We’re Hiring: Kitchen Lead (GPD Wine Bar)

Location: 355 Crown St, Surry Hills, Sydney
Employment Type: Full Time, Permanent
Salary: $75,000 + super
Start Date: Immediate

TL;DR

We are looking for a hands-on Kitchen Lead to run a focused, high-quality food offering in our Surry Hills wine bar and retail space.

This is a one-person kitchen. You will design, prep, and execute a tight, wine-led menu that complements our wines and enhances the overall guest experience.

If you enjoy ownership, clean execution, and building something from the ground up without the chaos of a large brigade, keep reading.

Who We Are

Good Pair Days is Australia’s most loved wine retailer (Product Review 2025), with over 80,000 members discovering wines through our personalised platform.

We are now bringing that experience into the real world with our first wine bar and store in Surry Hills. This is a space where customers can explore wines, attend tastings, and enjoy thoughtful food designed specifically to pair beautifully.

This is not a high-volume restaurant. It is a curated wine experience with food that supports and elevates it.

About the Role

As Kitchen Lead, you will take ownership of food operations in our wine bar.

You will design and execute a tight, commercially smart menu focused on small plates and share-friendly items that pair well with wine. You will run the kitchen solo, maintaining high standards of quality, safety, and efficiency.

This is a leadership role in ownership, not in headcount. You will be responsible for menu design, prep, service, ordering, compliance, and kitchen systems.

The right person will see this as an opportunity to shape a food offering from the ground up in a brand-led environment.

What You’ll Do

Menu Design & Food Offering

• Design and maintain a focused small-plate menu that complements our wines
• Create simple, high-quality dishes that are operationally efficient
• Develop seasonal updates aligned with wine releases and events
• Ensure strong food and wine pairing logic across the menu

Kitchen Operations

• Run daily kitchen prep and service
• Maintain consistency, quality control, and presentation standards
• Manage ordering, stock control, and food costs
• Ensure compliance with food safety and health standards
• Keep the kitchen clean, organised, and service-ready at all times

Takeaway & Retail Food

• Develop and manage limited takeaway and retail-friendly food items
• Ensure packaging and presentation align with brand standards
• Keep offerings practical and scalable for a small kitchen

Collaboration & Experience

• Work closely with the wine bar team to align food and wine experiences
• Support tastings and food-led events where required
• Contribute ideas that enhance the overall guest experience

What Success Looks Like After 6 Months

• A tight, well-loved menu that pairs naturally with our wines
• Smooth, low-stress kitchen operations
• Strong gross margins and controlled food costs
• Positive customer feedback on food quality and experience
• A kitchen system that runs cleanly and predictably

Who You Are

• 3+ years experience in hospitality kitchens
• Experience running a section or leading a small kitchen
• Comfortable working independently and owning outcomes
• Strong understanding of food safety and compliance
• Passionate about wine and food pairing
• Calm, organised, and practical under pressure
• Excited to build something new in a brand-led environment

This Role Is Not For You If

• You are looking to manage a large brigade
• You prefer highly structured restaurant environments
• You are uncomfortable working independently
• You are not interested in wine pairing or hospitality integration
• You are looking for a purely creative role without operational responsibility

Why Join Good Pair Days

• Be part of launching and shaping a flagship wine bar
• Real ownership over a food program
• Work with a passionate, customer-first team
• Access wine education and producer tastings
• A stable, full-time role with clear scope and expectations
• $75,000 + super aligned to responsibility

How to Apply

Send your CV and a short cover note to careers@goodpairdays.com telling us:

• Your experience running or leading kitchen sections
• Your approach to simple, wine-led menu design
• One small-plate idea you would introduce in your first 90 days

If you enjoy building tight, thoughtful food offerings around great wine, we would love to hear from you 🍷