Pastry Chef

Lady Barn House School, a vibrant prep school with 550 pupils and 75 staff, is looking for a talented and enthusiastic CDP Pastry Chef to join our dedicated catering team. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your pastry skills in a rewarding and supportive environment.

What We Offer:

• Daytime hours with most weekends off (some evening/weekend overtime required)
• A collaborative and friendly team atmosphere
• Opportunities for training and professional development
• A lively and welcoming school community

What We’re Looking For:

• Proven experience in pastry and dessert preparation
• Background in education, contract, or high-volume catering
• Strong organisational skills, including ordering and workload management
• A positive, team-oriented attitude
• Flexibility for occasional overtime, evening, and weekend work
• Solid understanding of allergy management and food safety
• A cheerful and customer-focused approach to service

Join us in creating delicious, nutritious meals that brighten every school day!

Qualifications & Certifications

• Food Hygiene Certificate (Level 2 or 3) – Demonstrates knowledge of safe food handling, storage, and preparation. 
• Allergy Awareness Training – Certification in allergen management (e.g., Food Standards Agency’s Allergen Training). Understanding of the 14 major allergens and cross-contamination prevention.
• Health & Safety in the Workplace (Level 2 or higher) – Covers risk assessments, hazard identification, and safe working practices in kitchens.
• COSHH Training (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) – Especially relevant for cleaning chemicals and kitchen safety.
• Any Trade based qualification – With a weighting towards Pastry
• Experience in education or contract catering environments.
• Strong ordering and stock management skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage a pastry section.
• Familiarity with nutritional standards for schools.
• A customer-focused and team-oriented attitude.

Holroyd Howe is one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

To provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their jobs, we invest in their training and development. Our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.

We pride ourselves on:

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of our thinking; always mindful of the ethics of our sourcing and how we prepare our meals.

Nutrition

We take nutrition seriously and understand the impact a healthy diet has on the fundamental years of development. Meals are always freshly prepared from scratch and packed with nutritious ingredients.

Food Innovation

We offer a wide portfolio of training opportunities and experiences, which attracts chefs who are passionate about culinary excellence and menu innovation to our team.

From tasting tables, theme days and food theatre, to chef demonstrations and supplier showcases, we create engaging and fun dining experiences for our students. We work together to make mealtimes exploratory, quirky, and fun for our pupils, helping them build strong and healthy relationships with food.

Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe involve regulated activity. It is a criminal offence for individuals barred from working with children to apply for such roles. An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including a Barred List check will be required for all successful applicants. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide information about relevant criminal offences and will be subject to an online search of publicly available information. This search helps identify any issues that may affect suitability to work with children.

This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.