Walk past London’s bakeries, five-star Hotels or Michelin restaurants and desserts are now at the forefront of marketing as Instagram has pushed the pastry section to the front. The trouble is, while demand for patisserie is soaring, the people who make these items, pastry chefs—are becoming a rarer and rarer and harder to find.

It’s not just a London problem, either. Across the UK, restaurants, hotels, and bakeries are all clamouring for pastry talent. Job boards are stuffed with listings for pastry chefs, from michelin restaurants to luxury hotels and independent patisseries. Speak to almost any chef-owner, and you’ll hear the same thing: “We just can’t find any pastry chefs and advertising on jobs boards just doesn’t work”.

So, why the sudden shortage and why doesnt advertising for pastry chefs work ?

Finding a pastry chef could just be the hardest thing for UK restaurants and hotels right now. The first reason is simple: pastry is hard. The hours are long, the work is gruelling, and the level of precision required borders on obsessive. Unlike the main kitchen, pastry chefs have to be more precise and have specific experience. They cant just start off washing and cleaning the pots and pans.  Training takes years, and the best pastry chefs are committed to perfectionism that would drive most people mad.

It’s also a question of reputation. Until recently, pastry was often seen as the quieter, less glamorous side of the kitchen. Main kitchen chefs got the fame, the TV slots, the cookbooks. But in the last decade, something changed. London’s diners got a taste and instagram content ideas for high-end patisserie— Yotam Ottolenghi’s cakes, Dominique Ansel’s cronuts, or the irresistible pastries at places like Pophams and Chestnut Bakery. Suddenly, pastry chefs found themselves in the spotlight, with customers willing to pay serious money for Cedric Grolet’s Paris-Brest Flower or a slice of Basque cheesecake.

There’s also Brexit to consider. For years, the UK’s patisserie scene relied heavily on European—especially French pastry chefs. Since Brexit, tighter immigration rules have made it much harder for European chefs to work here. According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of EU nationals working in UK kitchens has dropped sharply since 2016, and the effect is particularly acute in niche roles like pastry.

Training is another issue. While you can study patisserie at a handful of colleges, the real education comes from years spent in professional kitchens—often starting at the bottom and working up. As restaurants struggle with staff shortages, they have less time and money to invest in training junior pastry chefs, making it harder for new talent to break through.

Wages and quality of life have also been an issue. The average wage for a pastry chef in London is surprisingly modest. Most pastry chefs in the capital can expect to earn somewhere between £26,000 and £33,000 per year, with the average salary hovering around £28,500—sometimes less when you factor in starting roles or jobs outside of top hotels and restaurants.  For comparison, this is below the UK’s national average wage, despite the demanding nature of the job.

The hours are another sticking point. Many pastry chefs regularly work more than 50 hours a week, with early starts or late finishes to ensure pastries and desserts are ready for service. This combination of long shifts, weekend and holiday work, and comparatively low pay has led to many chefs—especially younger ones—deciding the sacrifice just isn’t worth it.

The scale of the exodus is striking. Even before the pandemic, over 20,000 chefs were leaving the profession every year, accounting for around 10% of the UK hospitality workforce. Long hours, high stress, and stagnant wages are frequently cited as the main reasons for leaving . This churn has only intensified with the added pressures of Brexit and the pandemic, leaving many kitchens understaffed and struggling to keep up with demand.

For all the glamour that surrounds the patisserie boom, the reality for many pastry chefs remains tough: long hours, demanding work, and wages that haven’t kept pace with the skill and dedication required. It’s little wonder so many are voting with their feet. This leaves us with a small pool of dedicated and ultra skilled pastry chefs in the UK, and many restaurants and hotels looking to recruit them.

If your restaurant or hotel is struggling to find top-tier pastry talent, Gourmet Recruitment is here to help. With a large network of skilled pastry chefs, many of whom have professional training and experience in Michelin-starred kitchens, we’re well placed to connect you with the right candidate. Whether you need someone for a high-end patisserie or a busy restaurant, our team can assist in sourcing chefs who truly understand the demands and standards of the industry. For tailored recruitment support, get in touch—Gourmet Recruitment is ready to help you build your pastry team.

Email – adam@gourmet-recruitment.com