New Bakery Opening - Head Baker

GAIL's Bread; Harrogate; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free food & drink

50% off food

28 days holiday

Pension scheme

Development programmes

Health & wellbeing

EAP

Refer-a-friend bonus

Health cash plans

Cycle to work

Job summary

GAIL’s Bread is seeking a Head Baker in Harrogate. You will lead and develop a bakery team, ensuring high-quality bread, cakes and displays start setups from around 5:30am. You’ll need strong leadership, food-safety knowledge and hands-on baking expertise to drive consistency and excellence across shifts.

The role focuses on taking charge, training others, and delivering products to the highest standard while maintaining safety protocols. Start date: 19/10/2026.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a bakery team and training staff.
• Strong knowledge of food safety standards and procedures.
• Ability to organise and prioritise multiple baking tasks.
• Excellent communication with team and managers.

Responsibilities

• Lead and train the kitchen team to ensure high standards.
• Bake and prove items for displays and maintain recipes.
• Maintain food safety standards across shift operations.
• Start early shifts and manage day-to-day bakery workflow.

Skills

Team leadership

Food safety

Organised

Clear communication

Proven baking expertise

Job description

If you love the smell of freshly baked bread and always work with a smile, then please read on! Start Date: 19/10/2026

We are looking for Head Bakers who have a passion to join the GAIL’s family and for training and developing others. You should be motivated by taking charge and want to be a positive role model. With no day being the same, you must be organised and clear talking to maximise your teams’ potential and to deliver our fresh food, bread and cakes to high standards whilst maintaining food safety standards.

You will be proving and baking items for our beautifully presented displays and know our products and recipes inside out.

Our bakeries open early so typically Kitchen Team Members will start early too – it will vary between bakeries but typically around 5:30am – 6:30am

As appreciation for being a Head Baker with great execution and effective leadership, we will treat you to amazing benefits including:

• Free food and drink when working
• 50% off food and drink when not working
• Up to 28 days’ holiday per year (pro rata based on hours worked).
• Long service holiday
• Yearly pay review
• Pension scheme
• Development programmes for you to RISE with GAIL’s
• Health & Wellbeing provided by AVIVA
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Refer-a-friend bonus
• Health cash plans
• Spread the cost of home tech and appliances through salary schemes
• Discounted gym memberships
• Discounts and savings from high-street retailers and restaurants
• 24 hour GP service
• Cycle to work scheme

**T&Cs apply – benefits may vary, subject to eligibility**