Perplexed Student to-be

[skyflyer3]

I've also been looking for an apprentice type position in a restaurant or bakery, but the qualifications always ask for either previous experience or schooling.

Find a good bakery/restaurant in your area and BEG to help in the kitchen. This is advice I was given before going to chef school and I should've heeded it.

And there is so much great information to read here, wonderful talented bakers and pastry chefs to consult for advice, and many wonderful books on baking to study.

Good luck. Pastry is a wonderful thing.

B

←

This is what I did when I wanted to try out the pastry world. I sent my resume (with work experience only in non-profit fundraising) to two places I wanted to work, with my cover letter stating I was willing to volunteer to learn the craft. I got called a month later by one of the places, a nationally known and awarded chocolatier, to come and do production assistance for $8 an hour to start because they had to hire me so that I would sign the non-disclosure agreement. Turns out someone in their kitchen was pregnant and not coming back at the last minute, and they needed a replacement ASAP. I worked there for a year before I realized that the pay rate wasn't enough to survive here in Seattle. But it was great while it lasted, although I can't eat 90% of the chocolate out there anymore because my standards are now higher .

One thing I will say - there are days when there are no stresses and you walk into a room full of chocolate and all is right with the world. And there are days where it's downright boring - production for any pastry firm is repetitive work, with sometimes not a lot of room for creativity. And there's the lack of money - I had to hold another job at the same time to keep that pastry job, and that became too hard on my family. And then there's the caramel burns, and slipping on the freezer floors, and washing your hands until their raw, and the hours on your feet, and getting up too darned early in the morning. But I loved the work, and I plan to go back to it when I can afford to open my own shop. I would recommend testing it out to see if you love it, because you won't know until you try, and maybe sending your resume out to small bakeries where you can do front of the shop work and get tips (especially if you barista) but also get training to do pastry work on the side. Good luck!

[Brioche57]

and maybe sending your resume out to small bakeries where you can do front of the shop work and get tips (especially if you barista) but also get training to do pastry work on the side. Good luck!

Great tip. Masse's bakery in Berkeley, CA does this quite well. When I externed their one of the front girls would come in to the back and learn something new every day. I really liked that approach. I like Paul Masse a lot - he's a great teacher and his stuff is DEE-licious.

[confiseur]

..........an interesting ,if depressing topic (the salary that is)....at least you can console yourself that in the States there are at least a few super-star salarys paid...here on the other side of the pond everyone earns peanuts.

[tan319]

..........an interesting ,if depressing topic (the salary that is)....at least you can console yourself that in the States there are at least a few super-star salarys paid...here on the other side of the pond everyone earns peanuts. 

←

But you DO get benefits like health insurance, etc., correct?