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Form of workEscape the hectic restaurant kitchen and move to a tropical paradise, where you’ll typically be cheffing for just 1-4 guests staying at a luxury oceanside eco-lodge inside the Christmas Island National Park. Rather than a fixed menu, we encourage you to get creative: providing guests with an authentic, personalised, fine-dining evening experience, featuring some of the island's wild foraged foods and fresh seafood, incorporating a fusion of flavours from neighbouring South-East Asian islands and further.
You will be living in a nice house back in town, with access to a car, fuel, internet and other perks. Most meal prep is done back there, and the 3-course dinner is finished off individually out at each of the two eco-chalets, chatting with the guests as you plate up, learning what they like, pouring them a wine, etc.
CONTRACT DATE: 31st May 2024 until 3rd December 2024.
SKILLS REQUIRED: As the only private chef for the lodge you must be able to work autonomously, to design and execute not only a complete menu but also a memorable experience for each guest. This highly personal approach offers great satisfaction, and a unique opportunity to creatively experiment with modern fine dining trends.
The role requires good time management, stock management (delivery of supplies takes time), and an ability to be flexible and innovative when plans change (for example if the island runs out of something). Enthusiasm to utilise local ingredients (including foraged) is preferred, as well as experience in using sous-vide techniques for meal prep back in town, simplifying the final cooking out at the eco-chalets (which only have a single induction burner).
The ability to drive a manual vehicle is also essential, and a practical, positive can-do attitude is essential for life on a small island.
JOB ROLE: The role is managed into an average of 5-day/week workload (which may include public holidays and weekends). As chef, you need to prepare gourmet picnic lunch boxes for the guides to collect by 9 am in the mornings, and 5 nights a week travel out to the lodge (30min drive) to finish and serve a 3-course dinner to the guests in each of the two private eco-lodges (if both are occupied), leaving behind a self-serve breakfast for each.
Once settled into the role, after the guides collect the picnic boxes in the mornings, much of the middle of most days can be free for snorkelling in the crystal-clear tropical water amongst the coral and fish, exploring the rainforest (maybe collecting some wild jungle limes or cutting down some bananas), visiting the blowholes, experiencing the island's famous red crabs and endemic birdlife, or just socialising with the adventurous small island community until it’s time to prep dinner.
The workload will fluctuate with bookings: If we have long periods of back-to-back bookings we can schedule 2 nights/week where you’d be free, or, as some weeks we may have no guests and you’d perhaps just take extra days off then to compensate for working a few extra nights when we have small chunks of back-to-back bookings etc. We’re happy to be flexible and work with you in maintaining a healthy work life balance.
DO YOU HAVE A PARTNER? If so, separately, there may exist the possibility that they could move here too, especially if he/she could undertake approx 3 days/week management role, and/or filling in for guides/cleaners if needed.
WAGE: $1,200/week (before tax), avg 5 days/wk (including some weekends/public holidays). Package includes staff accommodation, return flights to Christmas Island from Perth, car, fuel, internet and other perks worth around $1,815/wk. We acknowledge this wage is lower than the calibre of fine-dining chef we are after may be accustomed to, however the wage is non-negotiable and set with the role's uniquely quiet tropical lifestyle and free accomodation etc in mind. Michelin Star chefs have even enjoyed this role, as a bit of a break from their usual chaos.
CONSIDERATIONS: While for the right person, this role offers a unique escape from mainland grind into a more relaxed ‘island’ pace on a tropical paradise, do not mistake this role for a lazy life where anything goes:
The freedom that comes with this independent role also requires enormous reliability and work ethic and, of course, good time management. This is a remote island with slow, expensive and unreliable delivery of mainland foods. The ability to plan ahead, manage and order supplies, and be resourceful is important.
Guests are paying almost $2,000/night and while this is all-inclusive with daily guided activities etc, they do have high expectations for the quality and presentation of the meals you’ll be producing. They need to look as good as they taste, and be instagram-worthy. The food experience at Swell Lodge is one of the guest’s highlights.
As our company ethos is based on preserving this unique environment, our work processes must be considered to offer the least impact on our natural environment. Eco-work practices are encouraged and a love of - and patience for - nature is essential. Remote island living also requires you to be able to live respectfully and responsibly in a small community, realising your actions reflect on Swell Lodge even after hours.
INTERESTED? If you’re interested (or know someone who might be) or would like more information, please apply below or email Chris at *******@swelllodge.com. Applicants MUST describe their fine-dining experience, attach their CV, and provide sample photos of their food presentation, along with a recent photo of themselves.
