Australia’s leading platform for hiring temporary chefs
Sidekicker connects hospitality businesses, like yours, with experienced chefs. With a 95% fill rate, you can quickly find commis chefs, chef de partie chefs, kitchen hand and senior chefs exactly when you need them.
10,000+ customers
1.5m+ shifts completed
95% fill rate
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We have thousands of pre-qualified chefs staff ready to go
Sidekicker connects you with skilled chefs who are ready to step into your kitchen.
Filling kitchen shifts, managing seasonal rushes or finding reliable chefs has never been this easy
1. Make a request
Submit a request through your dashboard and tell us what you need, whether it’s one chef for a last-minute shift or a full kitchen team.
2. Hire a chef
Our platform gets to work matching you with the best available chefs. Review profiles, experience and availability, then lock them in.
3. Approve & pay
Once the shift is complete, approve timesheets, leave a rating and we’ll handle the rest.
Skilled chefs you can rely on
Carefully vetted and ready to work
Every Sidekick is screened before they ever step into your kitchen. We handle interviews, food handling and commercial cooking certifications, right-to-work checks and role-specific onboarding. So when you’re hiring a chef, you know they’re qualified and ready to go.
Full visibility before you hire
Each chef has a detailed profile with ratings, reviews, and past experience, so you can choose with confidence. It’s a more transparent alternative to a traditional chef recruitment agency.
Build your go-to team
Found a chef who fits your kitchen? Save them to your favourites and rebook them whenever you need. Over time, you’ll build a trusted pool of chefs who already know your setup, your standards, and your team.
Fast, flexible chef hire
Fill shifts without the wait
Need cover quickly? Post a shift in seconds and it’s shared with available chefs nearby straight away. Our 95% fill rate sits higher than alternative chef recruitment agencies.
Hire on your terms
Pick the chefs you want, or let the platform do the matching for you. Whether you prefer full control or a hands-off approach, you decide how you hire.
Backed by real support
If something changes or you need a hand, our support team is available around the clock. So even during your busiest services, you’re never left scrambling for staff.
Smarter, more cost-effective chef hire
Reduce hiring overheads
Sidekicker gives you a better alternative to a traditional chef recruitment agency. With no manual recruiters or branch networks, you can access skilled chefs without the added costs, so your budget goes a whole lot further.
Set rates that works for you
You’re in control of what you offer. Adjust rates based on demand, shift type, or experience level, so you can stay competitive while keeping costs in check.
Built-in compliance
Every chef on the platform is verified and cleared to work, with digital compliance systems handling the checks behind the scenes. Our certification engine also proactively flags any expired or soon-to-expire certifications or documents so nothing slips through the cracks. That means less admin for you, and confidence that every shift is covered properly.
Don’t take our word for it
Thousands of companiess across ANZ have made the switch to Sidekicker from traditional staffing agencies to fill gaps in their roster, deal with seasonal peaks and solve permanent recruitment
Sidekicker is a partnership made in heaven–it’s really how casual staffing should be done.
As a frequent user of Sidekicker, I have found that their technology is extremely easy to use and functional for all.
We can get experienced staff and control the pay rates ourselves. It allows us to scale up our team when we need it.
Great service with staff being presentable and right fit for the position. It’s is a very user friendly platform for making requests, assigning staff and sending through timesheets.
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How does the payment process work for hiring cooks and chefs through Sidekicker?
All of Sidekicker’s cooks and chefs are employed by Sidekicker. Once a shift is completed approve the timesheet, click pay and it's done!
Can I view the profiles and ratings of available cooks and chefs before making a hiring decision?
Yes! All of our cooks and chefs come with a detailed profile. We want to make temporary staffing better and more transparent.
Is there a minimum or maximum number of hours I can hire cooks and chefs for on Sidekicker?
The minimum shift is 4 hours.
How does Sidekicker ensure the reliability and quality of the temporary cooks and chefs available for hire?
All cooks and chefs must pass an interview and skill test. Once on the platform they are rated and reviewed after every shift and their reliability is tracked. Our matching engine rewards those with the best performance.
How quickly can I request and hire cooks and chefs through Sidekicker to fill urgent staffing gaps?
All cooks and chefs have a worker app which instantly notifies them about suitable shifts meaning our fill times are minutes not days.