Baker/Chef

BAKER & KITCHEN LEAD

£17 hour | Full-time & part-time | Bloomsbury, London

About Kolach

Kolach is a brand-new Czech-inspired micro-bakery and specialty coffee shop coming to Bloomsbury, London.

After years of working behind the coffee bar, our founder is taking the leap and opening his own place - built around the things he loves most: great coffee, good food, and proper hospitality.

We’ll be keeping things small and thoughtful, with a seasonal menu of breakfast and lunch dishes, sandwiches, freshly baked goods and, of course, Czech kolaches.

Our philosophy is simple: Rooted in Czech baking, made for London.

We’re aiming to open w/c 2 November 2026, subject to change.

The role

We’re looking for a Baker & Kitchen Lead who loves food in all its forms - someone who gets just as excited about a beautifully made kolach as they do about creating a really good lunch dish.

This is a hands-on role with a lot of creative freedom. You’ll be responsible for producing our daily baking alongside developing and cooking a small, seasonal food menu of breakfast dishes, sandwiches and lunch bowls.

We’re deliberately keeping the menu small, which means we want to do a few things really well rather than try to do everything.

You’ll have genuine input into what goes on the menu and plenty of room to develop your own ideas, as long as they fit the spirit of Kolach:

Rooted in Czech baking, made for London.

What you'll be doing

  • Bake and prepare our daily selection of kolaches, focaccia, cookies and other baked goods.
  • Prepare and develop seasonal breakfast, lunch and sandwich dishes.
  • Create recipes using seasonal ingredients and make the most of what’s available.
  • Work closely with the FOH and coffee team to make sure the whole menu works together.
  • Help plan menus, recipes and prep around the size and needs of a small independent shop.
  • Maintain consistently high standards of flavour, presentation, food safety and cleanliness.
  • Manage daily kitchen prep and make sure the kitchen is organised and ready for service.
  • Keep an eye on stock, minimise waste and communicate ordering needs.
  • Contribute ideas for seasonal specials and future menu development.
  • Help shape the food offering as Kolach grows.

What we're looking for

This role would suit a genuine jack of all trades - someone who loves cooking and baking and doesn't want to be boxed into one of them.

You’ll suit us if you:

  • Have professional experience in a bakery, café, restaurant or similar food environment.
  • Are confident working independently and managing your own prep.
  • Love working with seasonal ingredients and developing new dishes.
  • Have a good understanding of flavour, balance and presentation.
  • Enjoy experimenting and bringing your own ideas to the table.
  • Are equally happy making a batch of kolaches, prepping focaccia or cooking lunch service.
  • Take food hygiene, organisation and consistency seriously.
  • Communicate clearly and kindly with the rest of the team.
  • Are reliable, punctual and happy to get stuck in.
  • Have the right to work in the UK.

You don't need to come from a traditional chef or bakery background. We’re much more interested in how you think about food, how you work and what you can bring to the table.

What we offer

  • £16/hour
  • Full-time and part-time positions available.
  • Approx. 6.30am–4.30pm shifts.
  • Free coffee and a staff meal during your shift.
  • 25% staff discount.
  • 28 days paid holiday pro rata.
  • Workplace pension.
  • Significant creative freedom and genuine ownership over the food menu.
  • The opportunity to develop recipes and seasonal specials that actually make it onto the menu.
  • A collaborative, independent workplace where your ideas are valued.
  • The opportunity to help build something from the very beginning.

How we work

Kolach is being built from the ground up, and we want the people joining us to feel like they are building it with us, not simply working for us.

We believe good hospitality starts with how you treat the people standing next to you. That means being kind to each other, communicating properly, helping when someone needs it and having each other's backs. It also means working hard, showing up on time and taking responsibility - because being reliable is one of the simplest ways to show respect for your team.

There’s no interest in unnecessary hierarchy or ego. We want people who have ideas, speak up, take ownership and care about making things better.

If you’re looking for a role where you can actually put your stamp on a new food business, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply by emailing hello@kolach.co.uk with your CV and a short note telling us a little about yourself, your experience and what you’d like to bring to Kolach.

Please use “Baker & Kitchen Lead” as the email subject.

Pay: From £17.00 per hour

Benefits:

  • Company events
  • Company pension
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Discounted or free food
  • Employee discount
  • Store discount

Work Location: In person

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