Careers at Appetise
Pull up a seat at the table.
High-impact work, a tight-knit team (18 and counting) and a product that sits at the heart of what people eat. Join us in building the future of grocery shopping.
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What’s for dinner?What’s on special this week?Will the kids actually eat it?Have we got mince?What goes with chicken?
How we started
Appetise started with the question every household asks 365 nights a year.
“What’s for dinner?” Three words, a daily decision, a problem millions of people solve from scratch every single evening.
We started Appetise in 2021 to answer it. Not with another recipe blog. With a meal planner that connects what you’re cooking to what’s on special, what’s in your fridge, and what your household actually likes.
Do I need to defrost something?Is there a quicker version?Did we eat that already this week?Can I make this with what’s in the fridge?
Founder video
Video of Toby + Elise to go hereMeet the founders
From our kitchen to yours
Toby and Elise Hilliam started Appetise (previously MenuAid) in 2021 in Christchurch, New Zealand to help make nutrition less complicated and more accessible for families. In 2026, they’re helping hundreds of thousands of households across New Zealand and Australia shop and cook smarter, while helping FMCG brands show up better for those consumers.
Watch videoOur four principles
The recipe for how we work.
These aren’t values on a wall — they’re the language we use to give feedback, make decisions, and check our own behaviour.
We Win or We Learn
We think big, take smart risks, and learn fast — together. We challenge each other, own our work, and celebrate wins as a team. No silos, no “not my problem.”
Commitment to Our Customers
Our customers’ voices take centre stage. We listen, act on feedback, and stay honest and transparent — never assuming “they wouldn’t even notice.”
Change For The Better
We improve through small, deliberate steps. We challenge the status quo, refuse to settle, and keep asking, “How can we be better?”
We Are Strongest As A Team
A recipe is just words without people cooking together. We keep communication open, back each other, and make sure everyone feels valued and connected to the mission — no one operates in isolation.
Benefits & perks
How we nourish our team
We can’t out-salary the big corporates, but here’s the trade.
Office days that matter
Monday Lunch. Treat Tuesdays. Quarterly team days. We eat in person.
Paid parental leave
Genuine support for new parents on your team.
Flexible working
Sydney and Christchurch hubs, with anchor office days + WFH days.
Learning budget
If it’s relevant to your role, we say yes.
ESOP
Skin in the game. As we grow, you grow with us.
Career Acceleration
A clear competency framework, and internal promotion first.
Where we work
Two hubs, one team.
We’re office-first and team-rhythm-first. Sydney is our growth engine. Christchurch is where it all began.
Honest bit
We’re not for everyone
If you want the comfort of a big team, deep specialisation, and a process for everything, Appetise probably isn’t your next move. And that’s fair.
We move fast, sometimes faster than feels comfortable.
The brief might land Monday and ship Friday. You’ll need to be OK with that.
Roles are broader than your job title.
If you came expecting only your function, you’ll be frustrated. If you came to learn three new things, you’ll thrive.
The bar is high, and we say so directly.
Feedback is generous but unvarnished. We expect it back.
We’re growing, so the org will keep changing.
The team you join in March looks different in September. That’s the deal.
How To Become an Appetiser
Four steps, transparent throughout. We aim to close every loop within three weeks of your first conversation.
The process
01 / Intro Chat
30 minutes with our team, or one-way video interview. Mutual sniff test, the role, your story, your questions.
02 / Craft Conversation
60 minutes with the hiring manager and a peer. We go deep on the craft. Bring examples.
03 / Take-home, or live exercise
A small piece of real-shaped work. Time-boxed. We pay for take-homes that take more than 90 minutes.
04 / Founder chat and offer
30 minutes with Toby or Elise. Then we move quickly. References and offer within a week.
Ready to make work more delicious?
We’re hiring across most functions. If you don’t see your role listed, we’d still love to hear from you.
See open roles