Commis Pastry Chef

Gonville & Caius College; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent college in Cambridge is looking for a Commis Pastry Chef to join their catering team. This full-time position requires experience or enthusiasm for pastry, along with adherence to food hygiene standards. The salary is £27,560 per annum, and the role involves creating high-quality desserts for students and staff.

Benefits

Generous Pension Scheme

Health care cash plan

33 days of annual holiday

Free on-site lunch

Workplace Nursery Scheme

College gym

Car parking

Cycle to work scheme

Opportunity to work in a beautiful environment

Qualifications

• Experience or keen interest in pastry.
• Knowledge of pastry required.
• Ability to maintain hygiene standards.

Responsibilities

• Work in the Pastry section to provide high-quality desserts.
• Ensure cleanliness according to Food Hygiene regulations.

Skills

Pastry techniques

Recipe understanding

Education

Training in pastry/desserts

Job description

Benefits

• Generous Pension Scheme; 14.5% employer contributions and 3x death in service benefit
• Health care cash plan
• 33 days of annual holiday (inc. Public Holidays)
• Free on-site lunch provided
• Workplace Nursery Scheme (salary sacrifice)
• College gym
• Car parking (subject to availability/eligibility)
• Cycle to work scheme
• The opportunity to work in a beautiful environment

The Role

Gonville & Caius College is seeking a Commis Pastry Chef to join their catering team. This is an exciting role and will be working in our Pastry section as part of a team of experienced Pastry Chefs. You will have some experience or keen interest in pastry, using classical and modern pastry techniques.

You will work alongside other members of the team to provide high quality desserts and pastry in all areas of our catering offering, which includes students, Fellows, staff and conference business.

You will have knowledge of pastry and ideally have obtained some training in pastry/desserts, you will have the ability to understand recipes and provide pastry to the standard required. Additionally, you will be responsible for ensuring your work practices are maintained and cleanliness of the sections meet Food Hygiene legislations and the principles of HACCP.

This is a permanent full-time role (40 hours per week, 5 out of 7 days).

The FTE equivalent salary is £27,560 per annum.

The College

Gonville & Caius College is one of the largest Colleges in the University of Cambridge. It is an educational charity, and its mission is to provide a place of education, religion, learning and research, in conjunction with a University that is recognised internationally as being of the highest standard.

The College is an academic community comprising some 530 undergraduate students, 250 graduate students, and 110 Fellows (lecturers, professors and other senior academic researchers and teachers) and almost 200 staff. It plays a significant role throughout the University. Our students come from all over the world and our undergraduates study all the subjects offered in the University. Our postgraduates play a vital role in the research activities of the wider University. Our Fellows have globally renowned research expertise ranging from Ancient History to Cosmology and are all recognised as leaders in their fields. The students who graduate from the College form an alumni group of approximately 11,000 individuals. They have achieved recognition in many walks of life and are resident in all continents.

Further Information

• Equality of opportunity; the College actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and we encourage applications from all sections of society and in particular, from people who may be under-represented in our community.
• Entry into a position with the College will be determined by the application of criteria related to the duties of the post. In all cases, ability to perform the job will be the primary consideration.
• During the application process, candidates are requested to complete the Equality & Diversity section as part of our Equal Opportunities Policy and monitoring process. The contents of this form will not be disclosed to the selection or interview panels, and all applicant data is managed in accordance with our data protection policy.
• The College has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
• In applying for this role, you will provide personal data which the College will process in accordance with its data protection obligations and its Data Protection Policy.

The Application Process

To view the full job description and apply, please click the 'apply' button.

1. Please note: we advise using a desktop to complete your application form, and Chrome or Edge as the recommended browser.
2. The closing date for applications is 12 noon BST on Tuesday 30 September 2025.
3. You are encouraged to make an early application as the vacancy may close early if sufficient applications are received.
4. For your application to be considered it must be complete and include an up-to-date CV, covering letter, and details of 2 referees, one of whom should have detailed knowledge of your ability in relation to the requirements of the role.