Executive Pastry Chef Full-time

Company Description

Recognized as the #1 Best Canadian Hotel in Travel + Leisure's 2024 World's Best Awards, Fairmont Empress is located in Victoria, BC, overlooking the city's sparkling Inner Harbour. A Forbes recommended and MICHELIN key hotel that offers 431 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, Fairmont Spa with signature West Coast experiences, and Q at the Empress featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine, an award-winning wine list, and regionally focused cocktail culture. World-famous Tea at the Empress is served in the Lobby Lounge with stunning harbour views.

The magnificent property completed a $60+ million restoration in 2017 that celebrated its proud history while moving the hotel into a new era of modern luxury and transforming the iconic property into a must-visit destination. In 2023, the property introduced a revamped Fairmont Gold Experience, including a major renovation to the Fairmont Gold floor. 88 Fairmont Gold rooms and a newly renovated lounge are ready to accommodate guests. Located on Vancouver Island, Canada's Castle on the Coast is the ideal starting point to explore British Columbia's stunning natural and expansive beauty. Historic Hotels Worldwide recognizes the property's prestigious grounds as the Top 25 Most Magnificent Gardens in the World.

Job Description

What is in it for you:

• Wonderful company culture – our colleagues are at the heart of all we do
• Excellent training with the opportunity to build a successful career
• Career development opportunities with national and international promotion opportunities 
• Learning programs through our Academies designed to sharpen your skills
• Ability to make a difference through our Corporate Social Responsibility activities
• Employee benefit card offering discounted rates at Accor properties worldwide and additional benefits for Fairmont and Raffles colleagues  
• Exclusive Employee and Friends & Family Discounts at Fairmont Empress 
• Exclusive access to the Pacific Northwest Food & Beverage Discount Program with 50% off at our dining destinations in Vancouver, Victoria, and Whistler
• Complimentary meal during your shift through our Colleague Dining Program 
• Complimentary uniform laundering
• Access to our comprehensive benefits and wellness programs, including extended healthcare benefits and RMT, dental, vision.
• Complimentary counseling, wellness sessions, financial and family planning through our Employee Assistance Program
• Access to our company-matched Defined Contribution Pension Plan (DCPP)
• Opportunity to develop your talent through coaching and our Leadership Mentoring Programs
• Opportunity to participate in our Leadership Incentive Program
• Competitive salary starting at $95,000

What you will be doing:

Reporting to the Executive Chef; and working in partnership with the Restaurant Chef and Banquet Chef, you will be responsible for the creative direction and execution of all pastry related operations for the Fairmont Empress and Victoria Conference Centre.

You will design menus that reflect the Fairmont Empress’ position as leader in Pacific North West cuisine. Working with the local farmers and culinary artisans of Vancouver Island, you will curate on brand and trend setting culinary experiences for local and in house guests. 

• Lead the day to day operations of the pastry kitchen, through an active presence on the floor, leading your teams to deliver service excellence
• In collaboration with the other culinary leaders; oversee the entirety of the Pastry department. Banqueting, Afternoon Tea, Venues, Fairmont Gold, Staff Cafeteria and ‘Empress at Home’ to go programs.
• Effectively  participate in managing the departmental budget through purchasing,  inventory management, pricing, and labour cost
• Drive revenue and profit through the development and implementation of menu design, strategies, practices and promotions.
• Maintain food safety and sanitation of the pastry kitchen, through industry leading food safety protocols. 
• Highly involved in sourcing products and building relationships with local vendors
• Represent the Empress at external events
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure effective operation of the hotel, and exceptional guest experiences
• Train and lead the pastry team, ensuring they have the skills, training and tools to deliver world class culinary experiences  
• Take an active role with FOH leaders to ensure service colleagues are knowledgeable about the dessert menu and can speak with guests comfortably about menu items, ingredients, and techniques.   
• Personally engage with clients and guests, ensuring exceptional culinary experiences
• Take initiative to ensure guest satisfaction metrics are met or exceeded, responding personally to guest feedback for pastry related items
• Participate in the recruitment and onboarding of new colleagues 
• Promote the growth and development of internal talent
• Pro-actively participate in colleague engagement initiatives 
• Adhere to all Company policies, procedures and values 
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Your experience and skills include:

This position is ideally suited to the individual who has a demonstrated progressive work history, is ambitious and career minded. With the goal to grow with Accor Hotels.

The pastry shop at the Empress is a very busy from scratch operation, a current Executive Pastry Chef in a similar operation would be best suited for this role. Alternatively, candidates with a strong progressive work history and a minimum of 2 years’ experience as Pastry Sous Chef in a similarly sized pastry shop would be considered. A combination of both standalone restaurant and luxury hotel experience is an asset.

• Previous leadership experience in a luxury hotel environment within North America is considered a strong asset, with a solid understanding of luxury hospitality service standards, guest expectations, and operational excellence.
• Leadership experience in a unionized environment is considered a strong asset, with a proven ability to foster collaborative labour relations and effectively lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated passion for cuisine, guest experience and colleague engagement
• A strong understanding of local food products and current culinary & pastry tends
• Experience managing in a unionized environment is considered an asset
• Food Safe level 1 or VIHA recognized equivalent certification
• Interprovincial Red Seal or equivalent certification
• Proven organizational skills; managing in a busy multiple outlet environment
• Self-motivated, detail oriented and well organized, excellent work ethic with a high degree of responsibility
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Computer literate; well versed in Microsoft Office applications
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced, customer service driven environment
• A team player with the ability to train, coach, build relationships and motivate employees.
• Practical understanding of productivity and labour cost
• Versed on calculation of food cost; Experience with conducting food inventories and understanding of inventory turn-over
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage inventory, purchasing, and par stock levels, with experience forecasting and adapting inventory requirements to support seasonal business fluctuations while maintaining quality, cost controls, and operational excellence
• Understanding of safe work practices and initiatives to reduce or eliminate accidents
• Proven ability to drive revenues and profit, without sacrificing colleague and customer experiences
• Strong interpersonal and problem solving abilities
• Ability to taste all food products
• Ability to physically perform the duties of the Pastry Chef

Additional Information

Physical Aspects of Position (include but are not limited to): Frequent standing and walking, Frequent bending and kneeling, Frequent carrying and lifting

Visa Requirements: Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. The hotel is unable to assist candidates in obtaining Canadian work authorization.

Your team and working environment:  Welcome to Canada’s Castle on the Coast. The Empress Hotel sits proudly at the centre of culture and history in Victoria, British Columbia. This is the best of all worlds – where contrast meets distinction, opulence blends harmoniously with the understated and fabled history meshes with contemporary affairs. This award-winning Victoria hotel and National Historic Site is an alluring blend of classic and contemporary, vintage and cutting-edge: Where Modern meets Iconic. Come join our wonderful team of hospitality experts!

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.

Why work for Accor?
We are far more than a worldwide leader. We welcome you as you are and you can find a job and brand that matches your personality. We support you to grow and learn every day, making sure that work brings purpose to your life, so that during your journey with us, you can continue to explore Accor’s limitless possibilities.
By joining Accor, every chapter of your story is yours to write and together we can imagine tomorrow's hospitality. Discover the life that awaits you at Accor, visit

Do what you love, care for the world, dare to challenge the status quo! #BELIMITLESS