Kitchen Assistant – Bakery Production
Bostock Bakery – East Linton, East Lothian
Pay: From £10.85 per hour, with the applicable statutory minimum wage paid according to age
Tips: Equal share of staff tips generated across both our East Linton and North Berwick locations
Contracted hours: 45 hours per week
Normal shift pattern: 5:00am–2:30pm, five days per week
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Weekend availability is essential
There are no regular night shifts. However, overnight or adjusted working hours may occasionally be required during particularly busy seasonal production periods, such as Christmas and Easter.
Start Your Career in Artisan Baking and Pastry
Bostock Bakery is an independent artisan bakery based in East Linton, producing high-quality sourdough breads, viennoiserie, pastries and savoury products for our East Linton and North Berwick locations.
We are looking for a reliable, hardworking and enthusiastic Kitchen Assistant to join our production team.
This is an entry-level position, so previous professional bakery or kitchen experience is not essential. Full training will be provided.
The role is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to begin a career as a baker, pastry chef or viennoiserie pastry chef and learn within a busy professional artisan bakery.
You will work alongside experienced bakers and pastry chefs, supporting daily production while gradually learning about ingredients, recipes, equipment, food safety and professional bakery processes.
We are looking for someone who is genuinely interested in developing a career in the industry. You must be willing to begin with the essential preparation, cleaning and support tasks that keep the bakery operating successfully.
Progression will depend on your reliability, attitude, attention to detail, ability to follow instructions and development of practical skills.
The Role
As a Kitchen Assistant, you will support our bread, viennoiserie, pastry and savoury production teams.
Your normal shift will begin at 5:00am. You will work from daily preparation and cleaning lists, helping to ensure that ingredients, equipment and work areas are ready for production.
The position will initially focus on ingredient preparation, weighing, cleaning, washing equipment, organising stock and supporting the production team with straightforward bakery tasks.
As your knowledge and confidence develop, you may begin learning more technical skills within our bread, viennoiserie or pastry departments.
This is a hands-on and physically demanding role. It requires excellent punctuality, a willingness to learn and a positive attitude towards cleaning and repetitive production tasks.
Main Responsibilities
Your responsibilities will include:
- Weighing and preparing ingredients accurately
- Following recipes, preparation lists and instructions
- Preparing trays, tins, moulds and equipment for production
- Lining trays and greasing tins and moulds
- Preparing simple fillings, toppings, glazes and syrups
- Washing, peeling, chopping and preparing ingredients
- Portioning ingredients and finished products
- Assisting with egg washing, glazing, decorating and finishing products
- Supporting the preparation of bread, pastry, viennoiserie and savoury products
- Preparing packaging, labels and boxes
- Packing products accurately for our East Linton and North Berwick locations
- Checking dates, labels and product quantities
- Helping to receive and organise ingredient deliveries
- Rotating stock and storing ingredients correctly
- Monitoring basic stock levels and reporting shortages
- Washing trays, utensils, containers and production equipment
- Cleaning mixers, benches, racks, floors and production areas
- Emptying bins and maintaining waste and recycling areas
- Following food-hygiene, allergen and food-safety procedures
- Completing basic production and cleaning records
- Reporting mistakes, shortages, damaged products or delays promptly
- Supporting different departments according to daily production requirements
- Helping the wider team meet production, dispatch and service deadlines
Cleaning and washing equipment are essential parts of this position. They are not occasional duties or tasks completed only by junior employees.
Every member of the bakery team is responsible for maintaining a clean, organised and safe working environment throughout the shift.
What a Typical Shift May Involve
A typical shift will begin at 5:00am with checking your preparation and cleaning lists and speaking with the production team about the priorities for the day.
You may begin by preparing trays and equipment, weighing ingredients, organising stock and ensuring the bakers and pastry chefs have everything required to begin production.
During the shift, you may help prepare fillings, toppings and glazes, portion products, pack orders, wash equipment and maintain clean and organised work areas.
You may move between the bread, viennoiserie, pastry and savoury departments depending on production requirements.
As you gain experience, you may be given opportunities to learn basic mixing, shaping, baking, finishing and pastry-production skills under supervision.
Production requirements can change from day to day, so you must be comfortable adapting your workload and helping wherever you are most needed.
There are no regular night shifts. Some overnight or adjusted working hours may occasionally be required during peak seasonal production periods, including Christmas and Easter.
