Applications for 2023 are now closed (deadline 31st January 2023).
“A completely unique, immersive experience of living and working in a gorgeous setting where you will learn everything from cooking with home-grown produce to maintaining a beautifully restored stone house to caring for guests with warmth and hospitality. You will work hard and also get to reap the rewards by enjoying wonderful food, peaceful surroundings and being welcomed into the community.” (Rochelle, Canada)
We offer accommodation for up to 14 paying guests, breakfasts, dinners and occasional cooking classes, and have a large vegetable garden, olive grove and chickens to look after, among other things. We have a small permanent team of 3 people based here, and during tourist season (spring to autumn) we need extra help! This page is about joining our team for part or all of the tourist season.
For the period April to November 2023 we have three types of temporary position available. All are full-time positions.
Our schemes for these positions build on our experience over five previous seasons, during which time we have hosted over 50 interns/volunteers and several employees, a number of whom have returned for subsequent placements or promoted positions. People come from around the world to join our small team – to experience work and life in a rural guesthouse in Croatia.
On this page you will find out about working and living at Bolara 60, the differences between the roles, and how to apply for them.
Recruitment timetable:
31st January 2023: Application deadline for all positions
February: Shortlisting and interviews
March: Placements and posts confirmed
Note that there is one application form, which can be used to apply for any of the roles. You can find full details on how to apply, including the link to the application form, further down this page. Only applications received in the correct way will be considered.
If you apply after 31st January we will probably only be able to consider your application once the initial recruitment round has ended, if we find we still have vacancies (for example if someone selected withdraws).
Why join us?
“Volunteering at Bolara 60 was a hugely rewarding experience: I learnt an enormous number of new skills, very fast, in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. It is challenging, sometimes non-stop, and hard work so not for the faint-hearted, and with huge bonuses of a beautiful setting and gorgeous food and company. And you couldn’t ask for better hosts: Anna and Matt are interesting, and interested, people, who really care for and look after their volunteers. I highly recommend Bolara 60 as a place to volunteer!”
(Eleanor, UK)
Whether you are here for formal employment or an intern position there is plenty to do and to learn here, in a rather special setting. Bolara 60 is more than a tourism business; our mission has always been to bring people together in this beautiful spot as it offers such rich opportunities for conviviality, connection, collaboration and learning.
We look for people who will really enjoy living and working at Bolara 60, people who bring a positive attitude as well as useful skills. It is an opportunity to learn how a rural guesthouse works; to develop your cooking, gardening, housekeeping and management skills, perhaps in a completely new context; to meet guests from near and far; and to spend time in a beautiful peaceful rural area, learning about food, culture and society in Istria. All positions will suit people who thrive in a busy social context, who want to do and learn about everything that Bolara 60 has to offer, and who are ready to get stuck into any job, hard-working, reliable and self-motivated.
Our past interns and employees report many benefits from their stays with us. Here are those often cited:
The work involved is similar for all three types of position, and you can read about that below. Here are the key differences:
(Assistant) Guesthouse Manager:
This is a 6+ month position, starting in late April or early May, for someone with proven management experience who would like to develop their skills further by working an entire season with us. Most likely, it will be someone who has worked here before in some capacity, who therefore understands the ethos of the place and nature of the work. The manager ensures the smooth running of the guesthouse and the highest of standards of hospitality for our guests at all times. The exact job title, job description and salary will depend on the level and type of management experience and skills which the successful candidate brings, and on the configuration of our wider team in 2023. If you are interested in applying for this position, please contact us directly for the job description and person specification before completing the application form. The salary is in line with local norms: 1100 to 1500 euro pcm. Additionally, if needed, we can provide accommodation and full-board.
Seasonal Worker:
In 2023 we hope to offer several people 3 month work placements, which will likely overlap with each other. For those interested in gardening and cooking, the length of these placements is ideal because it allows people to experience seasonal transitions, and therefore a much wider range of experiences in the garden and kitchen than the shorter internship can provide. Seasonal workers will support the manager in all areas and take on particular responsibility areas. Successful candidates will have solid work experience which is relevant to the role. We imagine all staff will contribute to all areas of the business (cooking, baking, hosting, cleaning, laundry, gardening, agricultural work etc). However if people bring strong skill sets which complement others in the team, we may consider partially specialised roles, something which can be discussed at interview. The salary is in line with local norms: 800-900 euro pcm. Additionally, if needed, we can provide accommodation and full-board.
Intern:
We hope to host one or two interns at all times, each here for a 6 to 8 week work placement. These placements are an ideal way to first experience living and working at Bolara 60, and to develop your skills and knowledge in a wide range of areas. People have volunteered here for different reasons – from gaining work experience during or after their studies to taking a contemplative career break, or getting a change of scene, a bit, or much, later in life – so there is no one right reason to come. Interns need to have some relevant work experience, but more importantly we look for people with a great attitude and with reasons for doing the placement which match what it can offer. As an intern you are a full-time member of the staff team and also a member of the Bolara family – taking your turn cooking and cleaning up our ‘family’ meals. These are not salaried positions, but we do offer accommodation and full-board and a weekly stipend of 125 euro.
