Pastry Sous Chef

Job Description

About Us

JA Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort is a peaceful countryside retreat and soulful escape, your haven of Scottish charm, spa indulgence, and championship golf. Recently, Mar Hall proudly joined JA Resorts & Hotels, a heritage hospitality brand with award winning properties across Dubai, the Maldives and Scotland. This exciting new chapter brings global expertise, world class standards, and new opportunities for our teams. As part of the JA family, you’ll be connected to an international network of talent, innovation, and career development, all while helping us honour the warm, authentic spirit that makes Mar Hall truly special. Set within 240 acres of woodland on the banks of the River Clyde, our resort features elegant bedrooms and suites, a championship golf course, a luxury spa and wellness experience, and exceptional dining shaped by creativity and Scottish provenance. Together, we are elevating the resort into one of the UK’s most exceptional luxury destinations and you can be part of it.

Role Overview

At Mar Hall, we are seeking an exceptional Pastry Sous Chef to lead and elevate the pastry offering across the entire resort. This is a unique opportunity for a talented pastry professional to take ownership of one of the most visible and important elements of the guest experience. Afternoon Tea within the Gallery has become one of the resort’s most popular experiences and presents an exciting platform for creativity, innovation, and refinement. Reporting directly to the Executive Chef, you will lead the development, execution, and continuous evolution of all pastry operations across the resort, including Afternoon Tea, restaurant desserts, banqueting, VIP amenities, in room experiences, breads, and seasonal offerings. We are looking for someone who wants to redefine what pastry can be at Mar Hall and who is excited by the opportunity to create a pastry programme aligned with the luxury ambitions of the resort.

Key Responsibilities

• Pastry Leadership
  • Lead all pastry production across the resort
  • Take ownership of quality, consistency, presentation, and innovation within pastry operations
  • Develop and continuously evolve pastry offerings across all guest touchpoints
  • Support the Executive Chef in defining a distinctive pastry identity for Mar Hall
• Afternoon Tea Development
  • Lead the ongoing development and refinement of Afternoon Tea within the Gallery
  • Create seasonal and signature collections that enhance the guest experience
  • Ensure Afternoon Tea remains a key differentiator and destination experience for the resort
  • Drive creativity while maintaining operational consistency and commercial viability
• Resort Wide Pastry Responsibility
  • Oversee pastry production for Restaurant desserts
  • Gallery desserts and pastries
  • Banqueting and event desserts
  • Bread and bakery production
  • In room dining offerings
  • VIP amenities and welcome experiences
  • Seasonal events and special occasions
  • Ensure consistency of standards across all areas of production
• Team Development
  • Support and develop pastry team members and wider culinary colleagues
  • Share knowledge and expertise across the brigade
  • Create a culture of pride, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement
  • Support training and succession planning initiatives
• Standards & Operational Excellence
  • Develop SOPs and pastry standards across the department
  • Ensure food safety and hygiene standards are maintained at all times
  • Manage stock levels, ordering, and supplier relationships effectively
  • Support cost control and waste management initiatives
  • Maintain exceptional attention to detail throughout all production
• Innovation & Luxury Guest Experience
  • Create memorable pastry experiences that support the resort’s luxury positioning
  • Identify trends and opportunities to elevate the pastry offering
  • Work closely with Food & Beverage and Guest Experience teams on special guest experiences and celebrations
  • Support the resort’s progression towards Forbes Travel Guide standards

About You

• Proven experience within a luxury hotel, resort, or high quality pastry environment
• Strong technical pastry and bakery expertise
• Experience developing Afternoon Tea concepts and luxury dessert offerings
• Creative mindset balanced with strong operational discipline
• Excellent organisational and planning skills
• Strong attention to detail and presentation standards
• Passion for innovation and guest experience

Personal Attributes

• A skilled craftsperson with genuine passion for pastry
• Creative, ambitious, and quality focused
• Professional and highly organised
• Calm and composed under pressure
• Collaborative and supportive in approach
• Committed to continuous improvement and excellence

What Success Looks Like

• A refined and distinctive pastry offering across the resort
• An elevated and market leading Afternoon Tea experience
• Exceptional guest feedback across all pastry touchpoints
• Consistent quality and presentation standards
• Strong commercial performance and operational efficiency
• A significant contribution to Mar Hall’s luxury food and beverage reputation

Why Join Us

At JA Mar Hall, you’ll find more than a job-you’ll build a career within a global hospitality family. We offer:

• Competitive salaryplus Tronc, paid via an independent tronc system, meaning your monthly earnings are topped up through service charge.
• Free luxury leisure club membership.
• Discounted membership for friends & family.
• 50% discount on Spa treatments.
• Golf day discounts for you, friends, and family.
• 50% discount on food for you +3 guests, and 25% off beverages.
• Discounts on overnight stays for JA Mar Hall and our sister properties.
• Friends & family hotel rates.
• Access to Wisdom, our confidential wellbeing support programme.
• Access to exclusive £100 room rates across the PoB Hotels collection.
• Free on site parking and complimentary use of leisure facilities.
• Uniform provided (role dependent).
• Recommend a Friend bonus scheme.