At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a creative pastry team to craft exceptional desserts for events and retail.
- Company: Join The Fresh Collective, a national hospitality group with iconic venues.
- Benefits: Enjoy career development, a supportive team, and a convenient inner-city location.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for growth within the culinary field.
- Why this job: Make your mark at Melbourne Museum while creating memorable food experiences.
- Qualifications: Experience in high-volume pastry production and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 56700 - 69300 $ per year.
The Fresh Collective is seeking an experienced and creative Head Pastry Chef to lead pastry and dessert production across the Museums Victoria portfolio. Based at Melbourne Museum, this hands-on leadership role oversees pastry and bakery operations for events and retail at Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks, the Royal Exhibition Building and Immigration Museum, with occasional offsite catering opportunities.
You'll lead a talented team to create polished, high-quality pastry for everything from retail offerings and intimate functions through to major events and large-scale catering.
- Work at the iconic Melbourne Museum and across the Museums Victoria portfolio
- Lead the creative direction and day-to-day delivery of a diverse pastry operation
- Create exceptional desserts and baked goods for premium events, retail and catering
- Join a supportive, collaborative culinary team within a national hospitality group
- Convenient inner-city location, accessible by public transport
- Career development opportunities within The Fresh Collective
Your Role As Head Pastry Chef, you will:
- Lead the daily pastry and bakery operation across retail, events and catering
- Create, prepare and present high-quality desserts, pastries and baked goods with consistent presentation, flavour and quality
- Contribute to menu development, new dishes and seasonal offerings alongside the Head Chef Events and Executive Chef Retail and Events
- Plan weekly production, mise en place, ordering and staffing requirements
- Manage food costs, stock rotation, ordering and wastage in line with budget targets
- Ensure recipes are documented, standardised and consistently followed
- Supervise, train and motivate pastry team members, fostering a positive and productive kitchen culture
- Coordinate production and packing for functions, ensuring every detail is prepared accurately and on time
- Maintain the highest standards of food safety, allergen management, hygiene, cleaning and workplace safety
About You
- Demonstrated experience leading a pastry or bakery section in a high-volume events, catering, hotel or premium hospitality environment
- Strong technical pastry skills and a genuine creative flair
- Experience producing at scale while maintaining excellent quality and attention to detail
- Confident in menu development, recipe standardisation, production planning and cost control
- A calm, organised and hands-on leadership style with the ability to develop junior chefs
- Sound knowledge of food safety, allergen management and Victorian workplace health and safety requirements
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across kitchen, events and logistics teams
- A passion for creating memorable food experiences
About The Fresh Collective
The Fresh Collective is a national hospitality group known for delivering premium catering and dining experiences at iconic venues including the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Theatre Company, Museums Victoria, Government House and more. With a talented team of chefs, event managers and front-of-house staff, Fresh caters everything from cocktail events to gala dinners with a focus on quality, creativity and exceptional service.
Head Pastry Chef – Melbourne employer: The Fresh Collective
The Fresh Collective is an exceptional employer that offers a vibrant work culture and a supportive team environment in the heart of Brisbane's events and hospitality scene. With a focus on professional development and genuine growth opportunities, employees can thrive while managing a diverse portfolio of premium venues and catering services. Enjoy competitive salaries, flexible working arrangements, and the chance to create memorable experiences for clients across various events, from weddings to corporate functions.
