Pastry Chef - A Day In the Life
Once again I’m thrilled to have Chef Jennifer Field, a graduate of Orlando Culinary Academy, write about the life of a baking & pastry chef. I asked Jenni to give my readers a glimpse of what one of her days look like working as the pastry chef at The Ravenous Pig in Winterpark, Florida. As you will see, her day is busy….really busy.
You’ll also get to see photos from her working day. They show how labor intensive working in a restaurant can be but according to Chef Jenni, it is all worth it.
A Day In the Life of A Pastry Chef - Part 1
My name is Jennifer Field, and I am a working pastry chef. I currently am the pastry sous chef at The Ravenous Pig: An American Gastropub in Winterpark, FL . Many people are intrigued by what it is that chefs do on a daily basis. The Reluctant Gourmet thought it might be interesting, or at least eye opening, to write an hour by hour account of what goes on from the moment I hit the door until the moment I clock out.
I come in early, at 7:00am and our pastry cook, Lucia, comes in at 10:00 am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to help with all the prep. We are closed on Saturdays and Sundays, so we run everything out on Saturday nights. As a result, there is always a lot to do on Tuesdays.
Here’s what I’m responsible for at the restaurant.
Aside from making all dessert components and garnishes, I have several other responsibilities that are not generally thought of as the realm of the “dessert lady.” I am responsible for making the spiced caramel popcorn that we give away as a bar snack. I make the gruyere biscuits that we sell for our bread service as well as the bread pretzels and taleggio fondue for the pub menu.
Chef Lucia and I also keep us in mignardise. You know, like the mints you get with your check? We make what we like—peppermint marshmallows, filled chocolates, nut brittles and toffees—whatever sounds good. We need to make sure that there are always enough for all guests to get something when their checks come.
In addition, I make tart dough for quiche and Alsace tarts for garde manger and spicy gazpacho (for Bloody Maries) and sour mix for the bar. Now that you know what I’m in charge of making, welcome to my day…
7:00am:
It’s still dark outside. I hate that. I have my keys ready so I can get in the door as quickly as possible. Lock it behind. Run and turn off that damn alarm before the cops show up. Turn on the lights. Check the bar. They ate all the caramel corn?! Savages. Survey the damage in the walk-in from the night before. Do we need financiers? How are we on croquants? Chocolate sauce? Chocolate paint?
Now the freezer. Oh, no—they ate all the biscuits. Make a double today. Pretzels, too? There goes an hour and 15 minutes right there. Better check all the ice creams. Do we need more base? How about that semifreddo? Is it all gone? Put the frozen brisee for the tarts in the walk-in to temper. Are the servers passing out the mignardise? Do we need to make more of those, too?!
Oh, I hate Tuesdays….
7:20am:
Okay, here we go. Wash your hands. Pop the corn—9 quarts twice, please. While the corn is popping, set the Blodgett oven, turn on the hoods and the gas, light the burners, turn on the other big convection oven. Scale the caramel for the corn. Oh, no spiced pumpkin seeds?! Quick, make those and throw them in the oven so they’re ready to go when the popcorn is popped.
Put the caramel on the induction burner so the butter melts. Scale 2X biscuits. Grate 6 pounds of cheese (thank goodness for the Robot Coupe). Butter’s melted for the caramel; it’s boiling. Set the timer for 5 minutes, turn down the heat and cut the flour into the biscuits. Timer goes off. Wash your hands, and stir the caramel into the corn; don’t forget to add the spiced pumpkin seeds. Put the corn in the oven for 20 minutes.
on October 31st, 2008 at 1:14 pm
hello, Im a senior at wingfield High school and I plan to attend cullinary art school to become a pastry Chef this site really inspired me and I was hoping that we could keep in contact so the inspiration can remain. I love the fact that you showed the hardships of getting up and prepared for your duties or the duties of apastry chef. thanks for the inspiration.
sincerly,
Simone Hudson
on March 28th, 2009 at 7:10 am
hello. Im a junior and im really interested in becoming a pastry chef. I love making that kind of food and im really inspired. I would like to ask a few questions. If you could please answer them as the school year is coming to an end and next year i have to start university applications. befor e i make my choice, i would like to hear from a real pastry chef.
1. What are your usual working hours?
2. how many years do you have to study in uni?
3. What is it like in a culinary college?
4. What courses are you required to take in high school to become pastry chef?
5. Any good colleges in mind??
6. What are typical salaries (own bussiness and being hired in a hotel)
7. Is it an enjoyable job?
Thank you !! please please please try your best to answer me back!! i really need your help…or anyone elses too!!! thanks
on March 29th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Hi Anna, please be sure to check out Chef Field’s interview at http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/chef_jennifer_field.htm and also you will want to look at Chef Leslie Bilderback’s interview at http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/chef_leslie_bilderback.htm
on October 5th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Hello Jennifer,
I am doing a school project on what we would like to be on when we are older, and i am VERY interesed in being a pastry chef, i was wondering.
whats your favorite thing about being a pastry chef and whats some things that you dis-like.
If you can answer me those questions it would help me ALOT!
thank you VERY much.
Mandii.G
on October 6th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Hi Mandii, I will ask Chef Jennifer to respond to your very interesting questions. Thanks for writing and good luck with your career.
on October 6th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Hi, Mandii. RG let me know that you had asked some good questions, so here I am! First, I am no longer working in a kitchen as a professional pastry chef. Just didn’t want to misrepresent myself.
My favorite thing about being a pastry chef was/is being able to come up with personal interpretations of favorite desserts, or coming up with new dessert concepts and then executing them. It was always a fun challenge to see how I could combine flavors, textures, temperatures and even colors on a plate to come up with a memorable dessert.
