Club Chef
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Melbourne supplier of chef uniforms, knives and kitchen equipment.
We couldn't confirm where it makes the rest, and most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where the legal minimum is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Club Chef names some of the countries it makes in: Australia. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Club Chef has Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation for some lines made in Australia, but neither ECA nor the brand names them. Its Victorian workshop handles sampling, alterations and short runs, while larger orders go to an international manufacturing network in countries it does not name. It publishes no split of local and offshore production, no supplier list and no modern slavery statement, and ECA's award-wage checks do not cover imported garments. Its uniforms include poly/cotton fabrics with no stated cotton origin. It also resells third-party footwear and knives.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical Clothing Australia | Certified | Listed by Ethical Clothing Australia as accredited for specific product lines made in Australia only. View |
| Fair Wear | Not listed | No Fair Wear membership found covering its offshore production. View |
| B Corp directory | Not listed | No B Corp certification found. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No supply chain labour allegations against Club Chef are known. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Ethical Clothing Australia: Club Chef · search the archive · Accredited under 'Specific Product Lines Made in Australia'; hospitality uniform brand with stores in Northcote, Melbourne CBD and Surry Hills.
- Dura-Wear Industries · search the archive · Garment design, manufacture, import, wholesale and retail; over 40 staff across 6 sites in Victoria and NSW.
Published by Club Chef or its owner
- Club Chef: About us · search the archive · Part of Dura-Wear; local workshop does sampling, alterations and short runs; larger orders made by an international network.
- Club Chef official website · search the archive · Own-brand aprons in poly/cotton canvas and chef jackets; resells STICO, Birkenstock, Crocs and other footwear; no made-in-Australia claim.
Company details
- Owned by
- Dura-Wear Industries
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 40
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Club Chef ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/club-chef, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded workwear and uniforms
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Club Chef.