Pastry Chef

Houston & Hawkes; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £40k–£42k per year

Mon-Fri schedule

Overtime paid 1.5x

Birthday off every year

Enhanced parental leave

Free meals on duty

Contributory pension

Life assurance

Employee assistance

CODE Hospitality membership

Masterclasses with Sally Abé

Foodie socials

Learning & progression

Summer Awards Party

Christmas party

Job summary

Houston & Hawkes in Central London is seeking an accomplished Pastry Chef to take ownership of the pastry operation within a prestigious hospitality setting. You will craft elegant desserts for fine dining, private lunches, receptions and high-profile events, while maintaining exceptional quality and presentation.

You'll bring strong classical and modern pastry techniques, a meticulous approach, and the ability to plan around an events calendar.

Qualifications

• Experience in a dedicated pastry role within fine dining, luxury hotels, prestigious venues or premium contract catering.
• Excellent knowledge of classical and modern pastry techniques.
• Strong technical ability across a broad range of pastry disciplines.
• Creativity with a sophisticated eye for detail and presentation.
• Exceptional planning, organisation and time management.
• Ability to take ownership of your pastry section and work confidently to an events calendar.
• Calm, precise and methodical approach, even when delivering multiple events and services.
• Genuine passion for quality ingredients, seasonality and beautifully executed pastry.
• High personal standards and a desire to continuously develop your craft.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the pastry section, planning and organising production to an exceptional standard.
• Create elegant plated desserts, petits fours, cakes, pastries and bespoke sweet items.
• Produce refined pastry for fine dining, private dining, receptions and high-profile events.
• Demonstrate excellent classical foundations alongside contemporary pastry techniques.
• Develop seasonal desserts and contribute creative ideas to menus and special events.
• Plan ahead around the events calendar, ensuring production is organised, efficient and consistently delivered.
• Work confidently with chocolate, choux, pastry, creams, mousses, sponges, fillings and finishing techniques.
• Maintain exceptional standards of flavour, texture, consistency and presentation.
• Manage stock, ordering, allergens and wastage within the pastry section.
• Work closely with the Head Chef and wider culinary team to ensure every menu is delivered seamlessly.
• Maintain impeccable food safety, hygiene and kitchen standards.

Skills

Fine dining pastry

Classical & modern techniques

Attention to detail

Plating & presentation

Production planning

Team collaboration

Job description

PASTRY CHEF

Houston & Hawkes | Central London |
£40,000 - £42,000 per annum | Monday to Friday

A rare opportunity for an accomplished
Pastry Chef to take ownership of pastry within one of London's most prestigious
hospitality settings.

Houston & Hawkes is looking for a
talented and highly skilled Pastry Chef who combines technical excellence with
creativity, precision and exceptional organisation.

Working within an elegant, historic venue,
you'll create beautiful pastry for refined fine dining, private lunches,
receptions and prestigious events. This is a role where quality matters - from
the balance of flavour and texture to the final detail on the plate.

You'll have the opportunity to bring your
own ideas to the pastry offer, work with quality seasonal ingredients and
create desserts that complement an exceptional food and hospitality experience.
We're looking for someone who takes genuine pride in their craft and
understands that outstanding pastry starts with meticulous preparation,
consistency and attention to detail.

THE ROLE

• Take ownership of the pastry section,
  planning and organising production to an exceptional standard
• Create elegant plated desserts, petits
  fours, cakes, pastries and bespoke sweet items
• Produce refined pastry for fine dining,
  private dining, receptions and high-profile events
• Demonstrate excellent classical foundations
  alongside contemporary pastry techniques
• Develop seasonal desserts and contribute
  creative ideas to menus and special events
• Plan ahead around the events calendar,
  ensuring production is organised, efficient and consistently delivered
• Work confidently with chocolate, choux,
  pastry, creams, mousses, sponges, fillings and finishing techniques
• Maintain exceptional standards of flavour,
  texture, consistency and presentation
• Manage stock, ordering, allergens and
  wastage within the pastry section
• Work closely with the Head Chef and wider
  culinary team to ensure every menu is delivered seamlessly
• Maintain impeccable food safety, hygiene
  and kitchen standards

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Strong experience in a dedicated pastry
  role within fine dining, luxury hotels, prestigious venues or premium contract
  catering
• Excellent knowledge of classical and modern
  pastry techniques
• Strong technical ability and confidence
  across a broad range of pastry disciplines
• Creativity with a sophisticated eye for
  detail and presentation
• Exceptional planning, organisation and time
  management
• The ability to take ownership of your
  section and work confidently to an events calendar
• A calm, precise and methodical approach,
  even when delivering multiple events and services
• A genuine passion for quality ingredients,
  seasonality and beautifully executed pastry
• High personal standards and a desire to
  continuously develop your craft

WHY JOIN HOUSTON & HAWKES?

• £40,000 - £42,000 per annum depending on
  experience
• Monday to Friday working pattern
• Overtime paid at time and a half
• Birthday off every year
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption
  leave
• Free meals on duty
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• CODE Hospitality membership
• Exclusive masterclasses with award-winning
  chef Sally Abé
• Foodie Socials bringing our teams together
  to share inspiration, new techniques and culinary ideas
• Ongoing learning, development and genuine
  career progression
• Summer Awards Party celebrating our people
  and achievements
• An unforgettable Christmas Party at one of
  London's outstanding venues

ABOUT HOUSTON & HAWKES

Houston & Hawkes is an award-winning
independent caterer built around exceptional food, genuine hospitality and
talented people. We work in some of the UK's most impressive locations, giving
our chefs the opportunity to create food they can genuinely be proud of.

We're a Certified B Corp, recipient of the
King's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development 2026 and proud to be
ranked No. 14 in The Caterer's Best Places to Work in Hospitality. For us,
those achievements are about more than awards - they reflect the standards we
set, the culture we create and the investment we make in our people.

If you're a Pastry Chef who cares about
precision, creativity and producing exceptional work, this is an opportunity to
make the pastry section your own and showcase what you do best.