The basis of the pastry chef profession is relatively simple: prepare cakes and desserts. To do this, you need to know a certain set of recipes, types of technological equipment, sanitary norms and rules, and much more. As a pastry chef, you will also know how to make a fortune cookie origami and other delicacies.
In a large enterprise, the range of responsibilities can be greater and include management of the team, communication with customers, and so on. So, a pastry chef is quite a versatile and interesting job for those who have decided to link themselves with food production.
Positions
Conventionally, it is possible to identify two main types of organizations, where there is a position of a pastry chef:
Public catering enterprises – restaurants, cafes, buffets, pastry shops, coffee shops, etc.;
Production of ready-made meals and semi-finished products – stores, canteens, factories, kitchens, and culinary workshops of major supermarkets.
And those, and others precisely not becoming less, therefore confectioners will always be in demand.
History of the profession
It is difficult to say when professional confectioners appeared because people have always loved sweets: The Mayans used chocolate, the ancient Indians used sugar cane, and the Egyptians learned to make candies from dates.
In Europe, the profession of pastry chef as a specialized chef appeared in the courts of kings and courtiers, and when private bakeries opened as commercial enterprises, the profession of pastry chef also emerged.
Duties of a pastry chef
As a rule, the main job duties of a pastry chef are as follows:
– Preparation and decoration of confectionery and bakery products;
– Quality control of finished products;
– Participation in the drafting of menus.
Depending on the level of the specialist and the specifics of the enterprise, the functions of the pastry chef may include:
– drawing up technological charts;
– development of new types of products;
– selection of professional equipment for production and maintenance;
– control of the work process of the confectionery shop.
Requirements for a pastry chef
The requirements for a pastry chef are usually very simple:
– Education (professional or short-term courses);
– Work experience in the specialty;
– a medical book.
Sometimes a pastry chef is required to have more skills and knowledge:
– experience with certain ingredients;
– experience in managing a team;
– experience in managing the technological process.
How to become a pastry chef
Becoming a pastry chef is quite simple – you need an education and enter the vocational school or college, and upon graduation to qualify as a pastry chef of the third category.
You can also just finish special courses, through which you can understand what a person does as a pastry chef of higher qualifications, and gradually reach the highest – 6 category.
To qualify for higher positions in this area, it is worth obtaining a university degree in “Technology of products and organization of public catering”.
Confectioner’s salary
The level of salary of the pastry chef ranges from one thousand dollars to five per month. Minimum amounts are offered to production assistants or molders.
The average salary of a pastry chef is about 2 thousand dollars per month.
If you get a college degree and work in the field for a few years, you can count on a very decent income. For example, the question of how much the pastry chef of some elite restaurant does, no one will tell you – it is often a trade secret.
Where to be trained
In addition to higher education, there are a number of short-term training courses on the market, usually lasting from a week to a year. So, you can choose any course you like and obtain top-notch knowledge and skills.
