Secondary baker / Prep Chef

Early starts. Fresh baking. Good people. Big energy.

Kai Whakapai is looking for a Secondary Baker / Prep Chef to join our kitchen team from early June and this is a long term position.

This is a daytime-only role with a mix of bakery production and kitchen prep across a busy, fast-paced café kitchen. The position is split between:

• 3 days bakery (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday)
• 2 days cabinet production & kitchen prep (Wednesday, Thursday)

If you enjoy variety, staying busy, and working with a strong team, this could be the perfect fit.

The Role

• Minimum 30-hour contract
• 6am starts
• Finish around 2pm-ish
• Fridays & Saturdays off
• Daytime hours only

Bakery Days

You’ll be:

• shaping scones
• baking pastries
• filling the cabinet
• assisting with bakery prep and stock levels

Kitchen Prep Days

You’ll be:

• starting with cabinet sandwiches at 6am
• working through daily prep lists
• keeping sections stocked and organised
• supporting the kitchen team wherever needed

This role has a good amount of variety and self-management once you’re up to speed. No getting stuck doing the same thing all day.

The Kai Vibe

We’re a busy kitchen with a big team, which means:

• heaps of support
• heaps of banter
• heaps of characters
• and everyone getting stuck in together

We care a lot about kitchen culture and creating an environment where people enjoy coming to work. We value training, skill-building, consistency, teamwork and good energy.

There’s always music on, someone cracking jokes and plenty happening, but we also take pride in producing consistently good food and running a tight service.

Why Work At Kai?

• Great pay (based on experience) + bonus scheme
• Unlimited coffee every shift
• Staff meal every shift + a cheeky staffie after each shift
• Discount on everything on your days off
• A healthy team culture where we genuinely look after each other
• Daytime hours that leave you plenty of time to enjoy Wanaka
• Fridays & Saturdays free every week

You’ll Suit This Role If You:

• enjoy both baking and kitchen prep
• work well independently
• stay organized and manage your time well
• have good attention to detail
• enjoy working in a fast-paced team environment
• bring good energy and a positive attitude
• want to learn and grow your skills

Most importantly, we want someone who wants to be part of the team and contribute to a positive kitchen atmosphere.

If this sounds like your kind of kitchen, we’d love to hear from you.