Profession head pastry chef

Head pastry chefs manage pastry staff and ensure the preparation, cooking and presentation of desserts, sweet products and pastry products. 

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Personality Type

Knowledge

  • Food storage

    The proper conditions and methods to store food to keep it from spoiling, taking into account humidity, light, temperature and other environmental factors.

Skills

  • Maintain personal hygiene standards

    Preserve impeccable personal hygiene standards and have a tidy appearance.

  • Recruit employees

    Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.

  • Handle customer complaints

    Administer complaints and negative feedback from customers in order to address concerns and where applicable provide a quick service recovery.

  • Ensure regular maintenance of kitchen equipment

    Guarantee coordination and supervision of cleaning and maintenance of kitchen equipment.

  • Manage staff

    Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.

  • Use culinary finishing techniques

    Apply culinary finishing techniques including garnishing, decorating, plating, glazing, presenting and portioning.

  • Manage stock rotation

    Oversee stock levels, paying attention to expiry dates to diminish stock loss.

  • Manage revenue

    Manage revenues, including deposit reconciliation, cash handling, and delivery of deposits to the bank.

  • Use reheating techniques

    Apply reheating techniques including steaming, boiling or bain marie.

  • Decorate pastry for special events

    Embellish pastry for special occasions such as weddings and birthdays.

  • Plan medium to long term objectives

    Schedule long term objectives and immediate to short term objectives through effective medium-term planning and reconciliation processes.

  • Apply procurement

    Undertake ordering of services, equipment, goods or ingredients, compare costs and check the quality to ensure optimal payoff for the organisation.

  • Keep up with trends in eating out

    Follow trends in cooking and eating out by monitoring a range of sources.

  • Dispose waste

    Dispose waste in accordance with legislation, thereby respecting environmental and company responsibilities.

  • Supervise food quality

    Oversee the quality and safety of food served to visitors and customers according to food standards.

  • Manage budgets

    Plan, monitor and report on the budget.

  • Schedule shifts

    Plan staff time and shifts to reflect the demands of the business.

  • Bake pastry for special events

    Prepare pastry for special occasions such as weddings and birthdays.

  • Monitor the use of kitchen equipment

    Oversee the correct use of kitchen equipment, such as knives, colour coded chopping boards, buckets and cloths.

  • Order supplies

    Command products from relevant suppliers to get convenient and profitable products to purchase.

  • Manage medium term objectives

    Monitor medium term schedules with budget estimations and reconciliation on a quarterly basis.

  • Create innovative desserts

    Develop new desserts that match with items on the current food and beverage menus.

  • Maintain kitchen equipment at correct temperature

    Keep the refrigeration and storage of equipment at the correct temperature.

  • Plan menus

    Organise menus taking into account the nature and style of the establishment, client feedback, cost and the seasonality of ingredients.

  • Estimate costs of required supplies

    Try to value the amounts and costs of required supplies such as of food items and ingredients.

  • Set prices of menu items

    Fix the prices of main course dishes and other items on the menu. Ensure that they remain affordable within the organisation's budget.

  • Handover the food preparation area

    Leave the kitchen area in conditions which follow safe and secure procedures, so that it is ready for the next shift.

  • Comply with food safety and hygiene

    Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.

  • Maintain a safe, hygienic and secure working environment

    Preserve health, hygiene, safety and security in the workplace in accordance with relevant regulations.

  • Use cooking techniques

    Apply cooking techniques including grilling, frying, boiling, braising, poaching, baking or roasting.

Optional knowledge and skills

handle surveillance equipment check deliveries on receipt store raw food materials prepare bakery products prepare desserts prepare canapés train employees advise guests on menus for special events create decorative food displays compile cooking recipes use food cutting tools assist customers

Source: Sisyphus ODB