Catering and hospitality
Pastry chef
Plan, prepare and produce complex, refined patisserie in a variety of establishments.
Summary
This occupation is found in the hospitality industry, largely in fine dining restaurants and hotels in the pastry section and in artisan patisseries.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to plan, prepare and produce complex, refined patisserie in a variety of establishments. Pastry Chefs will plan, prepare, cook and finish advanced patisserie, using a range of refined techniques, tools and specialist equipment. Patisserie includes; dough, batters, confectionery, chocolates, biscuits, pastes, pastry, decorative work including sugar, chocolate, nougatine and pastillage and hot, cold and frozen desserts. Pastry Chefs will demonstrate expertise in a range of pastry activities producing a wide range of refined products and will be required to have excellent skills in following recipes, attention to detail, and knowledge of food production methods They will work, largely, indoors and usually operate varying shifts, including early mornings and some evenings.
In their daily work, a pastry chef interacts with internal customers, such as staff from across the wider organisation, other chefs, pastry chefs, bakers, junior members of the kitchen and people from other teams and functions. Other teams and functions may include front of house, maintenance, quality, warehousing, distribution and retail sections. They will have direct and indirect contact with a wide range of customers and may interact with stakeholders such as suppliers, auditors and regulators.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for planning and producing a range of patisserie to organisational specifications using specialist equipment, meeting quality, deadlines, productivity, hygiene, financial and environmental requirements, ensuring customer complaints and compliments are handled correctly and contributing to contingency planning and new product ideas. They will ensure safe production of food and a safe working environment for themselves and colleagues. Typically, they report to a senior/line manager or head chef but often work alone or head up a section and will contribute to product development, improvement, adapting and contingency planning. They must also apply legislation to their workplaces related to food safety as well as general Health and Safety. They may take a supervisory role for other staff on their section.
Typical job titles include
- Chef de partie, pastry | Chef patissier | Pastry chef | Senior pastry chef
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Culinary science for the production of refined dough and batter products including yeast feeding, bread improving, gluten, CO2 fermentation, combination cooking, Maillard reaction, types of grain and how their different reactions, and gluten free doughs.
K2:
Culinary science for the production of refined confectionery and chocolate products including tempering and crystallization.
K3:
Culinary science for the production of refined paste products including fat to flour ratios, gluten viscosity, aeration types, emulsification, stabilisation and water holding capacity.
K4:
Culinary science for the production of refined fruit and sugar products including inversion, caramelisation, crystallisation, uses of pectin, aeration, and enzyme breakdown.
K5:
Culinary science for the production of refined biscuit and sponge products including sugar ratios, sponge emulsifiers, effects of raising agents, fat to flour ratios, and gluten and starch in flour.
K6:
Culinary science for the production of refined hot, cold and frozen desserts including freezing points, ice crystal formation, speed of freezing, taste profiling, use of stabilisers, and the art of plating.
K7:
Culinary science for the production of refined fillings including stabilisers, emulsification, gelling agents, and finishes including glazes, sauces, coulis, and icing.
K8:
Culinary science of ingredient functionality and how to reformulate recipes to make them plant based or free from gluten and allergens.
K9:
Design and construction considerations for refined, filled patisserie.
K10:
Design and construction considerations for small display pieces and decorative items
K11:
Quality indicators in ingredients and common defects
K12:
Seasonal ingredients commonly used in producing pastry products
K13:
Ingredient specifications, ratios and balance needed to achieve intended quality standards
K14:
How to manage time, cooking temperature, and environment, i.e. temperature of room and humidity, when preparing and cooking refined products
K15:
Signs of common errors in production and how to rectify
K16:
Quality indicators related to size, texture, flavour, consistency and appearance in finished products
K17:
How to design products so they can be effectively presented, held, served and or transported to customers on and off site without negative impact on the finished product.
K18:
Functions, use and preventative maintenance of specialist equipment and technologies used by a pastry chef.
K19:
Control of Substances Hazardous for Health (COSHH) legislation in the context of a commercial kitchen
K20:
Food Safety legislation including labelling and packaging in the context of a commercial kitchen
K21:
Health and Safety legislation including stress mitigation in the context of a commercial kitchen
K22:
Principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) in the context of a commercial kitchen
K23:
Methods of planning for daily production demand using data such as customer numbers
K24:
The principles of profit and loss and how to achieve targeted gross profit.
