Head Baker

Package Description

• Highly competitive salary – reflecting the experience, skill and leadership you bring to the role.

• The opportunity to work with exceptional ingredients and produce high-quality artisan bakery products.

• A key leadership role with the opportunity to shape product quality, production standards and the development of a talented bakery team.

• The chance to work across Viennoiserie, Bread and Preparation, building consistency, creativity and excellence across every area.

• An environment where craftsmanship, high standards and genuine passion for baking are valued.

• The opportunity to make a real impact on the development of our products, our people and our bakery operation.

Job Introduction

Are you a passionate, driven and highly skilled baker who takes genuine pride in producing exceptional food?

We are looking for an outstanding Head Baker to lead from the front, inspire a team and help us deliver bakery products of the highest quality. This is an opportunity for someone who combines technical excellence with strong leadership, a relentless commitment to standards and a genuine love for the craft of baking.

Working across our Viennoiserie, Bread and Preparation areas, you will take ownership of quality, consistency and production, ensuring that every product reflects the care, skill and attention to detail that goes into making it.

This is a hands-on leadership role. We need someone who is as comfortable working with the finest ingredients and perfecting a dough as they are coaching a developing baker, improving a process or ensuring the team is ready for a demanding production day.

Early mornings are part of the role, and the pace can be demanding. We are looking for someone with the drive, energy and passion to embrace that challenge, set the standard for others and take real pride in what leaves the bakery every day.

If you believe great baking comes from great ingredients, exceptional people and an uncompromising attention to detail, we would love to hear from you.

Main Responsibilities

Leadership & Developing Others

• Lead, motivate and develop the bakery team, creating an environment where people are supported, challenged and encouraged to reach their full potential.

• Set the standard through your own technical ability, work ethic, attitude and commitment to excellence.

• Coach and mentor bakers at different stages of their careers, sharing knowledge, developing technical skills and building confidence across the team.

• Identify skills gaps and implement effective training and development plans to strengthen capability across all production areas.

• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, pride and continuous improvement.

• Ensure clear communication, effective handovers and a collaborative approach throughout the bakery operation.

Product Quality & Craftsmanship

• Oversee production across Viennoiserie, Bread and Preparation, ensuring each area consistently delivers exceptional products.

• Work hands-on with high-quality ingredients, applying expert knowledge of doughs, fermentation, lamination, shaping, baking and preparation techniques as appropriate to each section.

• Maintain uncompromising standards of flavour, texture, appearance, freshness and consistency.

• Champion traditional craftsmanship while continually exploring ways to improve products, techniques and processes.

• Take ownership of product development, contributing new ideas, refining existing recipes and identifying opportunities to enhance our range.

• Ensure recipes, specifications and production methods are followed accurately, with appropriate scope for innovation and improvement.

Production Planning & Operational Excellence

• Oversee high-volume production, ensuring products are prepared efficiently, accurately and to the required standard.

• Plan and coordinate production schedules, staffing and workflow to meet demand while maintaining quality and minimising waste.

• Ensure the right products are produced in the right quantities and are ready at the right time.

• Monitor production performance, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency and the use of ingredients and labour.

• Work closely with the wider operational team to anticipate demand, resolve challenges and maintain a smooth-running bakery.

• Balance the demands of a high-level production environment with the care, precision and craftsmanship that exceptional baking requires.

Hygiene, Food Safety & Standards

• Maintain exemplary hygiene, cleanliness and food safety standards throughout all bakery areas.

• Ensure safe food handling, correct storage, temperature control, allergen management and compliance with relevant food safety procedures.

• Lead by example in maintaining an organised, clean and professional working environment.

• Ensure equipment is used safely, cleaning schedules are completed and any issues are addressed promptly.

• Embed a culture where food safety, personal responsibility and attention to detail are non-negotiable.

Continuous Improvement & Commercial Awareness

• Take ownership of standards and challenge anything that compromises product quality or the guest experience.

• Identify opportunities to reduce waste, improve yields and maximise the value of premium ingredients without compromising quality.

• Review production methods and team capability to support greater consistency and operational efficiency.

• Work collaboratively with management and colleagues to support the bakery's ongoing growth and ambitions.

• Bring energy, initiative and a solutions-focused mindset to the daily challenges of a busy production environment.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for someone who combines exceptional baking skills with the drive and character to lead a team well.

You will ideally bring:

• Significant professional bakery experience, with strong technical knowledge of artisan bread and Viennoiserie.

• Previous experience leading a bakery team or overseeing multiple production areas in a quality-driven environment.

• A genuine passion for working with premium ingredients and producing food to an exceptional standard.

• The ability to manage high-level production without allowing pace or volume to compromise quality.

• A proven commitment to training, mentoring and developing other bakers.

• Strong planning, organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritise in a fast-paced environment.

• A thorough understanding of food hygiene, food safety, allergens and safe working practices.

• A commercially aware approach to production, waste, ingredient usage and labour efficiency.

• A proactive, hands-on attitude and the confidence to lead from the front.

• A positive, resilient mindset and the ability to motivate others through busy periods and early starts.

Above all, we want someone who cares. Someone who notices the details others might miss, takes pride in doing things properly and understands that exceptional products are the result of exceptional standards, teamwork and consistency.

You will bring energy to the bakery, ambition to the team and a genuine desire to keep learning, improving and helping others succeed.

About The Company

At Chestnut Bakery, we believe that great food starts with great ingredients, skilled hands and a genuine passion for what we do.

We are proud of our commitment to freshly made bakery products, quality craftsmanship and creating experiences that bring people together. From the earliest stages of preparation to the finished product, we believe that every detail matters and that the care we put into our work is reflected in the quality our customers experience.

Our bakery is a place where skill, creativity and teamwork come together. We value people who take pride in their craft, share their knowledge generously and want to be part of a team that continually strives to do things better.

As our Head Baker, you will play a central role in bringing this to life: protecting our standards, developing our products, growing our people and ensuring that every day begins with the same commitment to quality.

We are looking for more than someone who can bake. We are looking for a leader who can inspire a team, elevate our craft and help us deliver something exceptional, every single day.