Overview

The Sous Pastry Chef will support the Pastry Chef in creating an exceptional pastry program that produces a variety of high-quality items at scale for retail Buttery locations, wholesale partners, and catering clients. The Sous Pastry Chef will lead and develop a team of pastry cooks to craft exceptional products while maintaining artisanal techniques and high-quality standards upheld by the company. 

Responsibilities

Technical Expertise

• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, food handling guidelines, and quality control standards. 
• Collaborate with the Pastry Chef and department heads to develop new menu items as needed. 
• Maintain a complete understanding of pastry and baking equipment, including its operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. 
• Conduct daily quality checks on all pastry items produced to uphold high standards. 
• Possess a deep understanding of ingredients, their interactions, and how to source high-quality products. 
• Continuously self-educate on industry practices and proactively address knowledge gaps and participate in continuing education events and classes when applicable. 
• Demonstrate a genuine passion for the craft and a commitment to expanding knowledge of traditional and innovative pastry techniques. 
• Keep kitchen documents and recipes up to date in designated software and systems. 

Growth and Business Development

• Support the growth of the pastry team through various stages of expansion. 
• Partner with the Pastry Chef to ensure new products align with brand expectations and standards. 
• Collaborate with teams to optimize processes, improve productivity, and support business growth. 
• Continuously seek efficiencies while maintaining the highest quality standards by optimizing inventory and reducing waste. 
• Work with sales and marketing teams to promote pastry products, enhance brand visibility, and drive revenue growth. 
• Embrace a proactive and innovative mindset, focusing on sustainable business growth and expansion. 

Leadership Responsibilities

• Assist the Pastry Chef in guiding the pastry team to improve their skills and become more proficient through ongoing training, hands-on coaching, and regular feedback.
• Support the team in holding them accountable through coaching conversations and corrective actions in line with company policies and the business’s culture. 
• Maintain consistent communication with department heads, kitchen management, and staff to ensure alignment and transparency. 
• Schedule team members to align with production demands, ensuring adequate coverage while optimizing labor efficiency. 
• Manage labor profitability by balancing staffing levels with business needs. 
• Ensure the efficient use of resources to support smooth operations and maintain productivity. 
• Review timecards and ensure accuracy and compliance with company policies 
• Create and organize daily production lists to efficiently fulfill retail, wholesale, and catering pastry orders. 
• Coordinate ingredient ordering with the ordering manager, ensuring timely and accurate communication to maintain adequate inventory levels. 
• Oversee that the team maintains a clean, organized, and food-safe work environment in compliance with health and safety regulations. 
• Foster a collaborative environment that emphasizes excellence, teamwork, and continuous improvement within the pastry team. 
• Assist the Pastry Chef with conducting interviews and managing the onboarding process for new team members.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years of professional pastry experience. 
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to mentor and develop a team of pastry cooks. 
• Strong organizational skills to manage production schedules, inventory, and minimize waste. 
• Financial acumen to optimize profitability and support cost-effective recipe development. 
• Proficiency in bakery management systems and a passion for continuous learning in pastry techniques. 
• Effective communication and collaboration skills to work with cross-functional teams. 

What We Offer

• Career Growth: Opportunities for professional development and career advancement as our business continues to expand. 
• Dynamic Work Environment: Work in a fun, supportive, and dynamic environment where we take our work seriously but have fun while we do it. 
• Employee Benefits: 401k, PTO, Sick Time, Health/Dental/Vision Insurance, Food/Beverage Discounts, and more. 

About Us

We believe in more than just serving exceptional food and drink—we believe in fostering a community where great people, comfort, and quality converge. 

The Buttery is many things: 

• a great local eatery 
• the village bakery & patisserie 
• an exceptional specialty coffee shop 
• all wrapped in a unique retail environment 

We are a communal gathering place that fosters care and warmth through great hospitality in our customers' lives. But most importantly, we are a collective of people coming together with a shared goal of building a healthy business through creating exceptional food and providing wonderful experiences.