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Should I become a pastry chef?

Do you think I'd make a good pastry chef/should I become one?

  • For as long as I can remember I have waned to be an artist when I grow up. I am currently in a magnet high school majoring in visual art which basically means I have four periods of art class everyday. I don't personally like drawing or painting, as I tend to go more toward fun things that involve my hands like textiles. Lately I have been thinking about maybe becoming a pastry chef. I feel like that is a career that uses art and is also successful because I do not want to be a struggling artist. I can decorate things with ease, I think because of my arts training. All I would need to do is learn how to bake. What are your opinions on me pursuing a career as a pastry chef? Do they make good money? And how is the job market in this field?

  • Answer:

    I am a pastry chef and I just got my degree in December. One thing you have to take into consideration is that cooking and baking in a professional setting is a TON of hard work. The kitchens are hot and the work is usually super fast paced. And, its not just learning how to bake. You learn how to work with chocolate and sugar, to name a few things. You have to LOVE the work you do or you can get burned out super fast. There are a bunch of different avenues you can go into as a pastry chef. You can become a candy maker, decorator, baker, etc. If you feel like you wouldnt mind the work involved then I would say go for it. They start out at about $10-$15 an hour depending on where you live but you can definitely work your way up. I live in Las Vegas and an Executive Pastry Chef can make well over $100k a year. But, its much harder to find a job here because everyone wants to hire a chef off of the Strip. Do some research in your area about what jobs come available and how often so you will have a better idea of what to expect.

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I would say yes and no. With the glut of culinary schools, you may find yourself with a lot of competition after you graduate. That being said, you may not make as much as you think. Especially in the beginning. You may have to intern at a place, and fight for position with other interns. If you are as talented as you say, you might stand over the crowd with unique designs. They also have to taste good to. Unless you can afford to be independently supported as an artist, you are right. You will be starving most of the time and making money - very little at an unpredictable pace. You may end up working in restaurants and similar places any how while you struggle with your art.

sweetroll

I agree with the others, I am not a pastry chef but I do enjoy cooking & baking, so I will put in my two cents. I think it has to become your passion in order for you to pursue this, you can't just think "Oh, well I am great at decorating so I should just be able to jump right in to baking!" which isn't right, unless you are unnaturally talented at everything you do, baking is hard when you first learn how to do it, it takes years to be truly successful at it. So if you want to do this I would start attempting to bake now :)

aspiring_chef

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