Welcome to our new series focusing on salary transparency. We’re talking more and more about money at the moment as we enter a perfect storm of increased restaurant running costs and increased cost of living. Set against that, our post-Covid concerns have shifted towards other priorities such as work/life balance, career progression and personal fulfilment.

We know that one of the most powerful and empowering things when assessing your own journey and situation is to have transparent insight of the journey and decisions of others.

Pastry chef salaries are among the most contentious in our industry – on the one hand some owners and customers see dessert as an unnecessary addition, one of the first things to be cut. On the other, pastry chefs point out that their long hours, deep skill and necessary scientific knowledge should be appropriately rewarded and not, as they so often are, paid less and given less progression than their peers in the hot kitchen.

The incredible Anna Higham has had a phenomenal career, most recently as the Executive Pastry Chef of The River Café, following an influential run as Head Pastry Chef at Lyle’s. Her extraordinary book, The Last Bite, was published this year to huge critical acclaim. Here she takes a deep dive into the money behind that career – what she earned, when, why, and what her motivations were at each stage.

Anna says: “I’m just being super open about wages, which I always have been with everyone I work with. Knowledge is power after all.”

When I decided to drop out of art school and become a pastry chef my dad wasn’t best pleased. To appease him I presented a 5 year plan to show him I was serious about it. I would do one year of college then two years in London and then I wanted to do two years in New York. In those 5 years I wanted to work at at least one AA rosette or 1 star restaurant.

I moved to London in 2011 for my first job as a Pastry commis on a salary of £18,500. I had just finished a year studying patisserie at Glasgow Metropolitan College and had pretty much applied to any restaurant around the country I had heard of. I got one response to all those cvs sent out and that was for a new Gordon Ramsay opening called Bread Street Kitchen. I was pretty terrified on my trial and don’t think I performed that well but was clearly very keen. That first year nearly all my salary went on rent and bills but I was finally doing the thing I wanted to do and was also working so much I didn’t have time to spend money on anything other than vanish for my chef whites. We would do 8 shifts per week. I worked there for a year having been promoted to demi chef de partie after 3 months (did I mention I was super keen?). My salary had gone up to £21,500.

I knew that I had quickly exhausted all that I could learn in that space so asked to do stages at some of the starred restaurants in the group. I spent a day at Maze and then a day at Petrus. Petrus had a senior pastry chef when I did my stage, someone I could see I could learn from. I asked to move there and as it was a more prestigious restaurant I moved as a demi cdp on the higher wage of £23,000. I worked 8 shifts, 4 doubles, but instead of an 8-11:30/12 it was 6-12:30. Within a year that moved to 5 doubles with no wage increase. I was promoted to CDP and moved to £25,500. After 2 years I managed to hustle my way into a job in New York. I had received some inheritance and used it to pay for my visa and moving costs, I treated it as my university education. I earned $11/hour and worked about 40 hrs per week.

When I moved back I trialled at a lot of places but settled on Lyles. I was hired as the only purely pastry chef on a salary of £27,000. I was with Lyles for 4.5 years. I was very proactive about making sure I had a yearly appraisal and was given a pay rise each year. When we opened Flor, I became Head of Pastry, Lyles Restaurants working between the two businesses 5 days a week with a salary of £40,000.

I joined The River Cafe as Executive Pastry Chef on £40,000. I worked the most civilised hours I’ve ever worked, 5 single shifts with an occasional double when we needed it. I was given a pay rise after 6 months to £48,000.

I’m now working freelance and miss the security of a wage but recognise that to push myself further professionally this is what I need to do. I’m investing in my own growth both personal and professional and that comes with a financial sacrifice at present. I’m looking at not just the income but the value of the projects I do. The value of working with inspiring people, of a creative challenge, of exposure,  of my own time.