A popular tavern in a picturesque seaside village in East Gippsland has put a desperate call-out for qualified chefs ahead of the summer season.

The Waterwheel Beach Tavern at Lake Tyers, near Lakes Entrance, has been struggling to find chefs.

They need three to four, at a minimum, to get through summer with the influx of Melburnians coming to town to holiday.res

Co-owner Tony Carroll said they will pay above award.

“We are shutting on days where we would normally be open, just to give staff a break,” he told Neil Mitchell.

“Once COVID hit, I think a lot of chefs certainly within Victoria and probably Australia went back overseas.

“Whether there was an exodus to Queensland, that’s another train of thought.”

Neil said it was “one of the most beautiful places” in Victoria.

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Image: Waterwheel Beach Tavern, Facebook