Head Pastry Chef
CRUMB
CRUMB, our artisan pastry cafe in Lambton (Newcastle), is looking for a Head Pastry Chef to lead our bakery kitchen. A creative leadership role focused on shaping our pastry offering, mentoring the team, and maintaining exceptional product quality.
- Lead the pastry program at a respected artisan bakery with real creative influence.
- Build and mentor your team in a calm, quality-driven kitchen culture.
- Great salary + coastal Newcastle lifestyle with genuine workâlife balance.
We are looking for an experience and passionate Head Pastry Chef to lead and inspire our bakery kitchen team at CRUMB, our artisan pastry cafe in Lambton, Newcastle.
This is an exciting opportunity for a creative leader who loves both the artistry and the structure behind great pastry. You'll have the space to shape the direction of our retail offering, mentor a growing team, and play a key role in the continued evolution of a respected, premium bakery.
If you're someone who takes pride in quality, thrives on building strong systems, and enjoys developing people as much as developing beautiful products - we'd love to hear from you.
The Role
This position brings together creativity, leadership and operational oversight. You'll lead the pastry kitchen day-to-day while shaping the direction of the CRUMB's pastry offering and ensuring production runs smoothly, efficiently, and sustainably.
Creative Leadership & Product Development
- Lead the development and evolution of our retail pastry offering.
- Create and refine seasonal products, specialty releases and new menu items.
- Balance creativity with practicality - designing products that are exciting, consistent and scalable.
- Develop clear, well documented recipes with accurate costing and yield management.
- Play an active role in product launches and future growth initiatives.
Production & Quality
- Oversee daily production across laminated doughs, artisanal pastries, biscuits and specialty items.
- Maintain strong production systems to support consistency and efficiency.
- Maintain high quality standards across all products.
- Guide portion control, waste reduction and best-practice production methods.
Team Leadership
- Lead, mentor and develop a dedicated team of pastry chefs and apprentices.
- Manage rostering, labour planning and team structure.
- Set clear expectations, training pathways and opportunities for growth.
- Foster a calm, professional and positive kitchen culture.
Operations
- Oversee ordering, supplier relationships and stock control.
- Maintain compliance with food safety and allergen regulations.
- Work closely with ownership to support the continued growth of the business.
About You
- Significant experience in premium bakery or artisan pastry environments.
- Proven leadership experience in a senior pastry or bakery role.
- Passion for product development and refining quality.
- Strong understanding of food cost, labour management and kitchen systems.
- Organised, solutions-focused and steady under pressure.
- Most importantly, you care deeply about quality, consistency and team culture.
- Australian work rights are required for this position.
What's On Offer
- Salary $100,000 - $110,000 (based on experience)
- Creative input with operational autonomy.
- A stable, established business with strong foundations.
- Opportunity to lead and shape a respected bakery program.
- Relocation support considered for candidates relocating within Australia.
- Coastal lifestyle with strong work-life balance.
If you're ready to lead with both creativity and care, we'd love to hear from you.
Please submit your resume outlining your leadership experience and examples of product development within bakery or pastry production environments.
Apply Now
