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About Qima Café

Qima Café is London's first tree-to-cup café, connecting guests directly to the people, places, and stories behind some of the world's finest coffees.

As part of Origins 1450, we operate across sourcing, exporting, importing, roasting, research, and hospitality. Every coffee we serve can be traced back to the farmer who grew it, and we believe the food experience should be every bit as exceptional as the coffee itself.

Our pastry programme helped establish Qima Café's reputation, but we know it can be significantly better. We are looking for an ambitious Lead Pastry Chef to help restore, elevate, and continuously improve our patisserie offering while maintaining exceptional daily standards across our cafés.

The Role

Reporting to the Head Chef, the Lead Pastry Chef will be responsible for the quality, consistency, execution, and ongoing development of Qima Café's pastry and dessert offering.

This is a hands-on operational role. While product development is an important part of the position, the primary focus is ensuring that our pastry section consistently delivers exceptional products that guests love and return for.

We are looking for someone who combines strong pastry skills with commercial awareness, creativity, pace, and a genuine passion for hospitality.

The successful candidate will help rebuild a pastry programme that complements one of the world's most unique coffee offerings.

Key ResponsibilitiesPastry & Dessert Leadership

• Lead the pastry and dessert programme across Qima Café locations.
• Maintain exceptional standards of quality, presentation, consistency, and execution.
• Ensure all pastry products reflect the quality and reputation of the Qima brand.
• Drive continuous improvement across existing products and processes.
• Help establish pastry as a key reason guests visit Qima Café.

Product Development & Innovation

• Develop and launch new pastries, cakes, desserts, and seasonal specials.
• Refresh and improve existing products regularly.
• Create products that complement and enhance the coffee experience.
• Balance creativity with operational practicality and commercial performance.
• Contribute ideas for afternoon tea, celebration cakes, seasonal ranges, and special projects.
• Work with the Head Chef and wider food team to bring new ideas to market quickly and effectively.

Daily Production & Execution

• Participate in daily pastry production, baking, finishing, garnishing, and service preparation.
• Ensure products are consistently executed to specification across all sites.
• Support training and development of kitchen team members.
• Maintain high standards of organisation, cleanliness, and food safety.
• Monitor product quality throughout production and service.

Commercial Awareness

• Understand food cost, waste, labour implications, and product profitability.
• Develop products that are commercially viable as well as technically strong.
• Support growth in pastry and dessert sales through product quality, innovation, presentation, and execution.
• Contribute to initiatives that improve guest engagement and category performance.

Teamwork & Kitchen Operations

• Work closely with the Head Chef, kitchen teams, and wider business.
• Support broader kitchen operations when required, including service, preparation, brunch production, and other food-related activities.
• Operate as part of a collaborative kitchen rather than a siloed pastry department.
• Promote a positive, flexible, and professional team culture.

What We Are Looking ForEssential

• Minimum 5 years of professional pastry experience.
• Strong patisserie skills including cakes, entremets, mousses, plated desserts, finishing techniques, and presentation.
• Proven experience working within high-quality hospitality environments.
• Strong organisational and communication skills.
• Commercial awareness and understanding of product performance.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of results.
• Comfortable working across multiple locations where required.
• Positive attitude and willingness to contribute beyond a narrowly defined role.

Desirable

• Experience within specialty cafés, patisseries, premium bakeries, restaurants, hotels, or hospitality groups.
• Experience launching successful pastry products or seasonal ranges.
• Experience with afternoon tea, celebration cakes, or premium dessert programmes.
• Interest in coffee, hospitality innovation, and food pairing.
• Experience training and developing junior team members.

Working Pattern

• 45 hours per week across 5 days.
• Flexible across Fitzrovia and Covent Garden.
• Early morning baking and finishing shifts as required.
• Dedicated time allocated for product development and menu innovation as part of normal working hours.

Performance Incentive

In addition to base salary, this role includes a performance incentive programme designed to reward the successful growth and development of Qima Café's pastry category.

This may include:

• Category growth bonus linked to pastry and dessert sales performance.
• Annual performance bonus linked to quality, execution, innovation, and contribution to the business.
• Additional rewards for exceptional product launches and commercially successful new products.

Expected on-target earnings are £50,000–£55,000+, with additional upside for exceptional performance.

What We Offer

• £38,000–£44,000 base salary depending on experience.
• Performance incentive programme with genuine earning potential.
• The opportunity to shape and influence the future of Qima Café's pastry programme.
• Direct access to senior leadership and decision-making.
• Career growth opportunities across the Origins 1450 group.
• Employee discounts, company events, mentoring, and development opportunities.

We are looking for someone who wants to build something meaningful, take pride in their craft, and help create a pastry programme that stands alongside some of the best coffee in the world.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: £50,000.00-£55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company events
• Employee discount
• Employee mentoring programme
• Profit sharing
• Referral programme
• Store discount
• UK visa sponsorship

Application question(s):

• Availability (any notice periods required)?
• What are your salary expectations (base + bonus/OTE)? Please provide annual number.

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In person