The Hotel

At the prestigious Hotel Café Royal, our pastry kitchen is renowned for its creativity, precision, and collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Albert Adrià for Cakes & Bubbles. With an award-winning team, we bring a luxury dining experience to our three restaurants— The Gallry, Café Royal Grill, and Cakes & Bubbles—as well as Green Bar and our banqueting and events spaces.

The Role:

As Pastry Commis Chef, you will be an integral part of our passionate and dynamic pastry team, which consists of nearly 20 skilled pastry chefs and bakers. Reporting to the senior pastry chefs, you will play a key role in preparing a variety of high-quality pastries, desserts, and baked goods for our outlets and events. You will have the opportunity to learn, grow, and refine your skills in a fast-paced, luxury environment, contributing to our reputation for excellence in pastry.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist senior pastry chefs in preparing a range of desserts and baked goods, maintaining the highest standards in taste, texture, and presentation.
• Support the production of signature items, including Cakes & Bubbles’ celebrated desserts and unique creations for banqueting and events.
• Adhere to strict quality control and consistency, following recipes and guidelines set by the head pastry chef.
• Assist with inventory checks, ensuring efficient use of ingredients and maintaining a clean, organized work area.
• Follow all food hygiene and health and safety regulations, contributing to a safe and sanitary kitchen environment.
• Maintain strong working relationships with colleagues across departments, supporting a smooth and cooperative kitchen operation.
• Demonstrate a willingness to learn and take on new responsibilities, as well as a proactive approach to supporting senior chefs in daily tasks.
• Contribute to the development of new pastries and desserts, sharing ideas and inspiration with the team.
• Communicate with the senior pastry chefs regarding daily tasks, special requests, and feedback from guests and colleagues.

Requirements:

• Previous experience in a pastry kitchen, ideally within a luxury hotel or fine dining setting.
• A passion for pastry arts with a keen interest in learning advanced techniques and innovative dessert preparation.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality desserts.
• Basic understanding of food safety and kitchen hygiene practices.
• Excellent teamwork skills, with the ability to take direction and collaborate effectively with the team.
• Flexibility to work a variety of shifts, including early mornings and evenings, in alignment with hotel requirements.
• A positive, adaptable attitude and a strong work ethic to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

The Benefits:

• Access to heavily discounted friends and family rooms rates
• Two complimentary rooms nights per year (after 1 year of employment)
• Up to 50% colleagues discount in all our food and beverage outlets
• Colleague wellness sessions in our Akasha spa each month including osteopath, podiatrist, yoga and fitness classes (as well as staff discounts on spa treatments)
• Regular social events, including our infamous Summer Party (August) and Black-Tie Annual Awards dinner (January)
• Christmas celebrations, including colleague lunch, children’s party and Christmas gift
• Automatic membership of the company’s life assurance scheme from day one
• Generous discounts on retail and dining in Central London through the West End Club app
• Mental health support including Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and mental health champions in all departments
• A variety of external benefits including gym discounts and free eye tests
• Season ticket loan
• A wide range of both internal and external training and development programmes to support all of our colleagues’ career progression
• The usual bits and bobs such as free meals on duty, uniform laundry, pension & holiday