The Sweet Life: Becoming a Pastry Chef

There can be no doubt being a pastry chef means that you will be bringing joy to most people’s lives.  Most careers help people in some way or fashion, but there are few careers that consistently put a smile on most people’s faces.  Working as a pastry chef means that you and your tasty treats will be able to infuse people with a lot of good feelings.

Few eating experiences are quite as satisfying as biting into a warm, fluffy pastry.  In fact, most people associate nothing but positive memories with pastries, and that means that they will always be happy to see a pastry chef.  Some occupations come with them a sense of dread, but not the pastry chef.  With all that good will floating around out there, no wonder so many people are drawn to this creative and skilled work.  If you are thinking about trying your hand at being a pastry chef, here are a few pointers to get you headed in the right direction.

Due to the fact that the pastry chef position is such a skilled one, it is common for pastry chefs to have attended baking and pastry arts at a culinary school.  In culinary school, pastry chefs can learn both how to make all those delicious pastries that we all love, as well as all sorts of bread.  Working as a pastry chef will also mean that you will be getting up pretty early in the morning.  If you are not a morning person, you might want to forget about being a pastry chef.  It is common for pastry chefs to wake up very early because they have to get up before everyone else so that fresh bread and pastries can be waiting by breakfast time.  Thus the very nature of the job means that you may very well be keeping odd hours.

Culinary school is definitely a good place to learn the skills that it takes to become a pastry chef.  As always, selecting the right school can be critical.  In general, keep an eye out for important factors such as quality and track record of instructors, track record of the school, and the school’s ability to assist with job placement.  Since you will want a job after culinary school, it is important that whatever school you pick has a good chance of being able to help you land a job.

It is common for pastry chefs to have a certificate in baking to prove that they can do the job.   But there are also both associate’s degree programs and bachelor’s degree programs for those looking to become a chef.

One of the unique aspects of being a pastry chef is that one can start up their own business.  With the proper skills, it is possible for a pastry chef to start up either a shop that sells his or her tasty treats or perhaps even a catering service that specializes in baked goods. 

Obviously, both of these options will take capital.  But the pastry and bread business affords an opportunity to start out smaller and see if you can grow your business organically.  If you are on a budget, it is important that you develop a good grassroots marketing strategy in your local area.  This can be done via social networking, partnerships with other independent local businesses, and grassroots advertising efforts, such as posting signs and flyers in coffee shops.  The bottom line is that it is possible to start your own pastry and bread business on a small scale.  Just make sure you have a plan for how people will hear about your yummy treats!