Help Bring a Taste of Home to Older People in Aged Care
The Maggie Beer Foundation is seeking three Cultural Consultant Chefs to work with us on a new national project, A Taste of Home.
This is a paid consultancy running from April 2026 to January 2027.
It offers an opportunity to help bring delicious, culturally familiar and nutritious food to older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds living in aged care.
About the Project
Food is deeply connected to culture, memory and comfort. Many older people in aged care miss the dishes and flavours that feel like home.
This project prioritises food as remembered and valued by older people: everyday, celebratory and comfort dishes
A Taste of Home will:
- develop authentic cultural recipes for aged care kitchens
- create practical tools and resources for cooks and chefs
- support more inclusive, culturally appropriate meals, including for people on texture-modified diets
About the Role
As a Cultural Consultant Chef, you will:
- help develop up to 15 authentic recipes from your specialised cuisine
- take part in recipe testing and refinement
- share your cultural knowledge and cooking expertise
- appear in short, practical cooking videos and create other resources
- help ensure everything we create is respectful, authentic and practical for aged care
You will not be delivering training, but your expertise will guide and shape the project.
Who We’re Looking For
We are seeking chefs with deep, culturally specific food expertise who can contribute authentic, home-style recipes from a distinct cultural food tradition that is under-represented in mainstream Australian aged care menus.
We’re looking for chefs who:
- have strong experience cooking food from a specific cultural tradition
- can clearly explain the cultural significance, traditional techniques and flavour profiles of that cuisine, particularly as experienced by older generations
- hold at least a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (or equivalent experience) with current or recent industry practice in their specialised cuisine
- can work independently and give clear, practical advice
- have experience building scalable recipes and menus with a good understanding of kitchen systems
- enjoy solving tricky cooking challenges
- have excellent verbal communication skills and are comfortable appearing on camera
- are based in Australia and able to travel occasionally
Experience in aged care or texture-modified cooking is welcome, but not essential.
What We Offer
- a paid consultancy (approximately 15 days total)
- flexible engagement from April 2026 to January 2027
- all approved travel and expenses covered
- full onboarding and support from the Foundation
- the chance to make a meaningful difference to the lives of older people
Recruitment Process
Applicants will be asked to:
- submit a CV and cover letter addressing the selection criteria to: Training@maggiebeerfoundation.org.au
- participate in an online interview
- complete a cooking skills assessment (details to be confirmed)
In your cover letter, please clearly address the following:
- The cultural cuisine in which you have deep knowledge and expertise
- Your connection to that culture’s food traditions (e.g. family background, community involvement, long-term professional practice)
- Why you consider yourself an authority on this cuisine
- One or two examples of dishes that represent “home” for older people from this culture
The cooking skills assessment may include:
- attending a practical assessment (date and location to be confirmed), and/or
- filming a short cooking demonstration to camera
Why This Matters
This project is about dignity, inclusion and comfort and about making food something older people can truly enjoy again.
If you care about food, culture and making a difference, we would love to hear from you.
All assessment-related travel costs will be covered by the Maggie Beer Foundation.
For the full Position Description, visit the Maggie Beer Foundation website.
Applications close on April 17, 2026