Pastry Chef

Job description

Position Title

Pastry Chef

Contract type

Full Time

Location

Pâtisserie Hélène des Îles is the oldest, top rated and most celebrated artisanal Pâtisserie in the Les Iles de la Madeleine archipelago.  Located on a tiny peninsula between La Petite Baie the sandy beaches on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in an extremely high-traffic area of Havre Aux Maisons, Pâtisserie Hélène des Îles is a year-round artisanal French-inspired bakery frequented by locals, seasonal residents and tourists alike. 

Located where the Gulf of St. Lawrence meets the Atlantic Ocean, the windswept Les Iles de la Madeleine archipelago boast more kilometers of sandy beach than roads.  The islands are known for their blood-red cliffs, warm shallow waters, extraordinary culinary tradition, and world class sailing, scuba diving and kite surfing.  Les Iles de la Madeleine is a major global tourist destination and home to a proud community of sea-faring Acadians as well as many well-known seasonal residents.

About the Pâtisserie

Founded nearly 20 years ago as the first classic French-inspired Pâtisserie in les Iles de la Madeleine, Pâtisserie Hélène des Îles has remained a boutique artisanal business while growing substantially.  We have a small kitchen and produce small quantities of baked goods, always made by hand, always fresh every day, and always with the absolute best quality ingredients. This simple formula has worked extremely well for us. There is not a day during the busy summer tourist season when we do not have a long line out the door and around the corner, rain or shine, and it is rare for the length of the line to decrease during the day.

Pâtisserie Hélène des Îles was founded by Hélène Arseneau, a graduate of ITHQ in Montreal and a classically trained French-style pastry chef with experience working in both France and Canada.  Hélène remains extremely involved in the day-to-day operations of the Pâtisserie, ensuring everything produced meets her exacting standards for quality.  She loves helping, teaching and managing the staff, and strives to create a warm, family-like atmosphere in the kitchen.  She rewards creativity and initiative, and believes her most important skill as proprietor and manager is listening to her hard-working team.

What we’re looking for:

Pâtisserie Hélène des Îles is hiring an individual skilled as both a baker and a manager.  During the fall and winter when production is low, the primary focus will be assisting Hélène and the small team with daily baking.  During the spring the focus shifts toward finding talent, scheduling and staffing up for the busy summer season.  During summer, the job is equal parts manager and baker and involves menu planning, staff scheduling, and all aspects of kitchen management.

The pâtisserie has earned a special place in the hearts of the islands’ residents for its creative and unique offerings during major holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, and Christmas.  Preparing for these holidays requires a major push from the entire team and this preparation is among the most fun and treasured times of the year for us.  We are all working together, encouraging each other’s creativity and putting in long hours.  There is some pressure in advance of these holidays, but it’s a fun pressure that makes the job more rewarding and helps build our team.

The individual we will choose for this position will have a precise attention to detail and curiosity.  They’ll have the energy to keep long baker’s hours and a passion not just for baking but also for managing a small, creative and energetic team.  They should be excited to break new ground with new recipes, using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, and focused on bottom-line efficiency, including taking other measures to reduce our environmental impact. 

Responsibilities

Daily Baking (not more than 5 days per week); hiring staff for the busy season, helping to plan, organize, direct and control all activities in the kitchen.

MANAGEMENT

·         Hiring of staff, training, distribution of work, development of schedules, performance evaluation, conflict management, etc.

·         Manage the financial resources (assist in preparation of budgets, control of operating costs, etc.), keep costs down and supplies in stock (management of inventories, supplies, negotiations with suppliers, etc.)

·         Work in coordination with the owner and participate in staff and management meetings

BAKERY OPERATION

·         Help us create a world class pastry menu which changes based on the preferences of our customers in each season

·         Help bake exceptional quality baked goods

·         Oversee inventory management and all ordering of ingredients, kitchen / cleaning supplies and boutique supplies

·         Supervisor of all kitchen activities (cleanliness of equipment, handling of appliances and food, compliance with quality standards and food freshness, etc.)

·         Carry out a daily inspection of the work areas and ensure the application of hygiene, sanitation, health and safety standards

Hours

We start at 6:00 am every day except, for Saturdays and the days leading up to certain holidays such as Mother’s Day, Easter and Christmas when we start at 4:00 am. It is not required that the individual we hire for this role start early every day as there are multiple shifts each day the Pâtisserie is open. This position requires 4-5 days of work per week and we can be flexible in scheduling.  During the summer season, hours can be longer than usual.  The Patisserie is closed for two months per year (November and January) and no work is required during the months we are closed.

Compensation

Hourly compensation of $25.00 per hour. 

Opportunity for Housing

We are able to provide year-round housing in a small, but beautiful loft-style apartment located above the Pâtisserie. 

Requirements

You may also be interested in these offers