Head Pastry Chef: Lead Creative Desserts in Fine Dining

Placements24; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 650,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonuses

State-of-the-art pastry kitchen

Staff meals

Professional development opportunities

Restaurant discount benefits

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an exceptional Head Pastry Chef for a prestigious fine-dining restaurant in Johannesburg, Gauteng. You will lead the pastry department, develop a sophisticated pastry menu, and oversee all pastry kitchen operations, ensuring the highest standards of quality and presentation in a high-volume setting.

The ideal candidate has a culinary degree in Pastry Arts, 7+ years of pastry experience including 3+ in leadership roles, and a proven ability to inspire a team, manage costs,

Qualifications

• Professional culinary degree or equivalent certification in Pastry Arts.
• 7+ years in pastry, including 3+ years as Head Pastry Chef or Sous Pastry Chef in fine dining.
• Extensive knowledge of baking, patisserie, viennoiserie, chocolate, sugar work, and plated desserts.
• Proven leadership and ability to motivate a kitchen team.
• Creative dessert development and innovation.
• Strong understanding of food safety; HACCP knowledge is a plus.
• Work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement dessert menus and plated desserts.
• Oversee pastry kitchen operations, production, and quality control.
• Lead and mentor pastry cooks and assistants.
• Ensure quality and presentation consistency across pastry offerings.
• Control food costs and manage pastry inventory.
• Maintain food safety and sanitation standards.
• Collaborate with Executive Chef to integrate pastry with the menu.
• Source ingredients and build supplier relationships.
• Train new pastry team members on recipes and standards.

Skills

Menu development

Team leadership

Food cost control

Quality control

Dessert creativity

Communication

Education

Culinary degree in Pastry Arts

Job description

Placements24 is seeking an exceptional Head Pastry Chef for a prestigious fine-dining restaurant in Johannesburg, Gauteng. You will lead the pastry department, develop a sophisticated pastry menu, and oversee all pastry kitchen operations, ensuring the highest standards of quality and presentation in a high-volume setting.

The ideal candidate has a culinary degree in Pastry Arts, 7+ years of pastry experience including 3+ in leadership roles, and a proven ability to inspire a team, manage costs,