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Head Baker at GAIL's

Hands on the dough, eyes on the team.

Prove and bake fresh bread, cakes and pastries, train the team, and keep every bake to GAIL's standard.

  • Banbury, Oxfordshire · On-site
  • Early starts, around 5:30am to 6:30am
Check if this role fits you

A few questions about your baking, leadership and early-start fit. No CV needed to start.

A baker's flour-dusted hands scoring a round sourdough loaf on a wooden bench at dawn, with proving baskets and freshly baked loaves cooling nearby.

A morning on the bench

Built around the bake

From first prove to finished display, you keep the morning's bread, cakes and pastries flowing.

A freshly stocked bakery display of golden sourdough loaves, baguettes, croissants, pastries and small cakes arranged on rustic wooden shelves.
The range you bake and set out each morning.
  1. 1

    Prove

    Prove the day's doughs ready to bake.

  2. 2

    Bake

    Bake the bread, cakes and pastries through the morning.

  3. 3

    Present

    Set the displays so every shelf looks its best.

Across every step, you keep food safety tight and know the products and recipes inside out.

More than the bench

You lead the team, not just the bake

Taking charge is the job. You run the morning and bring the team with you.

  • Train and develop the team

    Bring on the kitchen team and grow their skill shift by shift.

  • Set the order of work

    Plan the bake list and keep the morning on track.

  • Talk clearly

    Communicate well so the whole team can do its best.

  • Be the role model

    Set the example for quality and food safety every day.

If you already bake hands-on and want to lead, this is the step up.

Is this you?

What you bring

You will be a strong fit if this sounds like you.

  • Hands-on baking skill and strong product knowledge.
  • Leadership: you can take charge, train and develop a team.
  • Food-safety knowledge you hold to every day.
  • Organised, and clear when you talk to the team.
  • Ready for early-morning starts.

The morning rhythm

Early starts are part of the craft

Our bakeries open early, so you start early too. Times are typically around 5:30am to 6:30am, and the exact start varies by bakery.

When you check your fit, we ask whether early starts work for you.

5:30am–6:30am

Typical start window, varies by bakery

Check if this role fits you

No CV needed to start. Just a few questions about your fit.

Looked after

What comes with the role

Kitchen roles here come with:

  • Free food and drink on shift
  • 50% off food and drink on days off
  • 33 days holiday
  • Pension scheme
  • Cycle-to-work scheme
  • 24/7 GP helpline
  • 24/7 Employee Assistant Programme
  • Discounts at high-street shops and restaurants

Room to grow

Lead bakers, and keep building your craft

This is a hands-on leadership role with room to keep growing.

  • Grow as a leader

    Develop the bakers around you, and sharpen your own leadership doing it.

  • Keep learning

    Development programmes help you keep building your skills.

  • Reviewed regularly

    Pay is reviewed twice a year.

Ready when you are

Think this bench is yours?

Take a couple of minutes to check your fit for the Banbury Head Baker role.

Check if this role fits you

A few questions about your baking, leadership and early-start fit. No CV needed to start. Takes about two minutes.

  • You bake hands-on.
  • You want to lead a team.
  • You keep food safety tight.
  • You can start early.
No CV needed to start. Check your fit