Professional desserts and sweets, the pastry chef has the status of employee orindependent craftsman and must have at least one CAP Pastry or a BEP Food with Pastry, Glacier / Chocolatier / Confectioner option. It can also go through a BAC Pro Baker-Pastry Chef before preparing for another CAP or formation to specialize in a particular field such as chocolate or confectionery for example. Note that the post ofpastry helper is accessible without a diploma or professional experience. There are many schools and training centers in our country, such as the French school Christian Vabret, specializing in bakery / pastry.
Prospects for development
Necessarily passionate about his job, the pastry chef must know how to demonstrate good interpersonal skills for teamwork and contact with customers. It begins first as apprentice then like worker and can progress to the status of leader. Beyond traditional bakeries / pastries, the pastry chef can indeed exercise his profession in a supermarket, at a caterer, at a manufacturer of industrial pastries, in a hotel chain or in the brigade of a restaurant. He can also choose to become self-employed and open his own store. As the reputation of French cuisine is well established, it is not uncommon to see many pastry chefs working abroad. In addition, only the most ambitious pastry chefs will be able to claim the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
A real motivation
Like the baker, the pastry chef must adopt a work rhythm that is sometimes exhausting because of time constraints demanding and the need to work weekends and holidays. Rise at 4 a.m. to make all the pastries, pastries, ice creams and desserts provided by his establishment without exceeding the deadlines, he will have carried out all the preparations that require it the day before. Festive periods such as Christmas or the Epiphany correspond to key moments for the pastry chef who must redouble his efforts to satisfy his customers by preparing in a short period of time quality products in large quantities: logs, galettes des rois , etc.
Creative and enduring
Occasionally physique, because of the bags of raw materials to be moved and handled on a daily basis, the profession of pastry chef requires you to remain standing for long periods of time. It is often several batches of pastries that follow one another over a single day, all involving rigorous monitoring of the cooking so as not to disappoint customers. The elaboration of certain cakes also involves a decoration work meticulous that appeals to creative talents from the pastry chef. This is a crucial step not to be overlooked, which allows you to bring your personal touch and demonstrate your know-how.
The pastry chef’s outfit
Of course, the work clothes of a pastry chef must comply fully with the rules ofhygiene and of security food relating to this trade. The professional clothing of the pastry chef involve not only accessories such as aprons, ringtones, charlottes or kitchen hats, but also work jackets, adapted trousers and safety shoes. These must have properties non-slip and antistatic, even hydrofuges, in order to ensure a sufficient level of protection. S2 shoe models up to standard EN ISO 20345 are quite appropriate.