Hours: All positions are full-time, therefore c.40 hours per week. Working hours are varied and may involve early starts (eg 7 or 8am), late finishes (eg 10 or 11pm) and split shifts. We create a weekly plan so everyone can see ahead of time when they will be working. We do our best to make sure work is shared such that nobody needs to work an early shift following a late one. Given their extra responsibilities and salary, the (Assistant) Manager may need to work some extra hours.
Time off: All positions have one full day and two half days off each week. Employees also qualify for paid leave: one week per 3 months worked, the timing of which must be agreed in advance.
Shifts: The plan for 2023 may differ, but in the past we have operated a system of shifts: Early morning duty (8-9am), Breakfast duty (8-10am), Morning shift (10am-1pm), Afternoon shift (3-6pm), Evening duty (6-10pm), Dinner service (6-11pm).
Jobs: Below is an outline of the work. Please note that some activities will vary from week to week and month to month since they may depend on the season, the weather and the number of guests arriving, staying, dining and departing. These jobs are shared among the team. So in some cases you may be doing them together with one or two others, or dividing them up, or doing them on alternate days or weeks. We provide plenty of training and support in your first weeks to get you up to speed. Finally please note that everyone living at Bolara 60 is expected to chip into the work of looking after ourselves, as house-mates would in a shared house, in addition to carrying out their guesthouse duties.
BREAKFASTS
We serve guest breakfast every morning. The work includes laying the tables and setting out the breakfast foods on the terrace / in the dining room, hosting and serving guests during the meal, and cleaning up afterwards. During the week we make the yoghurt, granola, sourdough bread and jams which we serve for breakfasts, and also prep some of the ‘breakfast specials’ we offer, such as shakshuka and spicy beans.
HOUSEHOLD
There are daily chores such as watering plants, sweeping, emptying the dishwasher, putting away the laundry, taking out the rubbish, collecting the eggs and tending to the chickens. Then on days when guests are leaving and/or due to arrive, we turn around their rooms and bathrooms: hoovering, mopping, dusting, window-cleaning, laundry, ironing, bed-making, flower-arranging, etc. Cleanliness and aesthetics are extremely important in a guesthouse, so these household jobs must always be done impeccably. We have high standards!
GARDENING
We have a large vegetable garden, herb patches, fruit, nut and olive trees, courtyard area, a meadow and lawn to look after. Work includes weeding, watering, sowing, planting, pruning, cutting the grass and harvesting crops. Exact jobs will depend on the season. In spring and early summer we are busy growing vegetables from seeds and seedlings, planting out the garden and weeding. In summer the focus shifts to cutting the grass and making haystacks, watering, harvesting and planting out autumn crops. In late summer and autumn we process our harvests (eg tomatoes into passata), cut back the lavender bushes, and eventually prepare the beds for winter.
DINNERS
We serve guest dinners on Wednesdays and Saturdays – three course seasonal dinners with aperitifs and wine. The style of cooking is unpretentious and rustic, Mediterranean-leaning, full of vegetables, and using as much produce from our own garden as possible. We also serve meat and occasionally fish, sometimes using the outdoor grill and indoor fireplace to cook. The work involves helping prepare the food during the afternoon, laying the tables before guests arrive, hosting and serving during the meal, washing up and clearing everything away at the end.
COOKING CLASSES
Anna offers very occasional cooking classes (depending on our capacity). Our classes are usually vegetable-led, using produce from the garden where possible. We often make pasta, mezze-style dishes, soups, breads, salads and fruity desserts. Classes are participatory – everyone gets stuck into the cooking together – and the style is informal. The work includes helping set up the kitchen and cooking spaces, assisting Anna teach for example by getting ingredients and kit ready and helping guide guests, laying the table and helping serve and clear the meal, and cleaning up during the class and afterwards.
PROJECTS
Once or twice a week some of us work together to get a project done. These are usually culinary, such as transforming garden harvests or market hauls into jams, pickles, ketchups, cordials, liqueurs and other preserves. We also dry our own herbs, lavender buds, borlotti beans, garlic, chillies and nuts, and process our own corn for polenta. In spring we go out to pick wild garlic, wild asparagus, elderflowers and blackthorn shoots to use in our projects. And we regularly make the yoghurt, granola and sourdough bread for our breakfasts. The result is a very well stocked larder, which supplies many of our house specialities.
