Apprentice Pastry Chef - Cambridge

We're currently recruiting for an ambitious Apprentice Pastry Chef to join our team at Lodestone House, working 45.8 weeks a year on a 40-hour per week contract. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with a passion for baking and patisserie who is eager to begin or develop their culinary career within a supportive and professional environment.

As an Apprentice Pastry Chef, you will be an integral part of our kitchen team, working alongside experienced chefs to produce high-quality pastries, desserts, and baked goods. You'll gain hands-on experience in a fast-paced kitchen, learning essential techniques such as preparation, baking, presentation, and maintaining consistency to the highest standards. From assisting with daily production to contributing creative ideas, you'll develop a strong foundation in both classic and modern pastry skills.

Alongside your practical experience, you will benefit from a structured apprenticeship programme, giving you the opportunity to earn while you learn and achieve a recognised qualification. You'll receive ongoing support and mentoring from skilled professionals who are committed to helping you succeed and grow in your role.

In return, we offer more than just a job. You'll be part of a company that truly invests in its people, values individuality, and encourages career progression. We recognise and reward those who go above and beyond, providing opportunities to develop your skills and build a long-term career within the industry. On completion of the Apprenticeship, you will achieve the Pastry Chef L3 and become a qualified Pastry Chef.

About Lodestone House: Located on Hills Road in Cambridge, Lodestone House is a modern, purpose-built facility within a leading independent school environment. The site supports a high-volume catering operation, delivering a wide range of freshly prepared food, from daily café offerings to hospitality and event catering. With a strong focus on quality, creativity, and service, it provides an excellent setting for aspiring chefs to develop their skills in a dynamic and professional kitchen.

The key responsibilities of this role include:

• Supporting production across bread, pastries, café items, and hospitality preparation
• Assisting with a varied workload, including approximately 20% bread, 40% pastry production, 20% café items, and 20% hospitality prep
• Carrying out tasks such as laminating, filling and finishing pastries, producing desserts and chocolates, and preparing items for events
• Supporting event service and ensuring high standards of presentation
• Adapting to a varied day-to-day workload based on school operations and service demands

Our ideal apprentice will have:

• A reliable and punctual approach to work
• The ability to remain calm and perform well under pressure
• A strong team-focused mindset with a willingness to support others
• A genuine passion for pastry and the wider hospitality industry
• Excellent attention to detail and pride in producing high-quality work
• Strong numerical and communication skills
• A positive attitude and eagerness to learn and develop within a high-volume school environment

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package including (but not limited to):

• Financial wellbeing programme and preferred rates on salary finance products
• Aviva Digicare - Free annual healthcare check
• Medicash - Discounted health cash plan providing cashback on a range of medical treatments including Dental, Optical and Consultant appointments for you and your family
• Pension scheme and Life Assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Sharebuy Scheme
• Recognition awards including Be a Star peer recognition and Long Service Awards
• Employee networks created and led by employees for employees
• Exclusive Benefits & Wellbeing site (Perks at Work)
• Entertainment, Health & Wellbeing and Travel discounts
• Shopping discounts - Save up to 15% at high street and online stores by purchasing Shopping Cards
• Vodafone discounts
• Ongoing training & development and career pathway

As part of the application process, you will be required to complete a short questionnaire and participate in a screening call to determine your eligibility for apprenticeship funding in line with the Department for Education funding rules. This is a mandatory step of the application process to ensure that you meet the criteria for apprenticeship funding.

Please note: We reserve the right to remove this advert prior to the advertised date, dependent on the level of response received. You are therefore advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!

Part of Compass Group UK&I, Chartwells is the leading provider of catering and support services to the education sector. For over a quarter of a century, Chartwells has been focusing on helping those in education to build strong bodies, sharp minds and lead long healthy lives. Every week, Chartwells serves millions of nutritious and delicious meals to pupils and students in primary and secondary schools, academies, independent schools, colleges, and universities across the UK. Chartwells is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. Any offer of employment will be subject to successfully completing pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and a Children's Barred List check. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and we ask applicants to declare all previous convictions and cautions in order to assess their suitability to work with children.