 Hello from WV
Hello all. My names James, but my friends call me Jimmie. I'm sitting here watching Anthony Bourdain on TV and wondering why my career is about to stop. I've been cooking since I was a kid, when I graduated high school I went to a local culinary school. I went for one year, taking all the Pastry classes they had. I wasn't looking forward to three years of management, so I didn't go back. There aren't many high end restaurants around here, and even less with a bakery. I worked at Walmart for about 8 months in their "bakery" and quit. Anybody can take a dry frozen cake and ice it. I ended up as a manager at a local $1 theater and a trainer at Burger King. Then one day I got a call, the only place within 50 miles of my house that uses real bakers. Glade Springs Resort and Hotel. The head chef was the woman I trained under at culinary school, and she thought of me for her bakery. Now, over 6 months latter I am one of 3 bakers here. The owner let her go and now we have a new head chef that rivals those trying to make good tv. He loves nothing more than to come up to you when your on the last piece of sugar, or putting the last bit of piping on 5 tier wedding cake and yelling in your ear. Over half of the kitchen has quit or been fired and I'm apparently on my way out as well. I'm down to 20 hours a week. He is turning down the customers that ask for me, I am no longer allowed to make orders, he has forbidden fondant cakes, and I'm not sure what I'm gonna do. Now, I know I'm not the best at what I do, but I have never had a complaint, never missed a deadline, my food cost is low, and have no problems with any new recipe, I'm always early, my work area is always clean. What is going on? Is it really the degree? Ever since he started he's only hired people with degrees, and he's been letting those of us without them go. My new supervisor just finished school, knows a little bit of what to do, but add a little pressure and she falls apart and comes looking for me to fix everything. At least a few times a week she comes to me asking how to do things. Is a degree really that important? Now, I haven't been doing this long enough to claim Pastry Chef, (only a few years) but now I hear that unless you have a degree you can never claim this? WTH? I thought a kitchen was based on how long you've been at it, and how good you were. Not what school you went to.
I'm not sure what to do, if I get fired from here it's back to fast food...and thats not gonna happen. No matter what. If I had a decent car I'd try for the Greenbriar, but it's to far. Here's a question. The three of us do all the baking, thats breads, deserts, ext. for three restaurants and a cafe. I make $8 and hour, and the head pastry chef only makes $8.50. Are we under the normal wage? By how much?
Wow...sorry about the long first post. LOL, I tend to ramble.  | 
01-14-2008, 06:23 PM
Thanks. Sorry about that. I'll repost this were you said.
