Executive Pastry Chef
EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF
The Social House | Nairobi, Kenya
Open to Kenyan and International Candidates
WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO SIMPLY RUN A PASTRY KITCHEN. WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO BUILD A PASTRY DESTINATION.
The Social House is growing, and with that growth comes a bigger ambition for our pastry and bakery offering.
We want The Social House to become one of Nairobi’s most sought after destinations for exceptional French pastries, cakes, viennoiserie, desserts and beautifully crafted sweet experiences.
We admire the standards established by some of Nairobi’s recognised pastry destinations, including Opera Patisserie at Sankara and Le Grenier à Pain. Our ambition is to develop an offering with its own distinctive identity and establish The Social House among the city’s most recognised destinations for pastry.
To help us get there, we are looking for a seasoned Executive Pastry Chef who combines serious technical craftsmanship with creativity, commercial thinking, operational discipline and the ambition to build something exceptional.
This is not a role for someone who simply wants to maintain what already exists.
It is for someone who wants to create what comes next.
ABOUT THE SOCIAL HOUSE
The Social House is more than a hotel. We are a collection of experiences, stories and spaces designed to inspire connection.
From our restaurants and vibrant events to our thoughtfully curated guest experiences, we are driven by creativity, culture and exceptional hospitality.
Our people bring Authenticity, Resourcefulness, Craftsmanship and Sparkle to what they do.
For our Executive Pastry Chef, Craftsmanship will be particularly important. We want someone who combines creativity, innovation, skill and a genuine love for shaping things until they become exceptional.
YOUR MISSION
Your mandate will be clear:
Help us build one of Nairobi’s most distinctive pastry experiences.
You will take ownership of the pastry and bakery operation across The Social House, with particular focus on transforming The Living Room into a destination people deliberately visit for exceptional pastries.
We want guests talking about our croissants.
Coming back for a particular signature pastry.
Ordering our cakes for celebrations.
Meeting friends over coffee and pâtisserie.
Sharing our creations because they look and taste extraordinary.
And recommending The Social House when someone asks:
“Where can I find really good pastries in Nairobi?”
That means combining the precision and discipline of classic French pâtisserie with originality, personality and a clear understanding of what today’s guest wants.
WHAT YOU WILL OWN
As Executive Pastry Chef, you will:
• Lead and oversee the entire pastry and bakery operation, setting high standards for quality, taste, texture, presentation and consistency.
• Develop a distinctive French inspired pâtisserie offering for The Social House and The Living Room.
• Create signature pastries and desserts that guests begin to associate specifically with The Social House.
• Develop exceptional croissants, viennoiserie, laminated pastries, artisan breads, cakes, tarts, entremets, petits gâteaux, chocolate products and plated desserts.
• Balance classical French pastry techniques with contemporary flavours, presentation and locally relevant ideas.
• Develop seasonal collections, festive ranges, celebration cakes, afternoon experiences and limited edition pastry concepts.
• Continuously explore pastry trends, techniques, ingredients and leading pastry houses locally and internationally.
• Create, implement and maintain standard recipes, production specifications, photographs, yields, portion sizes and presentation standards.
• Build production systems that deliver the same exceptional quality every day, regardless of who is on shift.
• Plan production requirements and maintain appropriate par levels and stock availability.
• Monitor ingredient usage, wastage and portion control while maintaining strong food cost discipline.
• Work closely with Procurement on ingredient quality, supplier performance and product specifications.
• Lead, coach, train and develop Pastry Chefs, Commis Chefs, Bakers and other members of the pastry team.
• Build the technical capability of the pastry team so that knowledge and standards are transferred rather than concentrated in one person.
• Work closely with the Executive Chef and wider culinary team on menus, promotions, special events and seasonal offerings.
• Partner with the commercial and marketing teams to create pastry products and experiences that generate excitement, guest traffic and revenue.
• Ensure all pastry production complies with food safety, hygiene and health and safety standards.
• Maintain exceptional standards of cleanliness, organisation and operational discipline within the pastry kitchen.
• Monitor the condition and performance of pastry equipment and promptly address maintenance and safety concerns.
• Drive continuous improvement, innovation and efficiency throughout the pastry operation.
• Act as a role model for professionalism, teamwork, discipline and culinary excellence.
WE ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN YOUR FRENCH PASTRY CRAFT
You should have strong practical knowledge of classical and contemporary French pastry.
We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate excellent work in areas such as:
• Croissants and laminated doughs
• Pain au chocolat and viennoiserie
• Brioche
• Choux pastry and éclairs
• Mille feuille
• Macarons
• Tarts and tartlets
• Entremets and petits gâteaux
• Mousses, crémeux, ganaches and glazes
• Chocolate and praline work
• Celebration and speciality cakes
• Artisan breads and premium bakery products
• Contemporary plated desserts
We are interested not only in where you have worked, but also in what you can actually create.
THE PERSON WE ARE LOOKING FOR
INQUISITIVE
You are curious about your craft.
