Job Title: Pastry Chef / Head Baker – Croissants & European Patisserie (New Specialty Café, Founding Team)
Location: Jalandhar Heights-II, 66 Feet Road, Jalandhar, Punjab
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: ₹35,000 – ₹55,000/month (negotiable for exceptional candidates) + performance bonus after stabilization
About Us
Cavallo is a new specialty coffee café and European kitchen opening in Jalandhar. Our patisserie program is central to the brand — not an afterthought. You'll run a dedicated bakery section with a professional deck oven, proofer, and spiral mixer, producing viennoiserie and desserts at a standard this city hasn't seen. This is a founding-team role: your croissant will be one of the signatures we're known for.
The Role
You will own the bakery and pastry section end-to-end — lamination, breads, desserts, and daily production planning. Our program includes croissants and twice-baked almond croissants (a house signature), Basque burnt cheesecake, panna cotta and plated desserts, and all breads for the kitchen (sando breads, pizza support, breakfast breads).
Responsibilities
Run the daily viennoiserie program: croissant lamination, proofing schedules, and bake-off timed to our 7 AM opening
Produce house signatures to exact standard: twice-baked almond croissant, Basque burnt cheesecake
Bake all in-house breads: brioche/milk buns for sandos, sourdough or country loaves, breakfast breads
Prepare dessert components and plated desserts in coordination with the head chef (panna cotta, seasonal desserts)
Own the production schedule — overnight cold proofs, prep lists, par levels — so the display case is full at open and stays full
Manage bakery ingredient sourcing (butter quality matters to us — we'll buy what your lamination needs), inventory, and wastage
Train a commis/assistant baker as volume grows
Maintain FSSAI-standard hygiene in the bakery section
Requirements
3+ years in a patisserie, artisan bakery, or hotel bakery section, with hands-on lamination experience — this is non-negotiable and will be tested
Strong fundamentals: doughs, custards, cheesecakes, cakes, and bread baking
Experience with deck ovens, proofers, and spiral mixers
Ability to plan production independently — you'll run your section, not wait for instructions
Early morning shift comfort (bakery day starts before the café opens)
Willing to relocate to Jalandhar (relocation/accommodation support available for the right candidate)
What We Offer
Founding Pastry Chef position with full ownership of the bakery program
Brand-new professional equipment: deck oven, proofer, spiral mixer, dedicated bakery section
Ingredient budget that supports real quality — no cutting corners on butter
Performance bonus linked to café milestones
Direct access to ownership — no corporate layers
The chance to introduce true European patisserie to a market with zero competition at this level
To Apply: Submit your resume via Indeed. Shortlisted candidates will do a paid trial — you'll laminate and bake croissants and produce one dessert (e.g., Basque cheesecake or panna cotta) in our kitchen or an agreed venue.
Schedule: 6 days/week, early morning shift (bakery production begins pre-opening)
Two practical notes. First, the trial has a timing problem you should plan around: proper croissants need 2–3 days (lamination, cold proof, bake), so structure the trial as either day one lamination plus day two bake, or have them bring their own laminated dough and do the shaping/proofing/bake plus the cheesecake fresh in front of you. Second, your best hunting grounds for this role are Nik Bakers and similar Chandigarh/Mohali operations, Delhi patisseries, and hotel bakery CDPs — Lovely Bake Studio right there in Jalandhar also trains bakers, though their style is more commercial cake than viennoiserie. Post on Indeed, but also consider a direct approach on LinkedIn and Instagram — good laminators often showcase their work there and respond well to "founding pastry chef with your name on the program" pitches.
Pay: ₹35,000.00 - ₹55,000.00 per month
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
