Who we are
Thistle & Churn is a flavour-driven start-up churning small-batch ice cream and hand-pressed waffles in the heart of Edinburgh. We’re obsessed with Scottish provenance, playful pairings and immaculate kitchen standards—but we keep the vibes light, collaborative and always curious.
The role
We’re looking for an Artisan Ice-Cream & Waffle Maker to take the reins of our production kitchen and help shape the team from day one. You’ll craft Scottish Ice Creams and Waffle Cones as well as experiment with pairings and toppings , maintain HACCP & food-safety records, and keep equipment (pasteuriser, batch freezer, waffle irons, etc) humming smoothly. No front-of-house shifts required—though if you fancy popping up at festivals or flavour-testing with customers, we’ll never say no.
Key responsibilities
- Batch production: churn, bake, swirl and stack to daily targets while hitting our quality spec every time.
- Kitchen ownership: uphold HACCP paperwork, hygiene logs and allergen controls already in place; flag and solve any compliance gaps.
- Inventory & ordering: track ingredients, help place weekly supplier orders and minimise waste.
- Process optimisation: help refine our SOPs as volumes grow.
- Future leadership: play a central role in hiring and mentoring junior production staff as we scale.
What we’re looking for
Essential
Genuine passion for ice cream, flavour pairing and precision pastry work
Solid understanding of professional kitchen hygiene (Level 2 Food Safety or willingness to obtain)
Keen eye for detail, timing and consistency
Willingness to learn new kit and processes—full training provided
Nice to have....
Prior experience in gelato/ice-cream/dessert production
Experience writing or managing HACCP plans
Recipe-development or R&D background
Knowledge of Scottish seasonal produce and local suppliers
Why join Thistle & Churn?
- Ground-floor opportunity: establish our production systems now and grow into Head of Production within 2-3 years.
- Competitive hourly rate commensurate with experience, plus staff ice-cream allowance (obviously!).
- Flexible weekday schedule with the odd Saturday for big production runs.
- Creative culture that celebrates experimentation, sustainability and the odd flavour-slam Friday.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Pay: £26,000.00-£36,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Experience:
- Kitchen: 3 years (required)
Location:
- Edinburgh EH7 (preferred)
Work Location: In person
