Executive Pastry Chef
Eva's Little Kitchen — Bedford, MA
Eva's Little Kitchen is an eclectic and modern bakery, grab-and-go café, and catering company, offering a variety of provisions that are both delicious and beautiful. We serve everything from breakfast pastries and macarons, to sandwiches, salads, prepared foods, and more! Everything is scratch-made and prepared in-house by our talented team of cooks. We seek to provide delight and comfort to each of our customers through our warm hospitality and spectacular, globally-inspired food. We believe in the power of food to bring people together and our success depends on our amazing, hardworking staff. Eva's Little Kitchen is proud to offer a comfortable, clean, and modern work environment and training in each position. In addition to competitive pay, we are committed to helping our team grow within our company. We aim to provide a work/life balance that is hard to find in the food industry. Join our team and become part of our exciting, rapidly growing company! We are looking for reliable, team players looking for long-term employment in a steady environment.
As the Executive Pastry Chef at Eva's Little Kitchen, you will play a pivotal role in overseeing the production of a wide range of baked goods, including laminated dough products, enriched doughs, cookies, pies, bars, layer cakes, and French macarons! We are seeking a talented and passionate individual with a keen eye for detail, exceptional organizational skills, creativity, with a commitment to maintaining a clean kitchen and cultivating an ethos of mentorship and respect.
This is a hands-on leadership role. We need someone who leads from the floor: present, active, and setting the pace with the team, mentoring and teaching. We have a loyal base of regulars who we're proud to show up for every day. We're actively building a wholesale pastry program alongside our retail and catering operations, and this role will help shape it from the ground up. The perfect candidate has an entrepreneurial spirit, a genuinely good attitude, and can think quick on their toes. Don't miss out on the chance to join this well-loved, locally owned business.
Responsibilities
Menu Development
- Develop and update pastry menu, ensuring a balance of classic items with globally, seasonally inspired products.
- Prioritize locally sourced and seasonal ingredients wherever possible, building relationships with local farms and purveyors.
- Develop and execute pre-order holiday menus throughout the year as necessary.
- Stay informed about industry and seasonal trends and incorporate new and exciting pastry creations into the menu.
Wholesale & Growth
- Lead the buildout of our wholesale pastry program, adapting recipes and production for scale, consistency, and shelf life without sacrificing quality.
- Identify and develop products suited to wholesale accounts, and plan production capacity and workflow as the program grows.
- Bring an entrepreneurial mindset to new revenue opportunities as the company expands.
Production Oversight
- Supervise and lead the pastry team in the production of laminated dough products, enriched doughs, cookies, cupcakes, pies, bars, layer cakes, French macarons, and other pastry products.
- Maintain high-quality standards and consistency in all pastry products.
- Be present and hands-on in daily production. This role leads by doing, not just by delegating.
Quality Control
- Conduct regular quality checks to ensure that all pastries meet the company's standards for taste, texture, and presentation.
- Address and resolve any issues related to product quality promptly.
Kitchen Management
- Organize and manage the pastry department efficiently, including inventory management, ordering supplies, and maintaining a clean and organized workspace.
- Lead by example. Strive to do our best every day for each other and our guests.
- Develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for pastry production, deep cleaning, and other necessary systems.
- Maintain staff schedule, time off requests, and other scheduling issues.
- Track and report team hours honestly and accurately, and hold the team accountable to the same standard.
- Maintain accurate, up-to-date documentation of recipes, including yields and costing, to support consistency and financial planning.
Staff Training, Culture, and Accountability
- Train, mentor, and inspire the pastry team and other staff to excel in their roles by exuding excellence in all of your work.
- Foster a positive and collaborative work environment that encourages creativity, teamwork, respect, and accountability.
- Communicate openly and proactively with ownership. Issues, incidents, staffing changes, and concerns should be surfaced early, not discovered later.
- Monitor and control food costs, minimizing waste to keep the pastry department consistently profitable.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 3-5 years of professional experience as a Pastry Chef in a high-volume setting.
- Culinary degree or equivalent certification in pastry arts from a recognized culinary institute (optional).
- Proven experience in a leadership role, with a track record of actively leading and being present with a pastry team, not just holding the title.
- Wholesale or scaled-production experience strongly preferred. Building this program is an immediate priority for the business.
- Proficient in a wide range of pastry techniques, including but not limited to laminated dough production, enriched doughs, cookies, pies and tarts, cakes, and macaronage.
- Extensive knowledge of pastry ingredients, flavor profiles, and presentation techniques.
- Strong organizational and managerial skills, including the ability to delegate tasks, manage work schedules, and oversee kitchen operations.
- Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to maintaining high-quality standards.
- A transparent, honest communicator who brings problems forward rather than managing around them.
- Flexibility to adapt to changing menu requirements, customer preferences, and industry trends.
- Problem-solving skills to address challenges in real-time and the confidence to address them.
- Commitment to maintaining a clean and organized work environment, following all sanitation and hygiene standards.
- Knowledge of food safety regulations and practices.
- Genuine passion for pastry arts and a commitment to staying informed about industry trends and advancements.
- Enthusiasm for experimenting with new flavor profiles and techniques.
- Ability to stand for 8-12 hours per shift.
- Ability to lift 50 pounds.
Job Details
Job Type: Full-time, salaried
Expected Hours: 40-45 hours per week, with additional hours expected during peak seasons and holidays
Availability: This position requires early morning, holiday, and weekend availability.
Salary: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year, depending on experience
Benefits:
- Health and dental insurance (company covers 60% of premiums)
- 2 weeks paid time off
- Paid sick time
- 5 paid holidays
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Parental leaves
- Yearly bonus
Pay: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Food provided
- Health insurance
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Store discount
Work Location: In person
