Pastry Chef [New Opening]

Job Title: Pastry Chef

Reports to: Head Baker

Work Locations:

• Kings Cross, London NC1 — Luminary Bakery's new café & production kitchen, opening [TBC]
• Other sites if required [E8 2BT] and [N16 8RY]

Hours:
40 hours per week, 5:00am-1:00pm, predominantly Mon - Fri (but flexibility across Monday-Sunday if business needs require)

Salary: £15.00 per hour

Employed by: Luminary Bakery Ltd

Overview

We are looking for a passionate and skilled Pastry Chef with at least 2 years of high-quality kitchen experience to join our Luminary team. This is a hands-on production role at the centre of our new King's Cross cafe and bakery. You'll be responsible for laminating, shaping and baking a high volume of viennoiserie and pastry each morning to supply a small café with a big, fast-paced service. The ideal candidate will thrive in a collaborative environment, share our dedication to excellence, and bring creativity and attention to detail to every bake. 

Key Responsibilities

• Menu Creation & Execution: Collaborate with the Head Baker to create, refine, and execute seasonal menus featuring a range of pastries that align with Luminary’s ethos, current trends and customer preferences. 
• Viennoiserie & Pastry Production: Produce our full viennoiserie and pastry range daily. This includes a range of croissants, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins, pain suisse, danishes and seasonal specials, from mixing and lamination through to shaping, proofing and baking.
• Quality Control & Consistency: Ensure all products meet our high standards of taste, presentation, and quality. Develop procedures to optimise ingredient usage while minimising wastage and upholding quality standards. 
• Time Management: Hit a high-volume daily production target to fully stock the café's pastry case ahead of opening and restock throughout the day, working quickly and cleanly under time pressure.
• Production Oversight: Manage daily pastry production, balancing team assignments and production levels to meet daily demands. Oversee contingency planning and handle fluctuating demands to ensure the team is prepared with coverage for holidays, peak business periods and sickness or leave absences. 
• Recipe Development: Lead your team in developing new recipes, focusing on diverse, innovative, and seasonally inspired products suitable for various dietary needs including plant-based and gluten-free options. Maintain record of recipes and method documentation, ensuring all team members have access to standardised recipes for consistent results.
• Inventory & Stock Management: Maintain ingredient stocks, source fresh supplies, and manage budgets in collaboration with finance. Implement stock rotation practices to minimise waste and maintain optimal freshness.
• Health & Safety Compliance: Uphold sanitation, health, and safety standards, maintaining a clean and organised kitchen.
• Collaborative Product Rollout: Work closely with the Head Baker, customer service, and the finance team to ensure efficient product development, costing, and revenue management.

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience: Proven experience as a Pastry Chef with expertise in laminated viennoiserie. Confident experience using a dough sheeter/lamination machine. Fluent in viennoiserie shaping technique across the full range — croissants, pain au chocolat, pain suisse, danishes and similar. Familiarity with both classic techniques and modern trends is highly valued.
• Leadership: Strong leadership, team management, and communication skills to foster an inclusive, creative and productive work environment. 
• Attention to Detail: Exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to high-quality standards. Proven ability to work quickly, cleanly and accurately at volume, under real time pressure, without compromising quality.
• Innovation: A creative mindset and a drive for culinary innovation, constantly seeking ways to create new recipes and improve upon existing Luminary products range. 
• Availability: Comfortable with early starts and a physically demanding, fast-paced production kitchen.
• Adaptability: Capable of working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with flexibility in handling various shifts, peak business periods and evolving production demands. 
• Commercial Awareness: Experience with product costing, sales analysis, and inventory management to support effective decision-making and business growth. 
• Certification: Culinary or pastry certification is preferred as well as additional training in food safety and handling. 
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Desirable

• Experience with bakery production software.
• Background in social enterprise or Head Baker experience.

Benefits

• Daily Perks: Free barista coffee daily and 50% off all Luminary food & drink.
• Discounts: 20% discount on online purchases (celebration cakes & merchandise), discounts for friends and family.
• Wellness: Wellness Action Plan to support health at work.
• Professional Development: Regular training opportunities and involvement in press coverage.

Become part of a team that’s dedicated to creating memorable, delicious experiences while making a positive impact.