Umberto Espresso Bar Position: Cook Position Type: Full-time Salary: $76,600 - $80,000 Location: 917 High Street, Thornbury, VIC 3071 Website: https://www.umberto.com.au/ Umberto Espresso Bar is a family-owned Italian café and restaurant located in Melbourne’s inner north, known for its authentic Italian hospitality, quality coffee, and homestyle cooking. Established as part of a long-standing family hospitality tradition, the venue reflects a strong Italian heritage, with a focus on genuine service, simple food made with care, and a welcoming community atmosphere. Built on the values of family, hard work, and tradition, the business offers a relaxed yet vibrant dining experience, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a casual café-style setting. The menu features classic Italian-inspired dishes, fresh seasonal produce, and house-made items, complemented by specialty coffee and beverages. The venue operates maintaining a strong commitment to consistency, customer experience, and community connection. We are seeking a skilled, motivated, and passionate Cook to join the kitchen team. This is an excellent opportunity to work in a fast-paced, creative environment where food is prepared fresh, quality standards are high, and attention to detail is essential. Duties and Responsibilities: Plan, organise, and coordinate daily food preparation and cooking activities to ensure efficient kitchen operations and timely service. Prepare, cook, and present a variety of dishes in accordance with menu requirements, recipes, and customer orders, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts. Portion, season, and cook food using a range of methods such as grilling, frying, roasting, baking, steaming, and sautéing. Assist in planning menus and provide input on recipes, daily specials, and food presentation to meet customer preferences and business needs. Monitor food quality at all stages of preparation and service to ensure consistency, freshness, and high presentation standards. Maintain cleanliness and organisation of kitchen workstations, storage areas, and food preparation areas in compliance with food safety and hygiene regulations. Ensure compliance with workplace health and safety (WHS) procedures, including safe handling of food, utensils, and kitchen equipment. Check stock levels, rotate stock, store ingredients correctly, and notify management of ordering requirements to minimise shortages and wastage. Receive, inspect, and store deliveries of food supplies to ensure quality and freshness standards are met. Supervise and guide kitchen assistants or junior staff during food preparation and service as required. Operate kitchen equipment safely and report maintenance or repair needs promptly. Assist in controlling food costs through efficient portion control, proper storage, and minimisation of waste. Respond promptly to kitchen operational issues to maintain smooth workflow during service periods. Perform other duties consistent with the role of Cook. Skills and Qualifications: Minimum 1 year of full-time relevant work experience as a Cook in a commercial kitchen or similar hospitality environment. Certificate III in Commercial Cookery or higher relevant qualification in Culinary Arts or Kitchen Management. Sound knowledge of food preparation techniques, cooking methods, and kitchen operations. Strong understanding of food hygiene standards, food safety regulations, and workplace health and safety (WHS) requirements. Proven ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced kitchen environment while maintaining quality and consistency. Well-developed skills in food preparation, presentation, portion control, and maintaining recipe standards. Ability to supervise, train, and support kitchen assistants or junior staff when required. Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet service deadlines. Effective communication and teamwork skills to coordinate smoothly with kitchen staff and front-of-house employees. Ability to maintain high standards of cleanliness, safety, and performance under pressure while managing multiple tasks.