K25:
Sources of information about current trends in pastry products and techniques
K26:
Common product improvements to maximise profitability and popularity.
K27:
Stock control; ordering, storage, rotation to maximise sustainability and support planned operations
K28:
Principles of controlling waste and sustainability
K29:
Communication styles and methods, verbal, digital and written, in the context of a commercial kitchen.
K30:
Equality Act 2010, equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including physical and mental wellbeing of self and others and how to access sources of help and advice.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0929: Pastry chef (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0929
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £26,425 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5434 Chefs
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5434/00 Chefs
- 5432/02 Cake decorators and designers
S1:
Use professional production methods to create refined, finished dough products including fermented yeast, non-fermented, laminated, enriched and hand-shaped doughs
S2:
Use professional production methods to create refined, finished batter products including separated egg, creamed, whisked whole egg, yeasted and French, Swiss, and Italian meringue mix sponges.
S3:
Use professional production methods to create refined, finished confectionery and chocolate products including honeycomb or cinder toffee, marshmallow, caramel mou, caramelised nuts, nougat, macaron, Florentine, moulded and dipped bon bons, piped truffle, pate de fruit, and chocolate decorations.
S4:
Use professional production methods to create refined, finished paste products using choux, sweet, short or brise, inverse and classic puff, and sable pastries.
S5:
Use professional production methods to create refined, finished fruit products including poached, roasted, baked, confit, conserves, compotes, fillings, and curd.
S6:
Use professional production methods to create refined, finished biscuit products including hollandaise and a la poche sable, Breton, cookies, and tuille.
S7:
Use professional production methods to create refined, finished hot, cold and frozen desserts including starch and non-starch based souffles, fondants, tarts, ice creams, sorbets, parfaits, granites, dacquoise, set creams (anglaise, ganache, meringue) and sabayon mousse.
S8:
Use professional production techniques to create refined fillings including ganache, crémeux, frangipane, praline, crème pat, diplomat and mousseline, meringue, chiboust butter cream, bavorois, sec, savoury, baked custard, and gels and inserts.
S9:
Use professional production techniques to create refined finishes including glazes, sauces, coulis, and icing
S10:
Use professional production methods to create refined, filled, constructed patisserie products including opera, éclair, St Honore, chocolate, fruit and meringue tarts, millefeuille, fraisier, black forest gâteaux, mont blanc, paris brest, pithivier or galette, petit and large entremets.
S11:
Use professional production methods to create small decorative display work including nougatine, pastillage, cooked sugar and chocolate which can be in combination.
S12:
Reformulate recipes to produce plant-based, gluten free and allergen free alternatives.
S13:
Use sensory and related to methods to ensure ingredients are the right quality.
S14:
Interpret specifications to achieve intended quality standards
S15:
Manage time, temperature and environment when preparing and cooking refined products
S16:
Identify and resolve errors during the production process
S17:
Apply quality standards related to size, texture, flavour, consistency, and appearance to finished products.
S18:
Design products to ensure they can be effectively presented, held, served and or transported to customers on and off site without negative impact on the finished product
S19:
Select and use specialist pastry equipment and technology to make refined finished products
S20:
Prepare, check, clean, and maintain specialist pastry equipment
S21:
Proactively maintain a safe, clean and hygienic working environment to manage compliance with all food safety and health and safety legislation
S22:
Plan to meet daily demand, allocating resources and proactively managing risk to production.
S23:
Prepare mise en place lists
S24:
Adapt plans according to variable internal and external factors
S25:
Improve or develop new products considering customer, profit, standards and brand fit
S26:
Adopt sustainable working practices to minimise waste and maximise yield for product batches
S27:
Use professional communication styles and methods relevant to a commercial kitchen.
S28:
Observe professional standards for teamwork, including equity, diversity and inclusion, and act to support the wellbeing and professional development of self and colleagues.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0929: Pastry chef (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0929
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £26,425 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5434 Chefs
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5434/00 Chefs
- 5432/02 Cake decorators and designers
B1:
Be solution focused with the attention to detail that consistently achieves expected outcomes
B2:
Promote an efficient, professional, calm and supportive environment
B3:
Be commercially aware and customer focused in all aspects of work
B4:
Reflect on own and team health, wellbeing and professional development, seeking and offering support when appropriate
Technical Educational Products
- ST0929: Pastry chef (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0929
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £26,425 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5434 Chefs
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5434/00 Chefs
- 5432/02 Cake decorators and designers