What is required?

  • High school level of education
  • Some experience in a similar environment
  • Great communications skills
  • Passion for food, food preparation and team work
  • Positive and energetic, you enjoy engaging with people
  • Good command of the English language

What will you get?

  • Competitive pay
  • 12-45 hours per week
  • 28 vacation days on pro rata basis
  • Participation in a non-contractual tronc scheme that can earn you between £2-£4 per hour depending on how busy your bakery is
  • Free, nutritious and organic meals while working and generous discounts when off duty
  • Perkbox
  • Study support and professional qualifications with an industry-leading Apprenticeship scheme.
  • Up to £200 cash reward for every recommended team member and £500 for every recommended manager
  • In-house training academy offering an exciting portfolio of courses and development paths.
  • Regular social events and team and company wide incentives

What will you do?

  • 70% Guest care and service
  • 10% Serving food and drinks
  • 15% Working behind the counter
  • 10% Cleaning

This vacancy has been created based on interviews with employees to help you get a realistic preview of the job.

Vacancy

As a Bakery team member at Le Pain Quotidien, you are the face of the business and it's your responsibility to make sure guests are well looked after. You will follow the steps of service and some tips on how to make their experince special.  You will manage their expectations by explaining the menu, asking about allergies, if they are in a rush and what they fancy to eat and drink. You are responsible for a number of tables in the restaurant, which you keep a close eye on. You make sure tables are well maintained and clean.

You also regularly work behind the counter/retail area. Here you sell fresh products such as pastries, cakes, bread and croissants. We also have fresh baguettes, salads and breakfast pots. There you help guests who wants take-away products, make their choice and provide a speedy service. Most dishes are prepared in the kitchen, but behind the retail counter you may need to do some final touches on cakes and pastries.

During the day, you make sure the bakery and your workplace behind the counter stays clean. At the end of the day you and your colleagues from the closing shift clean the bakery according to the company standards. You make sure that your colleagues from the morning shift can start their work well.

You are part of the Front of House team, which consists of the management team, supervisors, team trainers/buddies, baristas and several other team members.

If you enjoy meeting new people, making social connections with guests and work in a diverse team that works hard, then this is a job for you.

Working week

Host

On a good day, we have fun with guests, work well together as a team and it is clear who is doing what.

On a less enjoyable day, we are short of colleagues and some guests are rushed.

    • Opening the store
    • Lunch
    • Answering questions about the menu
    • Serving guests
    • Consultation with Manager about complaint
    • Clearing and cleaning tables
    • Attend daily briefing
    • Serving guests
    • Clearing and cleaning tables
    • Serving guests
    • Serving guests
    • Attent daily briefing
    • Helping guests behind the counter
    • Making coffee to go
    • Lunch
    • Helping guests behind the counter
    • Cleaning

Firsthand experience

At the peak time of the day, you are the only one responsible for the terrace and something goes wrong with an order. How do you solve this?

In this case, you can always ask for help from a Shift leader or (Assistant) Manager who is present that day. You apologize to the guest and inform your supervisor. Together you then decide, for example, to offer the drinks on the house. Your supervisor ensures that the drinks are removed from the bill and you report back to the guest.

Growth

Growth is one of the four cultural pillars at Le Pain Quotidien. Le Pain Quotidien invests in training, development and team building of all employees. It even has its own training curriculum and academy: the Farming Academy. Here Hosts inspire each other and learn from each other to become even better Hosts and where quality and authenticity are of paramount importance.

Bakery Team Member
Supervisor
Assistent Manager
Manager
District Manager

Working at Le Pain Quotidien UK

Le Pain Quotidien (French for 'daily bread') is an all day bakery chain founded in 1990 by Alain Coumont. Alain was dissatisfied with the quality of bread in Brussels, so he started making his own sourdough bread using only four ingredients: water, flour, salt and time. Now Le Pain Quotidien has more than two hundred restaurants in fifteen countries, spread over three continents.

  • Headquarters in Brussels, Amsterdam, London and Paris
  • 5.000 employees worldwide
  • Active in 15 countries
  • 41% / 59%
  • Black outerwear

Colleagues

Emmanuel kofi Amponsah - Kitchen Assistant

Why did you decide to work for this company?
Food makes people happy and especially good food makes people happy! There are not many other jobs where you can make people happy every day. It's good to see your regulars come in knowing they've come because they love the food and services you provide as a Kitchen Assistant.

What did you study?
Bsc Marketing and Informatica.

What do you do in your spare time?
Shopping, working out and clubbing with friends.

Lenka - Supervisor

Why did you decide to work for this company?
The favorable working hours, good ambiance and the chances you get offered.

What was your previous job?
Host

What do you do in your spare time?
Spending time with the people I love.

Margot - Student

Why did you decide to work for this company?
Le Pain Quotidien was already known to me, I went there several times for breakfast. My sister started there as a student and once a shop opened near where I lived I saw my chance to start there.

What was your previous job?
Student at Carrefour.

What do you do in your spare time?
Going out for drinks and good food.

Application process

Telephone interview
In-person meeting with a management team member combined with a short trial
You got the job!