Making a career in pastry & bakery art
Dilip Puri
There’s never been a more exciting time to join the world of culinary arts. As a culture, we’ve fallen head over heels for chefs and all of their amazing creations. From cooking shows to the newest Netflix special, we’re absolutely hooked on the world of food and the people running it. Whether we’re scrolling on our Instagram feed or walking by the newest bakery in town — we’re captivated by the delicate and delicious creations glittering temptingly on our screens and shop windows. For those of us with ambitions of making these tempting treats, knowing where to start can be a tricky process. But armed with a little bit of research and a lot of determination, it’’s easy to map out a plan on how to start your pastry and bakery career.
Identify your passion
What part of pastry and bakery attracts you the most? Is it breadmaking? Cake decorating? Cookies and home-comfort desserts? French techniques? Study your own preferences over a few days, weeks and months to help put into perspective which stream you really identify with. This way you’ll have a clearer idea of what you really want to work in when you enter the industry. The world of pastry & bakery is huge – it’s not a one size fits all industry.
Put down your long
term goal
Similar to the above point, think about why you want to work in this field. Do you want to join a buzzing and hip restaurant and be the pastry chef there? Open your own quaint bakery? Bring in artisanal breads to an unentered market as an entrepreneur? Going online and researching various success stories of bakers and pastry chefs will help show you just how many opportunities are out there right now for baking enthusiasts. It’s okay if you don’t know exactly what you want to do right now – you can still start your journey without knowing the end destination yet!
Keep an eye on your favourite chefs
For those of us who are social media savvy (and these days, who isn’t?) our Facebook and Instagram is a powerful tool that can not only show us what our culinary idols are up to, but put us in touch with them! Keep a tab on your favourite chef and see when they’re next visiting your city or doing a pop up and go meet them. Or, if your inspiration lives on the other side of the world, send them a message talking about your aspiration and ask if they’ve got any advice. You’d be surprised by how helpful and kind even some of the biggest names in the industry are to novices with big dreams!
Practice and perseverance makes perfect
While seeing amazing pastry creations can be inspiring, it’s easy to be sabotaged by self-doubt and a nasty voice telling you you’ll never get there. Don’t listen to it! It’s important to remember that even the greatest pastry chefs had to spend time learning the basics and had caved-in cakes and wonky macarons.
Today, more than ever before, there’s a range of programmes designed for people who wish to enter the world of pastry or open up their own business venture. The hospitality landscape is looking for more talent before and there’s exciting hotels, pastry shops and restaurants opening up each day – brimming with potential and opportunity for passionate bakers.
With programme durations ranging from a few months to a few years, it’s easier than ever to take the leap and just go for it. Stop just saving posts on your Instagram or pinning things to your Pinterest board — pick up your apron, fill up your piping bag, grease your baking trays and preheat the oven. Google courses or programmes in your area — if you ever needed a sign to finally follow your dreams of making a career in pastry & bakery – this is it!
The writer is CEO and Founder, Indian School of Hospitality
Find the right institute
Since you’ll be spending a lot of time Googling – it’s crucial to start looking for institutes that align with your requirements. Are you a recent graduate with the freedom to pursue a long duration, full-time programme? Or are you a working professional who wants to change careers in a year or less? Look out for institutes that offer you a programme that fits with your current lifestyle and economic propensity. On top of this, keep a tab on faculty and industry affiliations – you want to make sure you’re learning from passionate experts and can get a great industrial placement once you graduate from the programme.
