Head Chef &/or Organic Market Gardner

Join the Hapi team! Are you passionate about healthy eating and sustainability? Do you thrive in a vibrant, community-focused environment? Hapi, your local destination for delicious organic food, is looking for an experienced head chef &/or organic market gardener to join our team.

At Hapi, we believe in nourishing our bodies and our planet. Our menu features a variety of delicious foods made from locally sourced ingredients including vegetables grown in our very own organic gardens. We’re dedicated to providing a warm, welcoming atmosphere where our customers can enjoy healthy meals and connect with their community.

Oversee and direct all aspects of the kitchen operation. Maintain quality, efficiency & innovation in all aspects of food preparation. Develop and maintain our product offering. Manage all kitchen employees & maintain clear communication with Cafe/FOH team & owner/manager.

• Passion for healthy, organic whole foods and sustainable community practices.
• Commitment to maintaining high standards of quality in all aspects of service in a cafe setting.
• Relevant industry qualifications & a minimum of 5 years managing a kitchen
• Proven kitchen management skills incl. stock, staff, training, costing/budgets, health & safety
• Creativity & enthusiasm for gluten free & plant based product development
• Computer skills: Microsoft Office, restaurant management software, food safety compliance software
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to learn and grow with our team.
• Availability to work within our opening hours 6am-6pm 7 days a week

If you’re ready to make a difference we’d love to hear from you! Please apply today.

Hapi is a Maori company founded on Nga Kaupapa o Hua Parakore, the ancestral knowledge system that verifies that kai (food) has been produced according to the values of nga tipuna (ancestors) and thus maintains the highest levels of rongoa and purity in every aspect of the kai production process.

Founded in 2015 in an historic Napier takeaway bar, Hapi uses certified organic and whole foods to produce high integrity, fresh takeaway foods and small batch, artisan grocery products for our local community. In 2021 Hapi moved into a larger site which we share with a well established organic shop and where we now operate a dine-in and takeaway cafe operation as well as a production kitchen.

Hapi has produced small batch artisan products for Hawke’s Bay farmers markets and our Napier cafe & takeaway bar and online sales. Our grocery range includes kim chi, Hawke’s Bay grown black bean miso, fermented chilli sauce, cultured cashew cheeses, kombucha, cider vinegar soda syrups, buckwheat bread, chicken liver pate, and chicken bone broth.

Our cafe is open 7 days per week from 7am-4pm. We have a diverse team of 12-16 staff who are predominantly under the age of 30 and include people with disabilities, people with young children, overseas travellers on working visas and school students.

We are a small local business who actively supports our community through educational workshops, community food projects, catering and events sharing a positive story of whole natural foods for health and wellbeing. Key events where Hapi make a regular appearance include the Hawke’s Bay International Marathon, Hawke’s Bay A&P Show, F.A.W.C!, Te Takanga o Te Ra, Matariki Celebration and Te Matatini. We cater for private and public events (including the odd wedding) and catering clients include Hastings City Art Gallery, Department of Conservation, MTG, Trubridge Design Studio, Te Atea a Rangi Educational Trust and Te Puni Kokiri. Recent recognition for our work includes: Supreme Individual,Hawke’s Bay Hospitality Awards 2024

Outstanding Cafe of the Year; Hawke’s Bay Hospitality Awards 2018

Publications that have featured us include Cuisine, Taste, Sunday Star Times, Kia ora, Bay Buzz, Hawke’s Bay Today, Dominion Post, Lonely Planet and National Geographic Traveller. We are current contributors to Organic NZ, Bay Buzz and Living HB.

Most recently Hapi has been instrumental in lead the development of Mai Kai, a kaupapa Maori-led social enterprise delivering nutritious kai boxes and food education workshops to support whanau wellbeing across Hawke’s Bay.

Webstore: www.hapi.nz