Head Pastry Chef UK Sponsorship Available

Job Description

Job Reference: UNI1544
Location: Parker’s Tavern, Cambridge, UK
Contract: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full time
Hours: 42.5 hours per week
Salary: £34,106.49 per year + approximately £7,500 annual Tronc
Posted: 28 August 2026
Closing Date: 28 September 2026

An Opportunity to Lead the Pastry Kitchen

Parker’s Tavern is looking for an experienced and creative Head Pastry Chef to take responsibility for its pastry operation. This is an excellent opportunity for a skilled pastry professional who enjoys creating high-quality desserts, leading a team and maintaining exceptional culinary standards.

You will play a key role in developing the pastry offering, introducing seasonal ideas and ensuring that every product leaving the kitchen meets the expected standards for flavour, appearance and consistency.

About Parker’s Tavern and University Arms

Located in the centre of Cambridge, University Arms is a 192-bedroom, design-focused hotel overlooking the famous Parker’s Piece.

The hotel is home to Parker’s Tavern, a quintessentially British restaurant and bar, as well as the Library Lounge and a 272-square-metre wood-panelled ballroom.

University Arms has its origins as a coaching inn dating back to 1834 and has evolved significantly throughout its history. Following an extensive four-year, £80 million renovation, the hotel reopened in 2018 with a contemporary approach to luxury hospitality while retaining its strong connection to Cambridge’s heritage.

Your Responsibilities

As Head Pastry Chef, you will oversee the pastry section and ensure that it operates efficiently and consistently. Your responsibilities will include:

– Managing the daily running of the pastry kitchen and coordinating its activities.
– Designing and producing desserts, pastries and baked goods to a consistently high standard.
– Developing seasonal dishes and contributing fresh ideas to menus.
– Maintaining excellent standards of flavour, texture, presentation and consistency.
– Leading, coaching and developing pastry and wider kitchen team members.
– Managing purchasing, ordering and stock levels within the pastry operation.
– Monitoring food costs, wastage and overall profitability.
– Ensuring appropriate food hygiene, allergen management and health and safety procedures are followed.
– Working collaboratively with chefs, hotel management and other departments.
– Maintaining an organised, clean and professional working environment.

What You’ll Bring

We are seeking an ambitious pastry professional with strong technical knowledge and proven leadership experience.

The successful candidate should have:

– At least two years of Head Pastry Chef or comparable pastry experience within a high-quality five-star operation.
– Strong knowledge of professional pastry techniques and modern culinary trends.
– A creative approach to dessert and menu development.
– The ability to develop attractive and commercially viable pastry concepts.
– Experience managing food costs, gross profit, stock, ordering and waste.
– A hands-on approach to kitchen leadership.
– The confidence to motivate, train and develop other team members.
– A strong understanding of food hygiene, sanitation and allergen requirements.
– Good spoken and written English.
– Flexibility to work different shift patterns, including early and late shifts, weekends and bank holidays.

Salary and Benefits

The position offers a base salary of £34,106.49 per annum, together with approximately £7,500 per year in Tronc.

Additional benefits include:

– Competitive overall remuneration.
– Free meals while on duty.
– Team member events and parties.
– Room and food-and-beverage discounts across the Marriott portfolio.
– Employee referral rewards, with the opportunity to receive up to £400 for a successful referral.
– The opportunity to work within an established Cambridge hotel and hospitality team.

Please note: Staff accommodation is not available with this position.

Skilled Worker Sponsorship

Sponsorship may be available under the Skilled Worker transitional arrangements for applicants who meet the relevant immigration requirements.

To qualify for consideration under these transitional arrangements, candidates must generally:

– Have received their first Skilled Worker or Tier 2 (General) visa before 4 April 2024.
– Have maintained continuous Skilled Worker immigration permission since that time.
– Not have had their Skilled Worker permission cancelled, curtailed or allowed to expire without valid continuation of permission.
– Understand that applicants whose first Skilled Worker visa was granted on or after 5 April 2024 are not eligible under these transitional arrangements.

Applicants may be required to provide evidence of their immigration history so that their eligibility can be assessed.

Where sponsorship applies, the successful candidate will be responsible for their own visa application fee, Immigration Health Surcharge and other personal immigration expenses. The company will cover sponsorship-related costs that it is legally required to pay.

Right to Work in the UK

Candidates who do not require sponsorship must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom or be eligible to obtain permission to work through the Skilled Worker route.

Appropriate documentary evidence of right-to-work eligibility will be requested during the recruitment process.

Why Join University Arms?

Working at University Arms offers the chance to become part of a hotel that combines Cambridge’s historic character with contemporary hospitality.

The team takes pride in creating thoughtful, high-quality experiences for guests while celebrating the city’s heritage. For a pastry professional who enjoys creativity, teamwork and hands-on kitchen leadership, this role provides an opportunity to make a visible contribution to the hotel’s food and beverage offering.

Application deadline: 28 September 2026.