Cook

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Join Bupa as a Cook at Merrivale Care Home in Whangarei, where you’ll help plan and prepare nutritious, appealing menus, support special event catering, and uphold food safety while working with a compassionate kitchen team. The post notes a casual basis with no guaranteed hours, though some listings show full time, so clarify your availability in your application. You’ll typically need a NZQA culinary qualification or equivalent preferred and at least one year of hands-on experience; demonstrate enthusiasm, care, and resilience, protect resident confidentiality, and have reliable transport and legal entitlement to work in NZ. Benefits include subsidised health insurance, wellbeing support, paid parental leave, development opportunities, and a Be You at Bupa culture. Tip: tailor your CV to show menu planning, hygiene, stock control, and resident-focused care, and cite measurable outcomes.

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General information

Name Cook Ref # 58808 Date Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Full / Part Time Full Time

Description & Requirements

Every day, in every way, we bring real heart to work. Food makes such a difference to the residents’ lives, which is why Merrivale Care Home in Whangarei is searching for a Cook/Chef to join the Kitchen team on a casual basis. Since this is a casual role, there wont be any guaranteed hours.

 

You will be working alongside equally passionate and creative colleagues to plan, implement and ensure that our residents' individual food and nutritional needs are met through delicious menu programmes. Come be part of a team who have chosen to enrich the lives of society’s most vulnerable.

 

Where You Will Make an Impact

• Menu planning and implementation.
• Food preparation.
• Adhere to food Hygiene and Safety.
• Special event catering.
• Ordering and monitoring supplies.

 

What About You

• A relevant NZQA culinary qualification or equivalent is preferred and a minimum of 1 year of experience is essential.
• Be prepared to roll up your sleeve and get stuck into whatever needs to get done.
• Demonstrate enthusiasm, care, and passion for making a difference in our residents’ lives.
• Ensure resident confidentiality.
• Reliable transport or travel arrangements.
• Applicants must be legally entitled to work in NZ.  

 

Reasons to Belong

• Fully subsidised Southern Cross health insurance to our eligible permanent NZ employees and a discount on insurance cover for eligible family members.
• Wellbeing discounts and advice, EAP counselling services, study support, and cultural leave.
• Paid parental leave - in addition to standard parental leave, Bupa offers 12 weeks of paid leave for primary carers and 2 weeks for secondary carers.
• Refer-a-friend programme.
• Professional Development – in-house and external training and development.
• Industry-competitive remuneration and benefits, and internal reward and recognition programmes.
• No matter who you are or where you come from, we encourage you to ‘Be You at Bupa’.

 

For the opportunity to join the Bupa community and to make a difference to the lives of our residents, please submit your application today – we would love to hear from you.

 

About Bupa

Through vision, passion, and sheer hard work, we’re one of New Zealand’s largest aged care and dementia care providers. As one of New Zealand’s leading healthcare organisations, we employ more than 4,000 people: we’re brave, caring, and responsible. All united by one purpose – helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world.

 

Our Values | Ā mātou ūara

Brave | Māiatanga   Caring | Manaakitanga   Responsible | Haepapa

 

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and therefore may result in the role closing early if the right applicant is found.

 

Location Wattle Downs Care Home Recruiter Manju Karamchandani