Join the revelry at Drifter Christchurch
Welcome to Drifter, New Zealand’s newest hospitality playground designed for free spirits and adventure-seekers. Drifter is a new breed of accommodation, blending the boutique comfort of a hotel with the community-driven spirit of a modern hostel.
It’s not just about a place to stay – it’s about creating vibrant, welcoming spaces where people from all walks of life come together to connect, unwind, and explore. And it all starts with a great team.
Perks of the Gig
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Keen to explore? We’ve got hostels across Australia and New Zealand.
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Real perks, not just pizza: Discounts on brands you actually use. Think JB Hi-Fi, Uber Eats and more.
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Mate’s rates: Enjoy discounted stays across the board for you, your fam and your travel crew.
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Learn your way: Get access to heaps of online courses through our learning platform, whether you’re levelling up for work or just following your curiosity.
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Mind, meet peace: Free counselling and wellness support through our Employee Assistance Program, just a call away.
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Stay well, keep moving: Free annual flu vaccinations on us.
The Role
As a Chef de Partie at Drifter, you’ll take a hands-on supervisory role in the kitchen, preparing food whenever and wherever our guests dine. Working collaboratively with the Kitchen Manager and kitchen management team, you’ll help lead kitchen activities on shift across our food and beverage outlets while supporting the wider hostel team. This role requires operational versatility across both breakfast and dinner services, transitioning seamlessly between high-volume, fast-paced morning services and structured, detail-oriented evening service lines, while providing support and guidance to junior kitchen staff.
You’ll take ownership of your station and food production, preparing, cooking, and plating dishes to recipe and presentation standards while keeping service organised and efficient. You’ll maintain strong product knowledge, manage stock and food wastage, and contribute menu ideas, recipes, and costings.
Quality, hygiene, and safety are central to the role. You’ll ensure food is delivered consistently, equipment and service areas are clean and operational, and food handling, workplace safety, and incident reporting requirements are followed. You’ll also provide clear direction, practical support, and effective communication to Commis Chefs, cooks, and kitchen hands throughout each shift.
Who We Are Looking For
You bring at least two years of commercial kitchen experience as a Commis Chef, Demi Chef de Partie, or Chef de Partie within a hotel or high-volume restaurant. You also hold a commercial cookery qualification at Level 3 or above and are confident managing a station and supporting kitchen activities on shift.
You’re collaborative, organised, and comfortable leading by example and sharing your knowledge with junior kitchen staff. You take pride in food quality, kitchen cleanliness, safe food handling, and the guest experience, and you communicate clearly while following company policies and reasonable direction from your manager.
You must be fully available to work assigned shift patterns, including early-morning breakfast starts, split shifts, evening dinner closes, weekends, and public holidays.
Why Work with Us?
Drifter is a welcoming and inclusive space where people come together to share stories and new experiences. We welcome guests and employees from all races, places, gender expressions and beliefs to be part of our team.
If you take pride in your work, are committed to excellence and want to be part of a welcoming and supportive environment, we’d love to hear from you.
