Hands-On Production Chef - Artisanal Bakery & Ice Cream

Recruit for Africa PTY Limited; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 279,000 - 357,000; Full time

Job summary

Lab Chef | Bakery & Ice Cream in Woodstock, Cape Town leads artisan bakery, ice cream, and dessert production with creativity, precision and consistency. The Production Chef oversees daily schedules, ingredient ordering, product quality and team performance in a hands-on leadership role.

Ideal candidates have 3–5 years running a kitchen or patisserie with a team, strong planning and operational management skills, and HACCP knowledge.

Qualifications

• Strong planning, record-keeping, and operational management are essential.
• Experience running a kitchen, artisan bakery, or patisserie with a team is required.
• Ice cream or baking experience is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Translate demand into weekly and daily production schedules with logistics alignment.
• Manage fresh, bulk, and technical ingredients, packaging and consumables with safety stock.
• Lead morning briefs, oversee production stations, ensure daily close-outs are signed off.
• Ensure recipes are followed exactly, batches tasted, and staff trained to standards.
• Operate and maintain equipment, ensure cleanliness and scheduled servicing.
• Train and rotate staff, manage rosters, hiring and discipline under labour law.
• Uphold food safety: cold chain, hygiene, labeling, allergen segregation, audit readiness.
• Monitor output, wastage, downtime and labour efficiency with reporting.
• Work hands-on at Mix, Churn, Prep, and Bake stations.

Skills

Planning

Record-keeping

Operational management

Job description

Lab Chef | Bakery & Ice Cream in Woodstock, Cape Town leads artisan bakery, ice cream, and dessert production with creativity, precision and consistency. The Production Chef oversees daily schedules, ingredient ordering, product quality and team performance in a hands-on leadership role.

Ideal candidates have 3–5 years running a kitchen or patisserie with a team, strong planning and operational management skills, and HACCP knowledge.