If you are planning to be a pastry chef, foremost thing that you should understand is that the job of a pastry chef is not as enjoyable and easy as some people think it is. The fact is that becoming a pastry chef or pastry cook requires talent that one should achieve with hard work and training. Pastry chefs are employed in a number of places including bakeries, hotels, bistros, restaurants and casinos.
The job of a Pastry Chef involves an ample amount of dedication and hard work. The chef's role in this case is not just limited to making pastries, he is also supposed to manage the junior kitchen staff and also ensure that the kitchen remains clean and organized. Pastry chefs often perform administrative jobs as well like ordering supplies and preparing budget. Take a look at what all you will need to do as a pastry chef:
- Supervising the kitchen staff to ensure work is happening smoothly
- Keeping a check on kitchen supplies and order whatever is needed
- Baking and decorating cakes, pastries and other desserts
- Ensuring that the kitchen is organized and clean
- Discussing menus with other chefs
- Testing new recipes and thinking of ways to improve
- Preparing a budget for the pastry department
- Providing trainings and instructions to junior staff members
- Asking customers about the feedback
- Research new recipes
Basic cooking and baking skills are a prerequisite in the industry of food service in general. Besides, to be a good chef you should have knowledge of presentation, texture and color so that you can present desserts in such a way that they will be appealing to the customers. Also, you must keep yourself updated on the latest trends in the food industry. The ability to come up with new ideas in terms of pastry making is another necessary skill. Experiment as much as you can so that you can get new ideas.
It would be an advantage if you have completed training in the following areas: art, decoration of cakes, and courses dealing with pastry making. Knowledge in art helps you to develop your creativity which is a necessary skill in the job of a chef. Cake decoration courses help you to present your pastries in a perfect manner. Courses that deal with pastry making enable a person to increase his or her skills in preparing pastries. All these training programs can be conducted along with your main degree so that you will not have to spend an extra year on it. Classes on cake decoration are available sometimes at crafts and arts stores, and mainly in colleges as well as local bakeries.
Adequate experience can help you to excel in the field. You must master the art of baking before getting employed as a chef. Regular practice can help you excel in your job later. If you are not able to directly get employment as a pastry chef, you can stay on the job you get and then with adequate experience and a proven employment history, you can look forward to working as the pastry cook or chef. Many people have followed this path to obtain the job of a pastry cook.
With wider ranges of the job environments, a chef or pastry cook can get different job opportunities if he or she has the essential talent and experience needed to excel in the profession. They can find employment in most of the places in the world. After getting adequate experience, they may also consider starting their own business. Employment opportunities for pastry chefs and bakers are anticipated to increase with the growing demand for good baked stuff and number of baker shops.
The median salary drawn by a standard pastry chef is $45,000. The salary of a chef depends on his education, experience and the company for which he or she is working. With a good job a pastry chef can expect a decent income. If you have more experience, the salary obtained will also be more.
Before deciding to work on a pastry chef job, you have to ensure whether you will be comfortable in the job of a chef. After the analysis if you get a positive answer, go ahead and enroll yourself in a suitable course.
You can start preparing desserts before you finish your education and start looking for a good job so that you can have enough practice. Try to come up with new recipes during this period that you can present to the employers during interviews. If you have the passion to excel, the possibilities are endless for a pastry chef.