OTHER JOBS
There are always other things going on! There are a number of seasonal agricultural jobs, such as helping with the potato, grape, corn and olive harvests, raking up the hay meadow, pruning olive trees and collecting and stacking firewood. There are also occasional DIY projects, such as making lavender bags, repairing/repurposing old objects, varnishing wooden furniture or helping build something new. And every year seems to bring new special events too – weddings, workshops, film crews and more…
Most of our team live here with us. This means we provide bed and board, and staff members are free to use all our communal spaces, along with our paying guests. For staff bedrooms we use one or two in our main house, plus one or two which we rent from our neighbours. (The manager has first choice on location.) We encourage all our team to get to know our guests and our neighbours. We do not like to draw a heavy line, or curtain, between “staff” and “guests”, nor between “front” and “back” of house. Of course these distinctions exist, but the vibe here is quite informal, with all of us often gathered around one table for meals or drinks. This situation is worth considering when thinking about applying, for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, it means the experience of living and working here can feel immersive, or quite “full on”, since you have limited private space “away” from work space. You are living where you work, and working where you live. Your colleagues are also your housemates, and will probably also become friends with whom you want to spend time off. Our paying guests tend to go out during the day, but are here for every breakfast and around many evenings too, whether for our dinners or just a drink and a chat. Working here therefore suits people who thrive in busy social settings – you will make many friends from around the world. It also means knowing when and how to find quiet alone time, such as escaping to a corner of the garden with a book, taking yourself off for a solo outing or being able to opt for an early night without fear of missing out.
Secondly, it means being not only a good team-player but also a good housemate. Those of us living here all chip in when it comes to some of the regular household chores and preparing and clearing up our “family” meals (which are all lunches and some dinners). We also clean our own bedrooms and bathrooms, and help keep communal areas tidy. If cooking for others scares you, don’t worry – everyone is happy with leftovers or pasta ‘n’ pesto. If you love cooking or are looking to develop your skills, then taking your turn preparing family lunches and dinners is a great opportunity for experience, something many interns have noted in the past.
You will likely have some time off at the same time as other team members, and some time off alone. Below you will find some suggestions for what to do with your time off.
We are keen for everyone living here to get to know the area. Note that there is no public transport to our village. Some people bring or hire their own car so that nipping out to the seaside is easy and daytrips further afield are possible. Others are happy to soak up the atmosphere in our immediate area.
There are several lovely walks and cycle rides right from our door, including to a couple of nearby villages and bar-restaurants. We have bicycles people can borrow, and also a small car which confident and experienced drivers can use occasionally (in return for petrol contributions). We also try to organise a joint excursion every week or so, for example to local restaurants, wineries and food festivals.
Our previous volunteers have done the following with their free time:
Walking up to picturesque Grožnjan (45 mins each way and a very pretty walk), where there are cafés, bars, small galleries and great views, or further along the Parenzana (a dismantled Habsburg railway line connecting villages in the hills, now a pretty walking/cycling route).
Borrowing our bikes. Livade (10km east mostly along flat white road) has restaurants and a café. From here you could then climb the hill up to medieval Oprtalj or Motovun – both very steep but great views at the top, plus restaurants etc. Or you can head west to Novigrad along the gravel road (19km) and take a dip in the sea.
Chatting to our guests and neighbours over coffee or wine.
Joining us when we find time to socialise with friends and neighbours, in Bolara or further afield.
Cooking or baking something they fancy cooking.
Using their own car to explore Istria’s coastal towns, swimming spots and hill-top villages, plus nearby Slovenia and Italy. We can provide lots of tips.
Or borrowing our car for occasional local trips.
Catching up with their other work (for example academic reading and writing).
Relaxing with a good book under a tree.
For all post-holders:
Additional terms for employees:
Additional terms for interns:
Applicants must meet all essential criteria. Preference will be given to those additionally meeting some of the preferred criteria.
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA
For all positions:
Additional essential criteria for (Assistant) Manager position:
Additional essential criteria for the Seasonal Worker positions:
Additional essential criteria for the Intern positions:
PREFERRED CRITERIA
For all positions:
Make sure you have a good look through our website. For more insight into life at Bolara 60 check out our Instagram. To read testimonials from previous placement holders, see the bottom of this page. And for more information on the region, see here. If you have any remaining questions please don’t hesitate to ask us.
If you are happy with everything you have read so far, and meet all the essential criteria, please apply by completing this online form and submitting it by 31st January 2023.
Here are some important notes about the application form:
After the application deadline of 31st January we will shortlist and then hold interviews, usually by Zoom, during February. We expect to be able to make all placement offers during the first half of March. If you will need to know sooner than that, please let us know.
Thank you for your interest! We hope you will apply….
[Please note that if you enquire about working with us or send us an application we will keep your name and email address on file so that we can let you know about placement opportunities here. Just let us know anytime if you’re no longer interested. Read more about how we handle personal data here.]
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