Pastry Chef / Baker

Company Description

Pastry Chef

Location: Cheltenham College
Contract Type: Full Time
Salary: £14.10 per hour

Why Join Us?

At Cheltenham College, you'll be part of a passionate and supportive catering team that takes pride in delivering exceptional food every day. As part of Holroyd Howe, you'll enjoy a rewarding career with excellent benefits, including:

• 28 days' holiday (including bank holidays)
• 3 volunteering days to support causes you care about
• 3 days' grandparent leave
• 24 weeks' enhanced maternity leave
• Bespoke training and development opportunities
• Career progression through apprenticeships and professional development
• Pension scheme and life insurance
• Discounts on high street brands, cinema tickets and holidays via Perkbox
• Wellbeing Hub and Employee Assistance Programme
• Free meals while on duty
• A supportive team environment with opportunities to develop your culinary career

About the Role

We are looking for a talented, passionate and creative Pastry Chef to join our award-winning catering team at Cheltenham College.

This is an exciting opportunity to showcase your skills by producing an outstanding range of breads, pastries, cakes and desserts for our pupils, staff, parents and guests. Working alongside our experienced chefs, you'll play an important role in creating fresh, seasonal menus while bringing innovation and creativity to our pastry offering.

Whether you're preparing handcrafted artisan breads for breakfast, elegant desserts for formal dinners, or delicious cakes for hospitality events, your attention to detail and passion for quality will help deliver an exceptional dining experience across the College.

About Cheltenham College

Cheltenham College is one of the UK's leading independent schools, renowned for its outstanding education, rich traditions and vibrant community. Food plays a central role in College life, and our catering team is committed to providing fresh, nutritious and exciting meals that enhance the experience of every pupil and member of staff.

As part of Holroyd Howe, the UK's leading contract caterer specialising exclusively in independent schools, you'll be joining a business that believes exceptional food starts with exceptional people. We champion fresh ingredients, sustainability, innovation and continuous development, giving our chefs the opportunity to thrive in a professional and supportive environment.

What You'll Be Doing

• Preparing a wide range of high-quality breads, pastries, cakes and desserts.
• Supporting daily food production across the College.
• Creating seasonal and innovative pastry offerings.
• Assisting with hospitality, special events and formal dining occasions.
• Maintaining the highest standards of food quality, presentation and consistency.
• Ensuring excellent food safety, hygiene and allergen management practices.
• Working collaboratively with the wider kitchen team to deliver an outstanding food service.
• Supporting menu development and contributing fresh ideas to enhance the pastry offer.

Join Our Team

If you're looking for an opportunity to develop your career within one of the UK's most prestigious independent schools and be part of a team that's passionate about exceptional food, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us at Cheltenham College and help create memorable dining experiences every day.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Prepare and present a range of freshly made desserts, cakes, and baked goods to a consistently high standard
• Collaborate with the Head Chef and wider kitchen team to create innovative, seasonal dessert menus
• Maintain an organised and hygienic pastry section, ensuring all daily tasks are completed to specification
• Support with food preparation and production for both core school dining and hospitality events
• Follow all food safety, hygiene, and allergen management procedures with diligence and care
• Cater thoughtfully to pupils' individual dietary needs, including allergens and specific requirements
• Champion the school’s healthy eating ethos, contributing positively to food education and pupil wellbeing
• Accountability for following and championing allergen controls

Qualifications

What We're Looking For

• Previous experience as a Pastry Chef or Baker in a professional kitchen.
• Passion for creating high-quality pastries and desserts.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• A positive attitude and strong team-working skills.
• Knowledge of food safety, HACCP and allergen management.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining exceptional standards.
• A genuine passion for fresh food, creativity and continuous improvement.

Additional Information

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.