As far as dislikes, I am not a fan of service–fast-paced and hectic filling of dessert orders at the same time that we were trying to prep components for the next day. Too much going on in a hot frantic kitchen. As we used to say, it’d be a great job if it weren’t for all the diners! lol Another less-than-great aspect of the job, for me anyway, was all the heavy lifting. I routinely lugged around 50 pound sacks of sugar and flour, as well as 20-25 pound boxes/pails of chocolate, etc. Since the pots and pans were often “super-sized,” they were heavy, too, and when they were full of boiling sugar–well, you can imagine!
Overall, though, I truly enjoyed the work, and the creative aspect far outweighed the negatives.
I hope this helps, and best of luck to you in your career!
on October 6th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Thank Chef Jenni for your response to Mandii.
on November 4th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
hi, i would like to know do you think that having a family and being a pastry chef mix. I am a senior and i was just woundering with all the long hours will you have time for family???
on November 9th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Hi,
I just recently finished a 24 week pastry program and started working in a bakery. I remember distinctly being told that the life of a pastry chef is not easy and VERY much different from schooling. Boy, are they ever right! I just finished my first week in the bakery and are now contemplating whether or not THIS is for me. Long hours…check. Fast paced…check. Attention to detail…check…and check again. :o) Extreme exhaustion…DEFINITELY! I started researching life of a pastry chef because this weekend it hit me real hard debating if this is where I belong. I’m not sure if it’s too premature to determine or if I’m too afraid to face the reality of it all. I believe that work should not consume ones life, but it sure seems like in pastry…that is your life. Is this true? Is this the end of me having a life outside the bakery? As a beginning pastry cook (I guess you’re not considered a “chef” until you’ve gained real world experience), what advice to do you have for me for learning the ins and outs of the bakery? I fear (not just dread) going into work because I don’t want to screw up, break/drop/destroy desserts, and take forever to find where things are in the kitchen. How can I overcome this fear? I want to like where I am, but after the first week, I’m afraid I might not. PLEASE HELP ME!! I need all the encouragement you can give. Thank you sooooo much in advance. I am extremely excited that I stumbled upon your blog! :o)
on November 10th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Hi Savitre, thank you for your comments and honesty about your experiences. Hang in there. I’m sure with a little real life experience some of those fears will melt away. Remember everyone else in your position has had similar feelings. I’ll contact a few pastry chefs and see if they can add some comments.
on November 10th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Hi Savitre. First of all, congratulations on finishing your program. You’re already ahead of the game, there.
It’s always my advice to folks considering working in a bakery or in pastry in general to try out “the life” before committing to an expensive course of study. I’m not sure whether you did that or not, and the point is moot now, anyway. I really do understand what you’re saying. I found working in a professional kitchen very intimidating to begin with. I worked alone for the first few hours of the day, but I probably called my supervisor three or four times a day for the first two or three weeks, just to make sure I was absolutely clear about the prep list. I certainly didn’t want to be the one who screwed up the desserts!
My advice to you at this point is to take a step back and realize that nobody fresh out of school is going to hit the ground at 100%. Also know that, whether or not the folks you work with show it, they understand it, too. It’s much better to ask a billion questions and be sure of what you’re doing than not to ask for fear of pissing off the staff. Yeah, they might get a little frustrated with you at first, but it’s better for everyone that you annoy folks in the interest of doing it right rather than work without guidance and find out that you’ve done it wrong. Again, I know!
Try to go in on your day off, or maybe an hour or so before your shift starts. Take that time to familiarize yourself with the kitchen–where things are kept, what you’re in charge of cleaning and what the dishwasher will clean. Make friends with the dishwasher–they can be your best friend or your worst enemy. You don’t want them to hide something you need, right?! Go over your recipe notebook, and ask if there is any sort of procedural guide you should look at. Consider asking to shadow a co-worker (also helping with their prep) to learn from someone a bit more seasoned than you.
Take a hard look at everything you’re being required to do, and find the one or two things that you really enjoy. Let those things be your motivation for continuing until you get more familiar and comfortable with other tasks. Pretty soon, you’ll start enjoying more and more of your tasks–many of them will become automatic after a while. Remember what it felt like when you first started driving? You had to pay attention to every detail and really think about all the steps involved. Eventually, you were able to just hop in and take off, listening to your favorite music and barely having to think about how to drive. The same is true for any set of complicated tasks. Through repetition and practice, they’ll become easier and easier. Once you’re more comfortable, you’ll be able to devote less “brain power” to the job and be able to save some energy for after work.
Always, always ask questions and learn from those around you. One day, a new cook will ask you a question, and you’ll know the answer. Be nice to them, and help them out, even if their silly questions are annoying!
As far as how long to give a job before trashing your career plans? I can’t really say. Once you become automatic with your tasks and are able to multitask efficiently and consistently, see if, now that the fear is gone, you’re having fun. If yes, stick with it. If you’re not having a good time, even after mastering all your job responsibilities, then it might be time to reconsider your options. If I were you, I’d give it a good solid 6 months to a year before making an absolute decision.
Best if luck to you,
Jenni
on November 23rd, 2009 at 12:56 am
RG and Jenni…THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I could not have asked for better advice! However, I did leave the bakery and went on to stage at a restaurant and a luxury hotel. I decided that it was best for me to see what all there was out there in the pastry industry before scrapping the whole profession. I have found a home at a restaurant that I think I’ll enjoy being the pastry cook at. My coworkers seem to be very helpful and patient. I think this wil be a great stepping stone :o) However, I do agree that I need to hang in there for a solid 6 months before making an ULTIMATE decision. Thank you to you both so much and I will definitely keep you posted on my progress! Would love for you to check out my blog as well if you get a chance http://funegrl262.blogspot.com/ .
Great stuff. You are very welcome and I will enjoy keeping track of you on your blog. Please keep us up to date. - RG