Pastry Chef

WSH Group; Romford; On-site; GBP 24,300 - 29,700; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days holiday

Volunteer days

Grandparent leave

Maternity leave (24 weeks)

Pension & life insurance

Perkbox discounts

Wellbeing hub

Free meals

Career development through apprentices

Job summary

Holroyd Howe, serving Brentwood School, seeks a talented Pastry Chef to lead the pastry section, delivering high-quality baked goods, breads and desserts, and enhancing the school's dining experience for pupils and staff.

You will join a team focused on fresh, innovative catering for independent schools, with emphasis on allergen management, safety, and exceptional service.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated pastry experience, ideally in contract catering or similar high-end food service.
• Passion for pastry with creativity in menu development.
• Strong focus on food safety and kitchen hygiene.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop pastry offer to high standards across home baking and desserts.
• Manage production, standards, costs and menu planning with the Executive/Head Chef.
• Ensure smooth running of the pastry section and assist with orders and new concepts.
• Plan, prepare, cook and present food to required standards for client and company.
• Maintain the company's reputation for excellent food and service with clients and customers.

Skills

Pastry experience

Creativity

Food safety

Attention to detail

Team player

Job description

Job Title: Pastry Chef
Location: Brentwood, Romford
Contract Type: Term-Time (175 days), 40 hours a week,
Salary: £27K

Why Join Us?

• 28 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• 3 volunteering days to give back to causes you care about
• 3 days grandparent leave for those special family moments
• 24 weeks enhanced maternity leave
• Bespoke training & development opportunities
• Pension & life insurance
• Discounts on high street brands, cinema & holidays via the Perkbox App
• Wellbeing hub & access to employee assistance programme
• Free meals while at work
• Career development through apprenticeships for all experience levels.

About the Role

We are looking for a talented and creative Pastry Chef to join the kitchen team at Brentwood School. You will be responsible for producing a variety of high-quality baked goods, breads and desserts, supporting the wider culinary operation while adding a distinctive flair to the school’s food offering. From traditional bakes to innovative patisserie, your work will play a key part in delivering an exceptional dining experience for pupils, staff, and guests.

You will be joining Holroyd Howe, one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

The safety and wellbeing of the people we serve is at the heart of everything we do. A key element is effective allergen management; achieved through training, communication, and care, we create mealtimes where every pupil has a safe experience. Our mission is simple: to provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their job and our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.

Key Responsibilities

• To lead and develop pastry offer and ensure high standards are met across all areas of home baking and desserts, as agreed with Executive/Head Chef
• To ensure food production, standards, costs and menu planning are carried out in a timely fashion, as agreed with the Executive Chef/Head Chef.
• To carry out the smooth and efficient running of the section as appropriate.
• To assist the Executive Chef/Head Chef with compiling food orders and developing new food concepts.
• To plan, prepare, cook and present food to the standards required by the company and the client.
• To ensure that the company’s reputation for excellent food and service is enhanced with the client and customers.

Candidate Profile

• Demonstrable experience in a Pastry Chef, ideally within a contract catering environment, hotel, or high‑end food service setting
• A genuine passion for pastry, with a flair for creativity and innovation in menu development
• Exceptional attention to detail, ensuring precision in preparation and excellence in presentation
• A strong understanding of food safety, allergen management, and best practices in kitchen hygiene
• A proactive and collaborative team player, with the ability to work independently when required
• Confident and professional when working in a school environment, with an understanding of the needs of young people

We pride ourselves on

People first

We’re a company of individuals, united in doing our best for our clients.

Great food, always

Using only the best ingredients, our food is fresh, authentic and tailored to each school, age group, and specific needs and preferences.

Food education

We educate pupils through food, encouraging them to understand and develop their own personal tastes and make informed food choices.

Respect in everything we do

Our respectful codes of conduct inform how we behave towards our clients and customers, suppliers and business partners, and each other.

Fresh thinking

New ideas for food, service and ways of working help us maintain our position as creative leaders in school catering.

In order to be considered for this role you must be able to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK.

Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe involve regulated activity. It is a criminal offence for individuals barred from working with children to apply for such roles. An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including a Barred List check will be required for all successful applicants. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide information about relevant criminal offences and will be subject to an online search of publicly available information. This search helps identify any issues that may affect suitability to work with children.

This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.