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Do I have to work in a restaurant?

post #1 of 9
8/30/06 at 1:03pm
Thread Starter 
Potential career changer here who is looking for advice on where in the industry to work.

I suppose I'm looking for the same things many are looking for - fast-paced, challenging, rewarding, ever-changing type work environment.

So, the question is, can you get professional fulfillment doing pastry from anything other than a restaurant? Will a bakery or similar allow me to constantly push my skills and creativity?

I ask because family is important to me, but I don't want to work until 1 am 6 days a week. Is it possible to have your cake and eat it too? (pun sort of intended :))

Thanks.

Ian
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post #2 of 9
8/30/06 at 1:33pm
Ian, I was going to tell you to go to Ridgewell Caterers in Bethesda, until you made this comment! The thing with them is that when it's slow, you get to go home early, if it's not you may be pulling 18+ hours in a shift! And don't think for a second that I am exaggerating! But if you can handle that, then it would be a great feet in the fire learning experience. If you do, tell Jean Luc I said hello.
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post #3 of 9
9/1/06 at 7:29am
You might try looking for a job in a private club. I work for a very high end private golf club. I come in at 4:30 and go home around 1:00pm unless there are several large parties on a Saturday. I work Tuesday thru Saturday. I could work later hours if I wanted to but I like to start early. My pay and benefits are very good. I am able to make what ever desserts I want for the dining room and do special things for wine dinners each month. I also do a lot of banquets and holiday buffets and special cakes and wedding cakes. I am 60 years old and this is a great job for someone like me that can't do the 18 hours anymore or for someone wanting to have a life also.
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post #4 of 9
9/17/06 at 9:53am

you can have your cake and eat it too!

Try catering. Usually, they are divided into two shifts: production & party. Production is usually a 8-4:30 shift. There, you can make all the cakes and dessert you want and send it off-prem or leave it in the freezer or fridge for the night staff to work with for the events. Then you get to enjoy your normal schedule mon-fri w/ sat & sun off.
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post #5 of 9
9/17/06 at 4:42pm
hey, i kinda do the same thing.. its not too extreme, and its satisfies my creative itch.
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post #6 of 9
9/17/06 at 5:38pm
Working pastry in restaurants, if you are the Pastry Chef and do the creating, often means working very early in the morning into the afternoon. Someone else works dinner service, doing the plating.

But it takes a long time from first going into pastry until you are the Pastry Chef. It is commonly known as "paying your dues."
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post #7 of 9
9/18/06 at 2:17pm
I like to get an early start and finish early. Does a catering job usually have these kind of hours?
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post #8 of 9
9/19/06 at 5:16am
There's also another opportunity, although they are usually filled, many supermarkets have their own bakeshops. Check around, eh?!

Another possibility is military bases. Most places have turned over US based dining to contracts.

Ciao,
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post #9 of 9
9/19/06 at 1:57pm
Yeah, right now I work part time in a SuperMarket Bakery (I'll be going to Culinary School in February). The one I work in does not bake from scratch, though. Frozen bread, cakes, doughnuts....my main job is laying the stuff out to be baked the next day. I do however get to make the doughnuts a few days a week. Well, that means baking them off, icing them and filling them with the works (Bavarian, Angel Creme, Jelly, ect). All the employees do get to leave early though. The latest their open is 4:00 pm ( I generally go in at somewhere between 5 and 7 and leave between 12 and 1, but keep in mind, I'm part-time). The cake decorator usually comes in at 6 or 7 and leaves at 2:30 or 4:00. This would be a good option if you didn't want to bake the items yourself. She just takes them out of the freezer and ices them. There is however an upscale store nearer to my house (the store I grocery shop at) that DOES bake from scratch. In fact, I had first applied for a job there, but was told that you needed a couple years experience of scratch baking before you could work there. Hope this was helpful :D .
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