You study what leading pastry chefs and pâtisseries are doing. You ask why a product works, how it could be improved and what guests might want next.
You experiment intelligently and never assume yesterday’s success guarantees tomorrow’s relevance.
RESOURCEFUL
Not every challenge requires more money, more people or more equipment.
You know how to work intelligently with ingredients, people, equipment and available resources.
When something goes wrong, you look for solutions rather than excuses.
EFFICIENT
Beautiful pastry must also make commercial sense.
You understand production planning, yields, portion control, food cost, wastage, labour productivity and stock management.
Your kitchen is organised because you understand that creativity performs better when supported by discipline.
DETERMINED
You have high standards and the stamina to maintain them.
You understand that becoming recognised for exceptional pastry requires repetition, refinement, training and relentless attention to detail.
You finish what you start.
EXPRESSIVE
Pastry should have personality.
So should its leader.
You communicate clearly, teach confidently, receive feedback well and can explain the story and thinking behind your creations.
You bring energy and character to your kitchen while maintaining discipline, professionalism and respect.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING
• A recognised qualification in Pastry & Bakery, Culinary Arts, Hotel Management or a related discipline.
• Significant experience as an Executive Pastry Chef, Head Pastry Chef, Pastry Sous Chef or equivalent senior pastry leader within a luxury hotel, premium pâtisserie, high end restaurant or comparable hospitality operation.
• Strong practical expertise in French pâtisserie and viennoiserie.
• Demonstrable experience creating and launching new pastry products rather than simply reproducing an existing menu.
• Strong technical knowledge of pastry, bakery, desserts and chocolate production.
• Experience developing recipes and establishing production and presentation standards.
• Strong understanding of recipe costing, food cost, portion control, inventory management and waste reduction.
• Experience leading a pastry team and developing junior chefs.
• Strong production planning and organisational capability.
• Excellent knowledge of food hygiene, safety and quality standards.
• An exceptional eye for presentation and attention to detail.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding that a successful pastry operation must deliver both exceptional products and sustainable financial performance.
• The ability to remain calm, organised and consistent in a demanding hospitality environment.
• Genuine passion for craftsmanship, innovation and creating memorable guest experiences.
YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE
We are looking for someone who is hands on, organised, curious and commercially aware.
You teach.
You demonstrate.
You taste.
You question.
You correct.
You coach.
And you challenge your team to become better.
You know when to lead from the front and when to give your team room to grow.
You encourage experimentation, but you insist on standards.
You care about every detail, from the quality of the ingredients and the first fold of laminated dough to the final glaze and presentation.
You understand the difference between “good enough” and genuinely exceptional.
Most importantly, you understand that a beautiful pastry that cannot be produced consistently, costed correctly or delivered efficiently is not yet a successful product.
WHAT SUCCESS WILL LOOK LIKE
We want your impact to be visible.
Success in this role will mean:
• The Living Room increasingly becoming recognised as a destination for exceptional pastries.
• Development of a distinctive collection of signature Social House pastries.
• Guests returning specifically for particular pastry products.
• Consistently excellent quality regardless of shift or team member.
• Strong guest feedback and growing repeat pastry customers.
• Growth in pastry, bakery, cake and dessert revenue.
• Improved production efficiency and controlled wastage.
• Exciting seasonal pastry collections and limited edition products.
• A technically stronger pastry team capable of maintaining the standards you establish.
• Pastry becoming a meaningful and recognisable part of The Social House identity.
INTERNATIONAL AND EXPATRIATE CANDIDATES ARE WELCOME
This opportunity is open to both Kenyan and expatriate candidates.
We are interested in exceptional pastry talent regardless of nationality.
If you are an experienced international pastry professional with strong expertise in French pâtisserie, viennoiserie, luxury hospitality or premium pastry operations, we encourage you to apply.
For expatriate candidates, appointment will be subject to meeting the applicable Kenyan immigration and work authorisation requirements.
We are particularly interested in candidates who can bring international exposure, fresh thinking and world class pastry techniques while being curious enough to understand and respond to Nairobi’s evolving hospitality and dining market.
WHY JOIN THE SOCIAL HOUSE?
Because this is an opportunity to do more than inherit a pastry section.
You will have the opportunity to shape it.
You will join a creative, collaborative and forward thinking hospitality business that believes in doing things differently.
We will expect ideas from you.
We will expect you to challenge us.
We will expect craftsmanship.
We will expect you to understand the numbers behind your kitchen.
And we will give you the opportunity to help create a pastry identity that guests remember long after they leave the House.
READY TO CREATE SOMETHING REMARKABLE?
If French pastry is your craft, operational excellence is your discipline and the opportunity to build an outstanding pastry destination in Nairobi, Kenya excites you, we would like to hear from you.
Please submit your CV on this link Executive Pastry Chef Application Link
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Position: Executive Pastry Chef
Applications: Open to Kenyan and International/Expatriate Candidates
Application Deadline: 31 October 2026
The Social House is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a workplace where people are treated with dignity, performance is pursued with integrity and every team member contributes meaningfully to the success of the hotel.