Apprentice Pastry Chef - Cambridge

COMPASS GROUP, UK AND IRELAND LIMITED

Cambridge (CB2 8QF)

Closes in 17 days (Tuesday 30 June 2026)

Posted on 9 June 2026

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Summary

Join our team as an Apprentice Pastry Chef and gain hands-on experience creating pastries, desserts, and baked goods while earning a recognised Level 3 qualification. Learn from experienced chefs, develop valuable skills, and build a rewarding career in a supportive environment.

Wage

Competitive

Competitive wage offered

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Pastry chef (level 3)
Hours
Monday - Friday (evening and weekends paid and required term time only).

40 hours a week

Start date

Thursday 30 July 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

  • 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

Where you'll work

Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 8QF

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

THE OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER LTD

Training course

Pastry chef (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished dough products including fermented yeast, non-fermented, laminated, enriched and hand-shaped doughs
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished batter products including separated egg, creamed, whisked whole egg, yeasted and French, Swiss, and Italian meringue mix sponges.
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished confectionery and chocolate products including honeycomb or cinder toffee, marshmallow, caramel mou, caramelised nuts, nougat, macaron, Florentine, moulded and dipped bon bons, piped truffle, pate de fruit, and chocolate decorations.
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished paste products using choux, sweet, short or brise, inverse and classic puff, and sable pastries.
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished fruit products including poached, roasted, baked, confit, conserves, compotes, fillings, and curd.
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished biscuit products including hollandaise and a la poche sable, Breton, cookies, and tuille.
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished hot, cold and frozen desserts including starch and non-starch based souffles, fondants, tarts, ice creams, sorbets, parfaits, granites, dacquoise, set creams (anglaise, ganache, meringue) and sabayon mousse.
  • Use professional production techniques to create refined fillings including ganache, crémeux, frangipane, praline, crème pat, diplomat and mousseline, meringue, chiboust butter cream, bavorois, sec, savoury, baked custard, and gels and inserts.
  • Use professional production techniques to create refined finishes including glazes, sauces, coulis, and icing
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, filled, constructed patisserie products including opera, éclair, St Honore, chocolate, fruit and meringue tarts, millefeuille, fraisier, black forest gâteaux, mont blanc, paris brest, pithivier or galette, petit and large entremets.
  • Use professional production methods to create small decorative display work including nougatine, pastillage, cooked sugar and chocolate which can be in combination.
  • Reformulate recipes to produce plant-based, gluten free and allergen free alternatives.
  • Use sensory and related to methods to ensure ingredients are the right quality.
  • Interpret specifications to achieve intended quality standards
  • Manage time, temperature and environment when preparing and cooking refined products
  • Identify and resolve errors during the production process
  • Apply quality standards related to size, texture, flavour, consistency, and appearance to finished products.
  • Design products to ensure they can be effectively presented, held, served and or transported to customers on and off site without negative impact on the finished product
  • Select and use specialist pastry equipment and technology to make refined finished products
  • Prepare, check, clean, and maintain specialist pastry equipment
  • Proactively maintain a safe, clean and hygienic working environment to manage compliance with all food safety and health and safety legislation
  • Plan to meet daily demand, allocating resources and proactively managing risk to production.
  • Prepare mise en place lists
  • Adapt plans according to variable internal and external factors
  • Improve or develop new products considering customer, profit, standards and brand fit
  • Adopt sustainable working practices to minimise waste and maximise yield for product batches
  • Use professional communication styles and methods relevant to a commercial kitchen.
  • Observe professional standards for teamwork, including equity, diversity and inclusion, and act to support the wellbeing and professional development of self and colleagues.
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished dough products including fermented yeast, non-fermented, laminated, enriched and hand-shaped doughs
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished batter products including separated egg, creamed, whisked whole egg, yeasted and French, Swiss, and Italian meringue mix sponges.
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished confectionery and chocolate products including honeycomb or cinder toffee, marshmallow, caramel mou, caramelised nuts, nougat, macaron, Florentine, moulded and dipped bon bons, piped truffle, pate de fruit, and chocolate decorations.
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished paste products using choux, sweet, short or brise, inverse and classic puff, and sable pastries.
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished fruit products including poached, roasted, baked, confit, conserves, compotes, fillings, and curd.
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished biscuit products including hollandaise and a la poche sable, Breton, cookies, and tuille.
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, finished hot, cold and frozen desserts including starch and non-starch based souffles, fondants, tarts, ice creams, sorbets, parfaits, granites, dacquoise, set creams (anglaise, ganache, meringue) and sabayon mousse.
  • Use professional production techniques to create refined fillings including ganache, crémeux, frangipane, praline, crème pat, diplomat and mousseline, meringue, chiboust butter cream, bavorois, sec, savoury, baked custard, and gels and inserts.
  • Use professional production techniques to create refined finishes including glazes, sauces, coulis, and icing
  • Use professional production methods to create refined, filled, constructed patisserie products including opera, éclair, St Honore, chocolate, fruit and meringue tarts, millefeuille, fraisier, black forest gâteaux, mont blanc, paris brest, pithivier or galette, petit and large entremets.
  • Use professional production methods to create small decorative display work including nougatine, pastillage, cooked sugar and chocolate which can be in combination.
  • Reformulate recipes to produce plant-based, gluten free and allergen free alternatives.
  • Use sensory and related to methods to ensure ingredients are the right quality.
  • Interpret specifications to achieve intended quality standards
  • Manage time, temperature and environment when preparing and cooking refined products
  • Identify and resolve errors during the production process
  • Apply quality standards related to size, texture, flavour, consistency, and appearance to finished products.
  • Design products to ensure they can be effectively presented, held, served and or transported to customers on and off site without negative impact on the finished product
  • Select and use specialist pastry equipment and technology to make refined finished products
  • Prepare, check, clean, and maintain specialist pastry equipment
  • Proactively maintain a safe, clean and hygienic working environment to manage compliance with all food safety and health and safety legislation
  • Plan to meet daily demand, allocating resources and proactively managing risk to production.
  • Prepare mise en place lists
  • Adapt plans according to variable internal and external factors
  • Improve or develop new products considering customer, profit, standards and brand fit
  • Adopt sustainable working practices to minimise waste and maximise yield for product batches
  • Use professional communication styles and methods relevant to a commercial kitchen.
  • Observe professional standards for teamwork, including equity, diversity and inclusion, and act to support the wellbeing and professional development of self and colleagues.

Training schedule

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Team working
  • Reliable
  • Punctual
  • Calm under pressure
  • Willingness to support
  • Passion for pastry
  • Numerical skills
  • Positive attitude
  • Eagerness to learn

Other requirements

DBS check required.

About this employer

We’re the people behind the food, hospitality and support services that power your day, make you smile and put a spring in your step. That’s just one of the reasons why we’re the UK and Ireland’s top contract catering, hospitality, and business support services provider.

Company benefits

  • Financial wellbeing support 
  • Healthcare cashback plans
  • Pension life assurance
  • Employee assistance programme
  • Discounts on shopping travel and wellbeing
  • Recognition awards 
  • Career development opportunities 
  • Access to exclusive employee benefits

After this apprenticeship

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. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

THE OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER LTD

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000036041.

Apply now

Closes in 17 days (Tuesday 30 June 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.