Pastry Chef
Location: Highclere Castle
Hours: Full Time
Salary: £32,000 - £36,000
Essential Requirements
Before applying, please ensure you meet the following criteria:
- Proven experience as a Pastry Chef in a high-volume, high-end hospitality, restaurant, hotel, or events environment.
- Strong technical pastry and baking skills with the ability to produce consistently high-quality products.
- Experience managing or taking responsibility for a pastry section and its daily operations.
- Excellent attention to detail with a passion for presentation, quality, and consistency.
- Comprehensive knowledge of food safety, hygiene, health & safety, and COSHH regulations.
- Ability to work efficiently, calmly, and professionally in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
About the Role
We are seeking a talented and passionate Pastry Chef to join the culinary team at Highclere Castle, one of the UK's most iconic visitor attractions and the world-famous filming location of Downton Abbey.
With a long-standing reputation for exceptional hospitality, fine dining, afternoon teas, private events, and exclusive tours, Highclere Castle is dedicated to delivering memorable culinary experiences. The Pastry Chef plays a vital role in maintaining these high standards by producing outstanding pastries, desserts, and baked goods for both visitors and prestigious events.
This is an exciting opportunity for a creative and skilled pastry professional to showcase their expertise in a unique and historic setting.
Key Responsibilities
- Prepare and produce a wide range of high-quality pastries, desserts, cakes, and baked goods to the highest standards.
- Take ownership of the pastry section, overseeing day-to-day operations and ensuring smooth service delivery.
- Work closely with the Head Chef to develop and create seasonal menus for:
- Afternoon teas
- Private tours
- Corporate events
- Special dining experiences
- Ensure exceptional presentation, consistency, and quality across all pastry offerings.
- Maintain effective stock control and minimise waste within the pastry section.
- Support and collaborate with the wider kitchen team as required.
- Ensure all food hygiene, food safety, health & safety, and COSHH regulations are followed at all times.
- Maintain a clean, organised, and efficient working environment, including all equipment and preparation areas.
Skills & Experience
- Proven experience as a Pastry Chef or in a similar role within a professional kitchen.
- Strong knowledge of pastry production, baking techniques, dessert preparation, and presentation.
- Experience working within luxury hospitality, fine dining, hotels, restaurants, or event catering environments is highly desirable.
- Creative approach to menu development and seasonal product creation.
- Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
- Strong understanding of food production processes and kitchen operations.
- Ability to work independently while contributing positively to a wider kitchen team.
- Formal culinary training or qualifications in Patisserie, Baking, or Professional Cookery are advantageous.
What We're Looking For
The successful candidate will be:
- Passionate about pastry, baking, and creating exceptional guest experiences.
- Committed to maintaining the highest culinary standards.
- Detail-oriented with pride in presentation and consistency.
- Adaptable and capable of thriving in a busy, fast-paced environment.
- A positive team player with a proactive and professional attitude.
Why Join Highclere Castle?
- Opportunity to work at one of the UK's most prestigious and recognisable visitor destinations.
- Be part of a highly regarded culinary and hospitality team.
- Work across a diverse range of services including afternoon teas, fine dining, private events, and exclusive experiences.
- Contribute to delivering memorable dining experiences in a unique historic setting.
- Develop your skills and career within an exceptional hospitality environment.
Apply Today
If you are a skilled Pastry Chef with a passion for excellence, creativity, and delivering exceptional culinary experiences, we would love to hear from you.
Apply now and become part of the team at Highclere Castle.
Pay: £32,000.00-£36,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Newbury RG20 9RN: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Pastry Chef: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
