Pastry Chef

Canada's Wonderland; Buena Park (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

Knott's Berry Farm is seeking a Pastry Chef for the Bakery department. The role oversees baking production, recipe development, and coordination with chefs to plan desserts, manage budgets, and lead a team of baking staff.

The candidate should have extensive pastry expertise, leadership experience, and strong computer/inventory skills to optimize PAR levels and schedule bakery operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in culinary arts is required.
• ServSafe Food - Manager level certification is required.
• California Food Handler's Card is required.
• 8–10 years of prior work experience in bakery/pastry fields.
• 3–5 years of prior leadership or supervisory experience.
• Computer skills including word processors, spreadsheets, and e-mail; experience with inventory systems.
• Skilled bread, pastry and cake production and development.

Responsibilities

• Train and certify food preparation personnel to meet division standards.
• Ensure timely production of baked goods meeting standards and catering demands.
• Maintain health and safety compliance; conduct routine inspections and logs.
• Order supplies based on attendance projections; manage FIFO inventories.
• Create a variety of desserts from fondant, piping, and scratch-baked items; develop new menu items.
• Manage bakery department inventory, cost of goods sold, and finances.
• Communicate effectively with staff and leadership; address guest concerns.
• Motivate and recognize bakery team members.

Skills

Bread production

Pastry production

Leadership

Budget management

Scheduling

Staff supervision

Food safety

Education

Bachelor's degree in culinary arts

Tools

Food trak system

Inventory system

Job description

Overview

The Pastry Chef is responsible for Overseeing the Bakery dept. The role is responsible for crafting various delectable such as cakes, pies, tarts, and bread components in regards to Knott's Berry Farm Bakery and Pastry Standards. The Pastry Chef will coordinate with the Executive Sous Chef as well as the Executive Chef in pairing bread and desserts, ordering supplies, and planning and directing baking preparation as well as supervising a team of baking staff. It is essential to have comprehensive knowledge of managing PAR levels, budgets, and scheduling as well as other administrative tasks.

Salary Details: $69,750 - 93,000/yr., based on prior experience

Responsibilities

• Ensures all food preparation personnel are properly trained and certified to perform their respective duties to meet division standards in conjunction with department managers.
• Ensures the timely production of baked goods that Meet and/or Exceeds standards, includes meeting the demands of menu specialties and special catering event requests in collaboration with Executive Chef on menu development to ensure park menus keep pace with changing public tastes, trends, and food cost goals, including the research, development, testing and sampling of new recipes and putting the chosen recipes into production.
• Ensures that all facilities and employees meet all health and safety guidelines established by law and the Company, taking immediate corrective actions as appropriate. This includes conducting routine inspections of employees and facilities to ensure all Health Code requirements are consistently being met and appropriately corrected; and implementation and maintenance of appropriate temperature logs for food and equipment.
• Orders food and supplies according to attendance projections and utilization levels to ensure timely availability of needed items; maintains inventory levels using FIFO method in all park facilities; takes appropriate and immediate corrective actions to address temporary shortages and immediate meets.
• Craft various deserts from fondant icing, sugar crafting, candy making, cake designing, and fresh from scratch puddings, mousses, custards, muffins, cookies, brownies and various other deserts and baked goods. Keep up with new trends and develop new menu items as needed.
• Manages the inventory levels, the COGS and any financial aspect of the bakery dept.
• Effective communicator, maintains communicationwith staff, and leadership as needed. Responds to guest concerns as directed by leadership group.
• Motivates and recognizes the team members.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in culinary arts.
• ServSafe Food - Manager levelcertification required.
• California Food Handler's Card.
• Minimum 8-10 years of prior, work-related experience.
• Minimum 3-5 years of prior leadership, supervisory experience.
• Computer skills including knowledge of word processors, spreadsheets, and e-mail. Some type of Food trak or inventory system is a must.
• Skilled Bread, pastry and cake production and development
• Ability to work nights, weekends and holiday periods to meet business needs.
• Ability to pass a mandatory (or random) drug test, per Company policy, unless prohibited by state or provincial law.
• Ability to pass a background check, if 18 years of age or older, which may include, but is not limited to, credit, criminal, DMV, previous employment, education and personal references, per Company policy, unless prohibited by federal, state, or provinciallaw.