Crave Catering

Catering Chef - Pastry & Culinary Event Management
Department: CRAVE Catering - Culinary
Reports To: Executive Chef / Catering Culinary Leadership
Employment Type: Full-Time
Location: Minneapolis-Saint Paul Area
Position Overview
CRAVE Catering is seeking an experienced, organized, and creative Catering Chef with a focus on pastry and culinary event management to join our growing team. This role combines hands-on pastry and culinary production with leadership responsibility for the successful execution of weddings, corporate functions, social celebrations, venue events, and large-scale catered experiences. The ideal candidate has a strong pastry background, is comfortable supporting savory production, and can confidently manage culinary operations at events. This individual will oversee event preparation, culinary timelines, food presentation, kitchen and station setup, staff direction, service execution, and post-event breakdown while maintaining CRAVE's standards for quality, hospitality, and professionalism.
Key Responsibilities
Culinary Event Management
Serve as a culinary lead for assigned catering events from final preparation through event completion.
Review banquet event orders, menus, guest counts, dietary requirements, timelines, floor plans, equipment needs, and service expectations before each event.
Coordinate with culinary leadership, sales, operations, venue teams, and service managers to ensure all event details are understood and properly executed.
Develop and manage culinary production timelines, packing lists, pull sheets, equipment lists, and on-site execution plans.
Confirm that food, supplies, serving equipment, smallwares, signage, and specialty items are complete and properly packed before departure.
Lead culinary setup at event venues, including temporary kitchens, plating areas, buffets, action stations, dessert displays, and back-of-house workspaces.
Direct culinary staff during setup, service, replenishment, plating, station execution, and breakdown.
Conduct pre-event culinary briefings so team members understand assignments, timing, menu details, dietary accommodations, and presentation standards.
Monitor food quality, temperature, portioning, presentation, timing, and sanitation throughout the event.
Communicate proactively with event managers and service leadership to adjust timing or resolve operational concerns.
Troubleshoot culinary challenges calmly and professionally while protecting the
guest experience.
Ensure all dietary meals and allergy-sensitive items are properly labeled, protected, communicated, and delivered to the correct guests.
Oversee post-event food handling, equipment organization, loading, cleanup, and return procedures.
Provide timely post-event feedback regarding staffing, production, equipment, menu performance, and opportunities for improvement.
Help train and mentor culinary team members in event execution, organization, presentation, and CRAVE service standards.
Pastry and Dessert Production
Prepare and execute pastries, plated desserts, cakes, bars, cookies, mini desserts, and other specialty items for catered events.
Assist with the development of seasonal desserts, tasting-menu selections, dessert displays, and interactive dessert stations.
Produce pastry items consistently according to CRAVE recipes, portion specifications, and presentation standards.
Decorate and finish desserts with exceptional attention to detail and visual appeal.
Adapt recipes and menu items to accommodate gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan, and other dietary needs.
Package and organize delicate pastry items for safe transportation, storage, and off-site service.
Manage pastry production priorities based on event schedules, guest counts, staffing, and available kitchen space.
Monitor pastry ingredients, inventory, and supplies and communicate purchasing or production needs.
Catering Culinary Production
Support savory preparation and general kitchen production based on event volume and business needs.
Assist with cooking, portioning, plating, packaging, labeling, and loading for weddings, corporate events, tastings, and special functions.
Participate in client tastings, menu-development sessions, venue events, and promotional showcases.
Contribute creative ideas for seasonal menus, plated desserts, dessert displays, interactive stations, and elevated guest experiences.
Follow recipes, production sheets, banquet event orders, packing lists, and established culinary procedures.
Collaborate with culinary leadership to determine staffing, production, transportation, and equipment requirements for upcoming events.
Help identify operational improvements that increase efficiency, consistency, and event readiness.
Quality, Organization, and Safety
Maintain exceptional standards for flavor, freshness, consistency, portioning, and presentation.
Follow all food-safety, sanitation, allergen-management, labeling, transportation, and storage procedures.
Maintain clean, organized, and efficient kitchen and event workspaces.
Help minimize food waste through accurate production, proper storage, and responsible handling.
Communicate production concerns, shortages, equipment needs, staffing issues, and timing challenges promptly.
Assist with receiving, inventory, organization, and rotation of ingredients and supplies.
Ensure company equipment and event supplies are handled carefully and returned in an organized condition.
Represent CRAVE Catering professionally when interacting with clients, guests, venues, planners, and vendor partners.
Qualifications
Culinary or pastry degree preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
Three or more years of professional culinary, pastry, banquet, hotel, restaurant, or catering experience preferred.
Previous experience leading culinary teams or managing food operations at catered events strongly preferred.
Strong knowledge of baking methods, pastry production, dessert presentation, recipe scaling, and high-volume preparation.
Ability to support both pastry and savory culinary production.
Demonstrated ability to read and execute banquet event orders, production plans, timelines, and packing lists.
Strong leadership, organization, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Ability to remain composed and make sound decisions in fast-paced, high- pressure event environments.
Understanding of dietary restrictions, food allergies, and cross-contact prevention.
Ability to balance creativity with consistency, efficiency, food cost, and operational requirements.
Dependable, flexible, team-oriented, and committed to delivering an exceptional guest experience.
Food-safety certification or willingness to obtain the required certification.
Valid driver's license and reliable transportation may be required for event responsibilities.
Schedule and Physical Requirements
Availability for a flexible catering schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays based on event needs.
Ability to stand and work for extended periods.
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
Ability to safely work around ovens, mixers, hot equipment, refrigeration, and commercial kitchen tools.
Ability to work in both permanent and temporary kitchen environments.
Ability to travel between the production kitchen and event venues as required.
What Success Looks Like
The successful candidate will elevate CRAVE's pastry offerings while providing confident culinary leadership at events. This individual will be highly organized, anticipate operational needs, communicate clearly, lead teams effectively, and ensure every culinary detail is executed with precision. Success in this role means events run smoothly, food is served safely and on time, dietary accommodations are handled carefully, desserts and menu items are beautifully presented, and clients and guests consistently receive the high-quality experience expected from
CRAVE Catering.
CRAVE Catering is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace.