Pastry Chef

Catering by Design & dohō | Mt. Airy, Philadelphia

Catering by Design, a progressive and growing Philadelphia-based catering company, is seeking a skilled and driven Pastry Chef to join our culinary team. This role will oversee dessert production for both Catering By Design’s premium off-premise events and dohō , our Mount Airy restaurant.

Both our catering commissary kitchen and dohō are located in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia , creating a dynamic environment where restaurant and event production work side by side.

We are looking for a highly capable, hands-on pastry professional who leads from the bench — someone who thrives in high-volume production while maintaining exceptional attention to detail and presentation.

This is a working pastry leadership role with light team oversight, not a desk-based administrative position.

About the Role

The Pastry Chef will be responsible for daily dessert production across:

• High-end weddings and private events
• Corporate and social catering
• Seasonal restaurant desserts at dohō

Wedding cakes are outsourced; this role focuses on plated desserts, composed sweets, dessert stations, petits fours, specialty confections, and restaurant dessert programs.

You will oversee a small pastry team (0–4 depending on season), manage production flow, maintain standards, and ensure consistent execution at scale.

What We’re Looking For

• 3–5+ years in a professional pastry kitchen
• Strong high-volume production experience
• Background in fine dining or refined restaurant pastry strongly encouraged
• Ability to execute consistently under event timelines
• Strong palate and seasonal creativity
• Exceptional attention to detail and finish
• Comfortable managing and mentoring a small team
• Highly organized and adaptable in dynamic environments
• Availability for evenings and weekends as required

Restaurant pastry chefs looking to transition into a high-level catering environment are encouraged to apply.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

• Designing and executing seasonal plated desserts for catering events and dohō
• Managing production for multiple events simultaneously while maintaining consistency and presentation standards
• Leading and mentoring small pastry team members (0–4 depending on season)
• Creating and maintaining detailed prep lists and production timelines
• Documenting recipes with precision and ensuring all formulas are properly entered and maintained within our production management system
• Scaling recipes accurately for event volume and restaurant service
• Overseeing ordering and inventory of pastry ingredients
• Maintaining quality control across all desserts for both Catering By Design and dohō
• Collaborating with culinary leadership on tastings and menu development
• Ensuring sanitation, organization, and compliance standards are upheld