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.
Benefits
- 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.
Apply now to bring your pastry expertise and leadership to one of Melbourne’s most distinctive hospitality environments.