Chef Jobs And Training

Im a junior in high school and I have decided that I want to be a pastry chef when I get older. Im thinking about going to J&W culinary university , is this a good school choice and is it hard to get into? or Should I go to a real college first and then culinary school? Is there anything I can do right now to get practice? Can anyone who is a pastry chef tell me where they went to school/learned to be a pastry chef, about their job and what its like and, if they dont mind, how much they earn? What would the salary of a pastry chef be at a hotel? Thanks!!

I will assume you mean Johnson and Wales University. I hate to break your bubble, but J&W is a REAL university. They offer Bachelors degrees in several academic disciplines.

I would choose them over CIA simply because anyone can get into CIA it is all about money.

I was a chef or many years and held the title of Executive Chef for most of my 30 plus years in the business.

Now for the real world. I really wouldn’t recommend becoming a chef to anyone. It is one of the hardest most time demanding fields in the world. The hours rank with those put in by physicians. I had friends who would talk about deadlines in a week or a day.. I always laughed. I had a deadline every 30 seconds and if I missed one the whole night could come tumbling down.

I am a rare drinker, because I saw so many of my chef friends who became alcoholics. I am not 60 and I have attended the funerals of four close friends who drank themselves to death, all but one was younger than I am.

I know only one chef who isn’t divorced. I wouldn’t have been but I had a tragedy in my life. My wife loved the businees as I did.

The hours a pastry chef works are even worse then normal since many start at 3 AM.

Now for the good parts. The money for a GOOD pastry chef in a major hotel ( and upper end major, like the Fairmont Orchid or the Four Seasons in Hawaii) would be in the range of 80,000 and up. The is the Chef as in the deptment head.

If you really want a career in cooking don’t limit your thinking to just pastry. You may find it is just a start, and the Excutive Chef will always be paid the higher salary and there is a ladder to go up, on to F&B Manager and up.

I loved and missed the creativity of the kitchen but I don’t miss the hours or the politics.

I hope this helps, if you want to know more about the real business feel free to email me with your questions.

Im a junior in high school and I have decided that I want to be a pastry chef when I get older. Im thinking about going to J&W culinary university , is this a good school choice and is it hard to get into? or Should I go to a real college first and then culinary school? Is there anything I can do right now to get practice? Can anyone who is a pastry chef tell me where they went to school/learned to be a pastry chef, about their job and what its like and, if they dont mind, how much they earn? What would the salary of a pastry chef be at a hotel? Thanks!!

I would look for a culinary program at a public college (probably a community college) in your state. Pastry chefs are in high demand in many cities and in places like resorts, and the employment outlook is food. Salaries vary widely, but entry level is above $25,000 a year and can go up to $100,000 for top chefs. Many also open their own businesses once they have a good reputation.

The major thing about a pastry chef is that usually (depending on the setting) have to get up really early–many start around 5 am or earlier (and that’s certainly true for new chefs). There’s a certain rote to the job, but when you move up you have more creativity in your position.

Certainly explore schools in your area, and double check any private schools–you don’t need to spend the money to get started. Find out where the school places graduates, and quiz them on their placement record.

Does anyone have any personal experience in this career? What did you like and dislike about your job?

The hours are horrid and the stench is overpowering.
Who can be alert at 3 AM? Not me!

If the restaurant does not buy their "table bread" from an outside provider, you have to make it. Each table gets bread when they sit down.

Croisants for breakfast if it is a hotel.

You sometimes make all the sandwiches if you are working the lunch shift. Even tho that shouldn’t be the job of the Pastry Chef.

Then you create the things that make the Pastry Chef the favorite of all the workers. You make the delicious deserts.

Ok here are some questions iv been having some problems finding answers.
What does a typical work week look like and when does the day begin and end for a pastry chef?
How competitive is it to get a job in this field?
Is there job security in this line of work?
Whats the typical work environment?
Does this job have any physical requirements?
Sorry to take up your time but i REALLY need to find these so if some peoples can find some information of give me some links that would be REALLY great!

Obviously Tina does not know what he/she is talking about, am a former kitchen chef but did work during my apprenticeship in the pastry department and I have some very close friends here in Canada and in the UK that are certified pastry chefs, so I will answer your questions honestly and correctly.

1. As for competative, it can be, but with all the operations from Hotels, Restaurants, Catering Company’s, Private Clubs, Resorts and Cruise Ships like other chefs there are many openings

2 Once established it is very secure and you can travel also, I worked here in Canada were I am from, in Singapore, Japan and Jamaica

3. The work environment can be warm and sticky, but the pastry shop or department works on needs and quantity, not like the hot kitchen were you work to each order, you do what is need to be done from desserts, dough for pastrys and other need items, in some places you may have the added duties of banquets/functions. As for the other persons remarks about early shifts, now most Hotels I worked had a baker who worked from 11pm -7am he did the muffins, danishes, sweet rolls and croissants at night, you may make the dough but often they did it the night before to use the next day, most pastry chefs start at between 7:30-8am and are finished at 3-5pm, a night one serving the dinner rush would start at 2-3pm and finish 10:30-11pm.

4. As for physical requirement, the bags of flour and sugar can weight 50 lbs, but can be moved by 2 persons, I worked at a bakery in my teens and had to carry 100lbs bags of flour up a flight of stairs 2 times a week, over 1 ton of flour.

If you are mulling over a career as a pastry chef, check with the local schools that teach the courses, there are places on the internet for culinary school info, even meet with a pastry chef from a hotel or other operation and talk with them about how to get into it and there experiences.

THe best culinary schools ARE colleges. The two most famous and prestigious are: Johnson & Wales and the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). You can google them.

At both these schools you can get an Associate degree in culinary or baking, and then get a BA or BS in food management, beverage management, nutrition, etc. They teach you how to be a high level professional chef, but they also teach you how the food service industry works and how to manage a business so that you dont go bankrupt when you start your restaurant or shop. That would be worth knowing, wouldn’t it?

These schools treat culinary arts as a real profession. When you graduate you are a chef, not just a cook.

Check them out.

It goes for 2 years, with in those two years, does that classify me as a first year/second year apprentice chef or is that something completely different? Can someone please explain to me this system, explaining everything?
Thanks!

not knowing what country you are in that would classify you as a junior pastry chef

What kind of jobs could you get to start? Do you think if I decide to start my own bakery would be profitable?
The only way I can really say I’m successful is to make enough money for the bakery to survive.

It is a successful job …. if you always want a job. But it is notoriously low-paying.
That is why everyone wants to start their own bakery and make some real money. The bakery is a good way to get poor..

Are any of you a baker or cake decorator?

I am interested in this field, but have no idea on the details. What are the general hours, what is the general pay for this like of work?

Do you work weekends, holidays, nights, mornings?

Do you work in a bakery, supermarket, or…etc??? What is better? Please give me some info that will enable me to make an educated decision.

What classes are required?

If you want to become a cake decorator, a good way to start is by taking Wilton Classes at the local Jo-Ann’s or Michael’s. They are inexpensive, and give you the basic skills. They can even qualify you to get a job as a cake decorator at a grocery store or bakery.

Bakers usually start early in the morning. However, if you have a wedding cake business, the hours may be different and include lots of weekends.

I am looking to start a cupcake business and I am already an artist, but need some help. How do I find a pastry chef or bakary that will allow me to intern 1 day a week (I already have a full time job)?

Find some small privately owned bakeries in your area and tell them you’re interested in learning more about the field. They will likely be more sympathetic to your cause. However, you have a better chance of getting an internship if you say you will work for free.