What We Expect From You
We expect every member of our production team to:
- Arrive on time and be ready to begin work at 5:00am
- Maintain reliable attendance and punctuality
- Show a genuine interest in baking, pastry and food production
- Approach cleaning and washing-up tasks with a positive attitude
- Listen carefully and follow instructions
- Ask questions when unsure
- Work accurately and pay attention to detail
- Work with purpose and maintain a steady pace
- Take responsibility for assigned tasks
- Complete tasks fully rather than leaving them unfinished
- Communicate mistakes or problems immediately
- Accept instruction and constructive feedback professionally
- Remain organised during busy production periods
- Support colleagues and contribute to the wider team
- Maintain a clean and safe working environment
- Treat colleagues with professionalism and respect
- Demonstrate a willingness to learn and develop
- Understand that progression must be earned through consistency, reliability and effort
Essential Skills and Qualities
Applicants must have:
- A genuine interest in developing a career in baking or pastry
- Reliable attendance and excellent punctuality
- The ability to begin work at 5:00am
- Availability to work weekends
- A positive and hardworking attitude
- A willingness to complete cleaning, washing-up and preparation duties
- The ability to listen and follow instructions accurately
- Good attention to detail
- Basic numeracy skills for weighing and measuring ingredients
- Good communication skills
- The ability to work efficiently during busy shifts
- The ability to work independently once trained
- The ability to work positively as part of a team
- A responsible and professional approach to work
- Flexibility to support different production departments
- Flexibility to work occasional adjusted or overnight shifts during peak seasonal periods
- Reliable transport to East Linton for a 5:00am start
- The legal right to work in the UK
Public transport may not be available for the required starting time. Applicants must consider how they will travel to East Linton before applying.
Previous Experience
Previous bakery, kitchen or food-production experience is not essential.
The following would be helpful but is not required:
- Previous experience working in a bakery, kitchen, café or restaurant
- Experience working in a food-production environment
- Experience weighing ingredients or following recipes
- Experience with food preparation
- Experience washing commercial kitchen or bakery equipment
- Food-hygiene or food-safety certification
- An interest in sourdough bread, viennoiserie or pastry
- College study or training in professional cookery, bakery or pastry
We are more interested in your attitude, reliability and willingness to learn than in formal qualifications.
Physical Requirements
This is a physically demanding production role.
Applicants must be comfortable with:
- Standing for extended periods
- Completing repetitive preparation and cleaning tasks
- Lifting and moving ingredients, trays, containers and equipment
- Working around hot ovens and bakery machinery
- Working in warm, chilled and occasionally noisy environments
- Moving between refrigerated and warmer production areas
- Washing and cleaning commercial equipment
- Bending, reaching and moving regularly throughout the shift
- Maintaining a steady and efficient pace during busy production periods
Reasonable adjustments will be considered where appropriate.
Training and Career Development
You will receive an induction covering:
- Bostock Bakery’s products and departments
- Food hygiene and food safety
- Allergen awareness
- Safe use of equipment
- Ingredient storage and stock rotation
- Cleaning and chemical-safety procedures
- Production lists and bakery organisation
- Weighing ingredients and following recipes
- Product quality and presentation standards
Once you have demonstrated reliability, accuracy and a good understanding of the Kitchen Assistant role, there may be opportunities to begin learning more technical production skills.
Depending on your interests, abilities and the needs of the bakery, this may include development towards a role as a:
- Junior Bread Baker
- Junior Viennoiserie Baker
- Junior Pastry Chef
- Baker
- Pastry Chef
Progression is not automatic or guaranteed. It will be based on performance, attendance, attitude, practical ability and the availability of suitable opportunities.
Pay and Staff Benefits
We offer:
- Pay from £10.85 per hour, with the applicable statutory minimum wage paid according to age
- An equal share of staff tips generated across both our East Linton and North Berwick locations
- A full-time, permanent contract
- 45 contracted hours per week
- No regular night shifts
- On-site staff parking
- Staff lunch provided during weekend shifts
- Staff discount
- Workplace pension
- Statutory holiday entitlement
- Full training for the role
- Opportunities to learn professional bakery and pastry skills
- Potential progression into bread, viennoiserie or pastry production
- The opportunity to work with high-quality ingredients and artisan production methods
- Experience within a professional, high-volume bakery environment
- A hands-on role within an experienced bakery team
Our Working Environment
Bostock Bakery is a professional and fast-paced production environment with high expectations around quality, consistency, cleanliness and teamwork.
Although this is an entry-level position, it is not a casual or purely observational training role. You will be an important part of the production team and will be expected to contribute fully to the daily workload.
Successful bakery production depends on punctuality, preparation, communication, cleanliness and personal responsibility.
Constructive feedback is a normal part of working and learning within our bakery. Applicants should be willing to listen, adapt and make improvements.
We want to support someone who is serious about developing a career in baking or pastry and understands that professional skills are built by mastering the essential tasks first.
How to Apply
Please send your CV and a short covering note to:
[email protected]
Your application should include:
- Why you are interested in working for Bostock Bakery
- Why you would like to develop a career in baking or pastry
- Details of any relevant work, education or personal experience
- Your current notice period or earliest available start date
- Confirmation that you can work from 5:00am
- Confirmation that you are available for weekend work
- Confirmation that you can work occasional adjusted or overnight shifts during peak seasonal periods
- Confirmation of how you would travel to East Linton for a 5:00am start
Previous professional bakery experience is not required. However, applications should demonstrate a genuine interest in the position and an understanding of the working hours and physical nature of the role.
Recruitment Process
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an initial interview to discuss their interests, availability and suitability for the position.
Applicants may then be invited to attend a practical working trial. This will allow us to assess punctuality, communication, organisation, attention to detail, pace and ability to follow instructions.
All working-trial arrangements, including the duration and terms, will be confirmed in advance.
References and evidence of the right to work in the UK may be requested before employment begins.
Pay: From £10.85 per hour
Benefits:
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
- Store discount
Work Location: In person
