Head Pastry Chef

Gonville & Caius College; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A historic educational institution in Cambridge is seeking a talented Head Pastry Chef to manage the pastry section and deliver high-quality desserts. You should have experience in classical and modern pastry, alongside skills in menu writing and large volume catering. This full-time role offers a competitive salary of £37,688 in a vibrant culinary environment.

Benefits

Generous Pension Scheme

Health care cash plan

Free on-site lunch

Workplace Nursery Scheme

College gym

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in managing a pastry section at a minimum of Sous Pastry Chef level.
• Ability to train fellow Pastry Chefs to required standards.
• Skills in menu writing and large volume catering.

Responsibilities

• Manage the pastry section and coordinate with other team members.
• Provide high quality desserts and pastries for various catering needs.
• Ensure cleanliness of work areas meets hygiene standards.

Skills

Classical pastry techniques

Modern pastry techniques

Menu writing

Large volume catering

Food Hygiene legislation

HACCP principles

Job description

Why work at Caius?

Benefits include:

• 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 talented and experienced Head Pastry Chef to join their catering team. This exciting role will be responsible for managing the Pastry section as part of a team reporting to the College’s Head Chef. You will have experience in classical and modern pastry at Sous Pastry Chef level as a minimum.

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.

Experienced in menu writing and large volume catering, you will have the ability and expertise to train fellow Pastry Chefs to the standard required. Additionally, you will be responsible for ensuring work practices are maintained and cleanliness of the sections meet Food Hygiene legislation and the principles of HACCP.

This is a permanent, full-time role. The hours of work are 40 hours per week, worked over 5 out of 7 days.

The annual full-time salary for this role is £37,688.

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.

• Please note: we advise using a desktop to complete your application form, and Chrome or Edge as the recommended browser.
• The closing date for applications is 12 noon GMT on Tuesday 24 November 2025.
• You are encouraged to make an early application as the vacancy may close early if sufficient applications are received.
• 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.