Forage has an opportunity for a career baker to take a leadership position in our busy bakery. In addition to leading our team in the bagel production there is a great opportunity to showcase your pastry talents in a busy venue with high visibility. This is a position with excellent ongoing opportunities for both personal growth and advancement within our organization.
Forage opened in Lewiston in spring 2012 as a specialty market with a bakery. Over time the bakery and quick serve fresh foods took over and although “market” is still in our name we are now a cafe and bakery in practice. In 2018 we opened a Portland location to bring our exceptional bagels to a wider audience. All the baking is now done in our Portland store.
For twelve years Forage has been making exceptional bagels in our wood-fired oven. Our ingredients are simple, flour, water, barley malt, and salt. Although our ingredients are simple our process is complex requiring long carefully controlled fermentations Our bagels are leavened with sourdough cultures, aged in a retarder, boiled, and then baked in a wood-fired oven.
The bagels and the sandwiches we make on them are now firmly at the center of our business and Forage has been recognized in national roundups of the best bagels in the country several times by leading publications.
Our bakery also makes a variety of laminated pastries, cookies, muffins, scones, and seasonal specials to round out our offerings each morning. Time and space for growing this pastry program are available for someone with the right skills and creativity.
The bakery crew works in a light-filled open bakery space working as a team through most of the routines of the day with smaller parts of the day spent working alone. The bakery leader will be responsible for the strong leadership of the bagel production (knowledge and ability to perform all tasks will be expected) and pastry production. The bakery crew typically consists of 4-6 team members. We are usually staffed with a great mix of self directed people with friendly creative personalities. The bakery leader will have the support of two very present and involved owners and two store managers from our Portland and Lewiston stores.
Baker Leader Requirements
- A strong portfolio of bakery skills and knowledge.
- The drive and creativity to headline a strong pastry program
- Strong communication, time/resource management, and planning skills.
- Attention to detail, especially when performing quality inspections on ingredients and products.
- Basic math and computer skills.
- Willingness to work independently or with other team members to solve problems, plan schedules, fulfill orders, and create amazing baked goods.
- Ability to work at a fast pace, stand, walk, bend, use hands and appliances, and lift heavy items necessary.
- Integrity forward individual that takes pride in their product, workspace, and work relationships.
Perks
Competitive pay with paid break time. Experienced bakers will start at pay relative to prior experience.
Accrued paid time off (PTO) 15 - days each year.
Employer funded QSEHRA for all full-time employees. (reimbursement for health care spending and insurance premiums up to $3000/yr)
Free on-shift meals and beverages
Progressive culture and a friendly, positive work environment.
Forage's bakery is located in the heart of Portland's East End in a large open space with lots of daylight and high ceilings.
If this sounds like a good role for you, we would love to hear from you!