At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic bakery production team and ensure top-quality products.
- Company: Respected South London bakery known for premium products.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, leadership role, and long-term career development.
- Other info: Opportunity to shape a sustainable bakery operation with growth potential.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a hands-on leadership position within a thriving bakery.
- Qualifications: Strong bakery production experience and leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 55000 € per year.
Location: South London
Salary: £45,000 to £55,000 pa depending on experience
Working Pattern: Five days out of seven, including weekends
Shift Pattern: Rotating day and night production shifts, typically between 14:30 and 02:30
Future Development: Longer term progression into a pure day shift leadership role as the bakery operation evolves.
This respected London bakery business, producing premium bakery products for hospitality, cafés and retail customers, is looking to appoint a Senior Head Baker to lead its bakery production function within a Central Production Unit. This is a senior, hands on leadership role for someone with strong bakery production experience who can bring together craft, quality, people management and operational structure. This is not a hospitality bakery role. Candidates must have experience within bakery production, whether that is a Central Production Unit, wholesale bakery, retail bakery production, artisan production bakery, food manufacturing bakery environment or another high volume bakery setting.
The business is looking for someone who still values proper bakery craft, but who is also ready to lead a team, improve standards, strengthen processes and help shape a more organised, scalable and sustainable bakery operation.
What You'll Be Doing:
- Lead the bakery production team across daily production activity
- Take ownership of production standards, output, consistency and quality
- Ensure products are produced to specification and delivered on time
- Maintain strong standards across bread, sourdough and wider bakery production
- Support the team during busy production windows
- Lead by example through strong technical knowledge and hands on involvement
- Manage, support and develop bakers across the team
- Train and coach the team to improve skill, confidence and consistency
- Improve shift handovers, production communication and daily organisation
- Support rota planning, holiday cover and staffing requirements
- Help implement stronger process, planning and team structure
- Monitor dough quality, fermentation, proving, baking and finished product standards
- Oversee flour ordering, ingredient control, deliveries and storage standards
- Maintain excellent food safety, hygiene and housekeeping standards
- Work closely with senior management to improve operational control and production reliability
What's In It for You:
- A senior leadership opportunity within a respected South London bakery business
- The chance to lead a busy bakery production function within a Central Production Unit
- The opportunity to work with premium bakery products supplied to hospitality, cafés and retail customers
- A hands on role where craft, quality, leadership and process all matter
- Real influence over team structure, standards, planning and ways of working
- Longer term development towards a pure day shift leadership position
- The opportunity to help build a more structured, consistent and sustainable bakery operation
Your Background:
- Strong bakery production experience, this is essential
- Experience leading or supervising bakers within a production environment
- A strong technical understanding of bread and bakery production
- Good knowledge of sourdough, fermentation, dough handling and bake quality
- Experience working to production plans, quality standards and output requirements
- Comfortable working in a fast paced bakery production setting
- Experience managing people, standards, communication and daily production activity
- The ability to improve structure, process, consistency and ways of working
- A strong understanding of food safety, hygiene and production discipline
- Comfortable working across a rotating shift pattern, including nights and weekends initially
- You may have experience in a Central Production Unit, wholesale bakery, retail bakery production, artisan bakery with meaningful production scale, food manufacturing bakery environment, multi site supply bakery operation or high volume bakery production setting.
- Hospitality only bakery backgrounds are not suitable unless supported by clear bakery production experience.
Join a Business That Invests in You:
This is a rare opportunity for a senior bakery production professional to join a respected South London bakery business at an important stage of development. You will have the chance to take ownership of a key production function, lead a team, protect premium bakery standards and help shape how the operation develops over the next stage of growth. If you are a hands on bakery production leader who can balance craft, quality, people and process, we would love to hear from you.
Senior Head Baker employer: Found Food & Drink
Join a respected South London bakery that values craftsmanship and quality, offering a senior leadership role with a competitive salary and the opportunity for long-term career progression. With a strong focus on employee development, you will lead a dedicated team in a dynamic production environment, ensuring high standards while enjoying a supportive work culture that encourages innovation and collaboration.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Head Baker
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to fellow bakers, suppliers, or even customers. You never know who might have a lead on that perfect Senior Head Baker role. Plus, it shows you're passionate about the industry!
✨Tip Number 2
Get your hands dirty! If you can, visit local bakeries and chat with the team. Show them your skills and passion for bakery production. It’s a great way to make connections and get noticed.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t shy away from social media! Share your baking creations and insights on platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn. It’s a fantastic way to showcase your expertise and attract potential employers.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We’re always on the lookout for talented bakers like you. Make sure to highlight your leadership experience and technical knowledge in bakery production when you do.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Head Baker
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your strong bakery production experience in your application. We want to see how your background aligns with the role, so don’t hold back on sharing your journey in the bakery world!
Craft Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to express your passion for bakery craft and leadership. Let us know why you’re excited about this opportunity and how you can contribute to our team.
Be Specific About Your Skills:When detailing your skills, be specific about your technical knowledge of bread and sourdough production. We love a candidate who knows their dough, so share examples of how you've maintained quality and consistency in your previous roles.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and get to know you better. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Found Food & Drink
✨Know Your Craft Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your technical knowledge of bread and bakery production. Be ready to discuss your experience with sourdough, fermentation, and dough handling. The interviewers will want to see that you can not only lead but also get hands-on when needed.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed and developed a team in a bakery production environment. Highlight specific instances where you improved processes or standards, as this role is all about leading by example and fostering a strong team dynamic.
✨Understand the Business Needs
Research the bakery's operations and their product offerings. Be ready to discuss how you can contribute to their goals, especially in terms of improving production reliability and maintaining high-quality standards. This shows that you're not just looking for any job, but that you're genuinely interested in their success.
✨Be Ready for Shift Talk
Since this role involves rotating shifts, be prepared to discuss your flexibility and experience with different shift patterns. Share how you've managed your time and responsibilities in previous roles, especially during busy production windows, to demonstrate your adaptability.
