About Starfire Bakery
Starfire Bakery is a growing independent bakery in Wilmington, Vermont, focused on producing high-quality breads, pastries, and baked goods from scratch.
We are looking for a Junior Baker / Pastry Cook who already has a foundation in a culinary program, professional bakery, pastry kitchen, restaurant, or similar production environment and wants to continue developing their craft in a hands-on bakery.
This is not a basic entry-level prep position. We are looking for someone who understands the fundamentals of working in a professional kitchen, can follow formulas accurately, works cleanly and efficiently, and wants to become a stronger baker.
What You’ll Do
As part of our bakery production team, you will assist across daily bread and pastry production, including:
- Produce breads, pastries, and other baked goods from established recipes and formulas
- Scale and measure ingredients accurately
- Mix, shape, proof, and bake doughs
- Assist with laminated dough and viennoiserie production
- Prepare fillings, creams, components, garnishes, and finishing elements
- Monitor fermentation, proofing, bake quality, and product consistency
- Operate commercial mixers, ovens, and other bakery equipment
- Finish, decorate, and package products for service
- Maintain consistency in appearance, flavor, portioning, and quality
- Organize mise en place and prepare for upcoming production
- Maintain a clean, organized, and food-safe workspace
- Help the team execute efficiently during busy production periods
- Assist with receiving, rotating, and organizing ingredients and supplies
As your skills develop, there will be opportunities to take greater ownership of specific products, production areas, and daily responsibilities.
Must-Have Qualifications
To be considered for this position, candidates must have at least one of the following:
- Completion of a culinary, baking, or pastry program plus professional kitchen experience
- At least 1 year of professional bakery, pastry, restaurant, or commercial food-production experience
- Equivalent hands-on professional experience in a high-volume scratch-production kitchen
Candidates must also be able to:
- Follow recipes, formulas, and production instructions accurately without constant supervision
- Demonstrate basic professional knife, kitchen, sanitation, and food-safety skills
- Work efficiently in a professional commercial kitchen environment
- Understand fundamental production concepts including scaling ingredients, mise en place, production timing, and batch consistency
- Use or quickly become proficient with commercial mixers, ovens, and bakery equipment
- Maintain strong organization and cleanliness throughout a shift
- Communicate professionally and work effectively as part of a small team
- Work early mornings, weekends, and holidays as scheduled
- Stand for extended periods and safely lift up to approximately 50 lbs
This is not an entry-level kitchen position. Applicants without professional culinary, bakery, pastry, or comparable commercial food-production experience will not be considered.
What Will Make You Stand Out
We are especially interested in candidates with experience or training in:
- Artisan bread and sourdough production
- Viennoiserie and laminated dough
- Croissants and related pastries
- Fermentation and proofing
- Pastry production
- Professional restaurant or bakery production
- High-volume scratch cooking or baking
- Production planning and organization
- Maintaining consistent product quality across batches
Culinary or baking/pastry school graduates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Who Will Thrive Here
This role is ideal for someone who may have recently completed culinary or baking school and already has some professional kitchen experience, or someone who has spent a year or two working in a bakery, pastry kitchen, or restaurant and is ready to continue developing their skills.
You do not need to know everything.
You do need a strong foundation, attention to detail, professionalism, consistency, curiosity, and a genuine desire to improve your craft.
We are looking for someone who takes pride in their work and wants to become an increasingly capable member of a professional bakery team.
What We Offer
- $22.00–$25.00/hour, based on experience
- Annual compensation reviews
- Paid sick time
- 401k, and 401k matching after 1 year
- Employee discount
- Hands-on experience across bread and pastry production
- Opportunity to develop skills in artisan bread, laminated dough, pastry, and production baking
- Increasing responsibility as skills and experience grow
- Opportunity for advancement as Starfire Bakery continues to grow
- A small-team environment where quality and craftsmanship matter
To Apply
Please submit your resume and include a brief note outlining your professional bakery, pastry, culinary, or commercial kitchen experience.
Candidates with culinary-school training should include the program completed and graduation date.
Please note: home baking experience alone does not meet the minimum qualifications for this position.
Pay: $22.00 - $25.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Professional development assistance
Work Location: In person
