Pastry Chef

Title: Pastry Chef - Monday - Friday

Location: Swanbourne House, Swanbourne, MK17 0HZ

Salary: 14.90 per hour (with a pay increase next Spring)

Benefits:

• 28 Days holiday including bank holidays
• 3 volunteering days
• 3 days grandparent leave
• 24 week's enhanced maternity leave
• Bespoke training and development opportunities
• Pension and life insurance
• Discounts available on our HAPI app; high street shops, holidays & cinema
• Wellbeing hub
• Access to employee assistance programme
• Free meals whilst at work
• Career development opportunities
• HIT Apprenticeships for all experience levels

Are you a skilled and creative Pastry Chef looking for a demanding yet rewarding opportunity? Join the culinary team at Swanbourne House, part of the Stowe School Group, where you'll lead the pastry section and create exceptional desserts for students and staff in this prestigious educational setting.

This is a fantastic chance to work with Holroyd Howe, the UK's leading independent caterers, known for setting the standard in education catering. You'll have the opportunity to showcase your creativity, using top-quality ingredients while being part of a supportive and professional kitchen team.

Our school offers a stable Monday-to-Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm schedule, totaling 40 hours per week, across 40 weeks of the year, which fosters a strong work-life balance. While occasional weekend or evening shifts may be needed for end-of-term events, these are limited to one or two per term and are always paid as overtime. This rewarding role allows you to make a genuine impact within a dynamic school setting. Experience in contract catering or education is preferred but not essential-passion for pastry and a commitment to excellence are what truly matter.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare high-quality pastries and desserts to the standards set by senior chefs.
• Assist with special functions and events, ensuring exceptional pastry offerings.
• Consistently deliver top-quality desserts across all dining areas, including functions and client dining.
• Lead pastry operations for client dining and the staff restaurant when requested by senior chefs.
• Support the training and development of junior pastry chefs.
• Ensure smooth daily pastry operations, maintaining high standards of quality and presentation.
• Uphold hygiene and food safety standards, conducting regular personal hygiene checks.
• Maintain pastry section standards, ensuring consistency in staff meals and minimizing waste.
• Adhere to Health, Hygiene, and Safety policies, following the guidelines of the Searcy Health & Safety Policy.
• Comply with legal and safety regulations, including fire regulations, security, and client-specific requirements.
• Complete any additional duties as reasonably requested by senior management.

• Pastry experience is essential, with a minimum of 2 years in a professional kitchen.
• Strong communication skills, both within the team and with senior chefs.
• Excellent time management and the ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• High level of organization, ensuring smooth workflow and efficient pastry production.
• Accurate record keeping, particularly in relation to ingredients, hygiene, and safety standards.
• Flexibility with hours, willing to accommodate the needs of the business, including special events and last-minute changes.
• Ability to work under pressure, adapting to unforeseen circumstances such as function changes or staff shortages.
• Positive and cooperative attitude, fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment.

Holroyd Howe is one of the UK's leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

To provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their jobs, we invest in their training and development. Our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.

We pride ourselves on:

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of our thinking; always mindful of the ethics of our sourcing and how we prepare our meals.

Nutrition

We take nutrition seriously and understand the impact a healthy diet has on the fundamental years of development. Meals are always freshly prepared from scratch and packed with nutritious ingredients.

Food Innovation

We offer a wide portfolio of training opportunities and experiences, which attracts chefs who are passionate about culinary excellence and menu innovation to our team.

From tasting tables, theme days and food theatre, to chef demonstrations and supplier showcases, we create engaging and fun dining experiences for our students. We work together to make mealtimes exploratory, quirky, and fun for our pupils, helping them build strong and healthy relationships with food.

"Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe are regarded as regulated activity and therefore we require an Enhanced DBS which includes a Barred List Check for all successful applicants. We will also require shortlisted applicants to provide appropriate information regarding their criminal offences."

This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.

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