Lead Pastry Chef for Museum Events & Retail

The Fresh Collective Pty Ltd; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Fresh Collective is seeking an experienced Head Pastry Chef to lead pastry and bakery production across Museums Victoria venues, including Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and Royal Exhibition Building. This hands‑on leadership role oversees events, retail and catering with occasional offsite work.

You will manage a talented pastry team, develop menus, plan weekly production and ensure top quality desserts, pastries and baked goods for premium events, retail and catering with a focus on safety

Qualifications

• Experience leading a pastry or bakery section in a high-volume events, catering, hotel or premium hospitality environment.
• Strong technical pastry skills with creative flair.
• Experience producing at scale while maintaining quality and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead the daily pastry and bakery operation across retail, events and catering.
• Create, prepare and present high-quality desserts, pastries and baked goods with consistent presentation, flavour and quality.
• Contribute to menu development, new dishes and seasonal offerings with Heads, Events and Retail & Events teams.
• Plan weekly production, mise en place, ordering and staffing requirements.
• Manage food costs, stock rotation, ordering and wastage in line with budget targets.
• Ensure recipes are documented, standardised and followed consistently.
• Supervise, train and motivate pastry team members, fostering a positive kitchen culture.
• Coordinate production and packing for functions, ensuring detail and timeliness.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, allergen management, hygiene and workplace safety.

Skills

Pastry leadership

High-volume events

Menu development

Cost control

Team training

Job description

The Fresh Collective is seeking an experienced Head Pastry Chef to lead pastry and bakery production across Museums Victoria venues, including Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and Royal Exhibition Building. This hands‑on leadership role oversees events, retail and catering with occasional offsite work.

You will manage a talented pastry team, develop menus, plan weekly production and ensure top quality desserts, pastries and baked goods for premium events, retail and catering with a focus on safety