Lead Pastry Chef - High-Volume Catering & Creative Desserts

Placements24; Gqeberha; On-site; ZAR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Creative pastry opportunities

Quality ingredients and equipment

Collaborative kitchen team

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Pastry Chef to lead the pastry division, crafting desserts, pastries, and confections for weddings and corporate events in the Eastern Cape. You will manage production, inventory, and quality while driving creativity and presentation excellence in a fast-paced kitchen.

Join a dynamic team in Port Elizabeth, overseeing pastry operations, mentoring junior staff, and ensuring impeccable food safety and cost control in a busy catering environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 4 years of professional experience as a Pastry Chef or in a senior pastry role.
• Proven experience in high-volume pastry production for catering or large-scale bakery.
• Comprehensive knowledge of baking and pastry techniques, ingredients, and equipment.
• Strong understanding of food cost management and inventory control.
• Excellent creativity and artistic flair for dessert presentation.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in health and safety regulations related to food handling and preparation.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills for team collaboration.
• Passion for continuous learning and staying updated with pastry trends.
• Flexibility to work mornings, evenings, weekends in Eastern Cape.

Responsibilities

• Design, prepare, and execute a wide variety of high-quality pastries, cakes, breads, and desserts.
• Develop seasonal pastry menu items aligned with culinary trends.
• Manage all aspects of pastry production, including inventory, ordering, and quality control.
• Ensure adherence to strict food safety and sanitation standards in pastry.
• Supervise and train junior pastry staff, fostering a positive team environment.
• Maintain cost control over ingredients and supplies for pastry.
• Collaborate with the main kitchen team to integrate pastry services into menus.
• Execute specialty orders and custom dessert creations for client requests.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization of the pastry kitchen and equipment.
• Uphold the reputation for exceptional quality and creativity in PortElizabeth.

Skills

Pastry expertise

Creativity

Multi-tasking

Team collaboration

Health and safety

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Pastry Chef to lead the pastry division, crafting desserts, pastries, and confections for weddings and corporate events in the Eastern Cape. You will manage production, inventory, and quality while driving creativity and presentation excellence in a fast-paced kitchen.

Join a dynamic team in Port Elizabeth, overseeing pastry operations, mentoring junior staff, and ensuring impeccable food safety and cost control in a busy catering environment.