clean, organised and efficient kitchen.
Following food safety requirements, including our Food Control Plan and Safe Food Pro procedures.
Working collaboratively with the wider kitchen team to ensure meals are prepared to a high standard and delivered on time.
Helping create a positive, supportive and safety-focused team environment.
About You
We're looking for someone who enjoys cooking, takes pride in their work and understands the importance of preparing safe, nutritious food for children.
Ideally, you'll bring:
Previous experience working as a Chef or in a busy commercial kitchen.
Experience preparing meals for specific dietary requirements and managing food allergens.
A strong understanding of food safety, hygiene and cross-contamination prevention.
Excellent attention to detail, particularly when preparing and checking allergen-specific meals.
Great organisational and time management skills, with the ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
A positive, reliable attitude and a willingness to support your teammates.
Strong communication skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
Confidence using commercial kitchen equipment and following recipes and production schedules.
Food hygiene training and First Aid certification would be an advantage.
You'll also need to be comfortable working in a busy kitchen environment, being on your feet for extended periods and regularly lifting items weighing up to 18 kg.
Most importantly, we're looking for someone who genuinely cares about the quality of the food they prepare and the children who receive it.
Why Join The Y Gisborne?
At The Y Gisborne, we're more than just a workplace. We're a community-focused, not-for-profit organisation that has been supporting the people of Tairāwhiti for more than 146 years.
Our people are at the heart of everything we do, whether that's helping tamariki learn and grow, supporting health and wellbeing, or creating opportunities for our community to thrive.
When you join us, you'll be part of a team that:
Makes a difference: Your work directly contributes to the health and wellbeing of local tamariki.
Values its people: Be part of a welcoming, supportive team where everyone has an important role to play.
Works with purpose: Take pride in knowing that what you do each day has a positive impact on our community.
Lives its values: Caring, respect, honesty, communication, responsibility and relationships guide how we work together.
Ready to Apply?
If you're a passionate Chef who enjoys working as part of a team and wants to put your skills towards something meaningful, we'd love to hear from you.
How to Apply
Apply through SEEK with your CV and cover letter telling us a little about yourself and why you'd be a great fit for our team. If you have questions or want to know more, please contact our HR Coordinator - Annie on [email protected]
Applications close: Thursday 26 November 2026 at 5pm. We may begin interviewing suitable candidates as applications are received, so we encourage you to apply early!
Because when our tamariki thrive, our community thrives. That's Y!