Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My gf is looking into becoming a pastry chef. She is planning on attending Johnson and Wales in Denver for an associates degree. My brother is currently a chef in East Hampton, NY having graduated from New England Cullinary Institute with an associates seven years ago. He has been a great source of information on what she will be facing once she graduates.
Are there any pastry chefs here that could toss out a few thoughts about their jobs? How do you like it? What kind of hours/work weeks do you have? How is your income compared to your cost of living? Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Just saw your post. I'm a Pastry Chef with my own business. I'm working about 70 hours a week. Business hasn't been all that great of late so I am running about 50% staff. I have a retail business and wholesale and right now wholesale is paying the bills.
Money wise, unless you are opening your own place, the best places for work are hotels and clubs. Restaurants aren't hiring PCs much anymore and are getting breads and desserts either from their food vendors or from wholesalers like what I do.
All in all, you have to love it to do it. The hours are long, and the money isn't great. You aren't going to be on the Food Network and unless you are into competing, then it isn't the sexy job some people think it is. On the other hand, I could work just about anywhere in the country or world and I really do love working with my hands creating new and delicious food products. About 6 months ago, I passed on going to work for Disney Cruise lines due to some personal things going on.
BTW about JWoo, I had that opportunity and chose not to go there. The price for what I was getting was just too unreal. Instead I got my AA from one of our local community colleges that had an outstanding culinary program. Our program was ACF certified and JWoo here is not. For about 1/6 the price of JWoo, I got the exact same education. In fact, our Pastry Competition team actually beat out a JWoo team (and a team from Culinard) at a competition last April.
I went to Central Piedmont Community College. I couldn't tell you where it ranks, but I do know out of 3 culinary schools in our town (CP, Jwoo and AI), CP is the only one accredited by the American Culinary Federation. It ran between $600-700 a semester depending on what I needed to take. I already had an undergrad degree in computer science, so I really only focused on program classes and a few electives that I wanted to take for grits and shins.
Too bad about the brother. I know a ton of Jwoo grads that can't boil water. I worked in a shop for a while that had a Jwoo grad working there. She could easily turn a 30 qt mixer of whipped cream into butter faster than anyone I have ever seen. She told me that at Jwoo they got very little practical hands on time and most of it was just watching the instructor chefs do demos or help them with their competition pieces. She couldn't even make pastry cream without scrambling the eggs. I left there to open my shop, but I heard that she eventually got the boot.
I hope the GF does well. If she has the passion and the talent, she'll do fine. Like I said, there's jobs out there but it takes some work to find them.
My ex is extermely talented, but had the drive of a push mower.
She hated getting up and working and was generally surly to her bosses, when they didn't think she was a pastry goddess. I offered her a job just doing cakes at my place and I still couldn't get her to come to work and do them. She's waiting tables and tending bar and comes by my kitchen every once in a while to make a cake when she need one for something.
Very interesting info. I'll be sure to pass it along. We were told similar about the lack of hands on training at JWoo too. She has yet to physically check it out so we'll see what happens when the time comes. My brother went to NECI. He got an incredible education there. Unfortunantly, we have a 13 y/o daughter to consider, and NECI's schedule really doesn't help with that.
School is very expensive, very different then when I went.
Pastry Chefs don't make as much until they hit the big jobs (as mentioned) Hotels, Clubs or very very high end dining. My best friend in school went the pastry direction after school, he earned half of what i do/did, He is now a nurse!! he was no slouch either, held exec pastry title at some of the best hotels/resorts in the country...but these departments are usually underpaid, unfortunately!....because its not easy!
Do more research in the industry, talk to actual pastry chefs, not school recruiters, they mostly lie to get quota. She will not be a "pastry chef" when she leaves, that takes experience and most schools are all about books, phony affiliations and demos by chefs on TV screens. You gotta get your hands "dirty" to get these titles.
The school is how much? and what will her pay be when she gets out....thats the x factor.
Its not all romance and food network out here, look at what jlat is doing....does she understand the reality?
Im currently an executive chef in Tokyo...been doing this a long, long time. If you would like any more specific advise, feel free to DM me...
Not trying to discount education or schools, but there are other ways.
Not trying to discount education or schools, but there are other ways.
Good Luck!
5
Thanks for the response. She is well aware of the work required for the job. She was in the cake business for awhile. Unfortunantly, education is required these days. Unless somebody has decades in the industry, and a stellar portfolio to back it up, school is needed. Like I mentioned earlier, my brother won't hire anybody that didn't go to a top ten cullinary school. He wants people to have put in the time to get a formal education, and have a solid foundation beneath them.
I disagree with your brother (kinda), but we each have our own criteria for hiring.
Ive seen a bunch of people come out of school with zero skills and a huge debt...I wouldnt hire someone just because they came from a school....most schools take anyone that can afford it. I have had CIA grads (granted CIA is the best school) that couldnt cook to save their lives. The time spent at school is classroom...not practical like it was years ago...So that school is good for memorizing facts.
Im hiring line cooks, not chefs....a chef would come with that needed experience (usually!) I would take a cook or chef de partie that has "been around" much faster then some greenhorn waving some degree and telling me that "Escoffier did it this way"
The "cake" business is completely different, but Im sure she is aware of that.
Good Luck
5
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
