About the role

Tahuri mai rā ō mata ki tēnei wharekai o Rūmaki Café, rūmaki reo, rūmaki manaakitanga, rūmaki whanaungatanga, katoa, katoa, kei konei.

Cast your eyes upon Rūmaki Café, dripping in reo, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga — it’s all here!

Rūmaki Café is a newly established kaupapa Māori café in Rotorua. We are looking for an experienced Cook to take ownership of the kitchen, bring consistency and energy, and help shape the next chapter of our kai. This role involves helping redesign and simplify our menu — creating familiar café kai done exceptionally well, alongside flavours and dishes that reflect who we are and where we are.

Key responsibilities

• Take real ownership of a small café kitchen

• Prepare, present and maintain consistency in food

• Understand and manage portion control, food costs, waste and stock management

• Help develop, test and refine a fresh café menu

• Create great kai without making a small kitchen unnecessarily complicated

• Work at pace while maintaining quality

• Keep a clean, organised and well-run kitchen

• Guide and support other kaimahi

• Help establish the food reputation of a newly established café

About you

• Experienced and confident cook

• Excellent food preparation, presentation and consistency

• Understand portion control, food costs, waste and stock management

• Can work at pace while maintaining quality

• Take pride in keeping a clean, organised and well-run kitchen

• Can guide and support other kaimahi

• Ideally speak some te reo Māori, or genuinely want to learn and respect the kaupapa

• Willing to contribute, listen, learn and be part of the waka

About us

Rūmaki Café is a newly established kaupapa Māori café in Rotorua. Te reo Māori, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga are at the heart of the space. We are still young, still evolving, and already making a difference.