Overview of Pastry Chef Job Description
Job Descriptions November 23, 2014It’s difficult to pass by a bakery that has just finished pulling its pies out of the oven or dropping its donuts into sizzling oil. The aroma dominates the whole street, and suddenly you are hungry. You decide you need to take a few bear claws and frosted maple bars to the office.
Traditional Pastry Chef Job Description
The pastry chef job description is really that of putting temptation in front of even the most conscientious dieter. It’s a rare person that has no sweet tooth at all. If there’s a confection on your list of hard to resist foods, the pastry chef is sure to find it.
Beyond the aroma and the flavor, pastry chefs make resistance even more difficult. Their confections are light, airy, and attractive to the eye. They are topped with just the right touch of delicacy: a creamy frosting, a golden crust, or a robust, colored fruit sauce.
The pastry chef drives in the morning breakfast traffic, satisfies the noon day lunch, and adds the final touch to banquets and dinners. You can find pastry chefs in bakery outlets, in large chain stores offering a corner of fresh baked goods, in restaurants, and in privately owned shops.
The pastry chef job description is different for fine restaurants offering specialized pastries than it is for industrialized bakeries. In large, industrial complexes, the pastry chef usually specializes in one aspect of pastry delights. The work is done in an assembly line process, with mixers that weigh the ingredients and put them into blending machines. Divider machine operators control the machines that divide the dough into small rolls, while bench hands knead the dough and form it into particular shapes, such as for croissants or braided bread loaves. The pastry chef supervises the process and coordinates the workers for the various tasks.
Pastry Chef Job Description in Management
In restaurants, the pastry chef works alongside the head chef of the kitchen. They are responsible for managing junior staff members, who also may work in an assembly line fashion, mixing and preparing the dough or batter for pies, cakes, cookies, or other pastry treats.
The pastry chef is responsible for maintaining sanitary conditions at the baking section and a safe working environment for the employees. OR, as safe as working in a kitchen with hot ovens and sharp knives can be in a high-pressure job.
In restaurants, the pastry chef job description is one of handling the dessert menu, which must be complementary to the appetizers and entrees planned by the head chef. The pastry chef works with a budget, orders the dessert supplies and ingredients, and trains new employees to work in the dessert station.
Before applying for a job as a pastry chef, the applicant must receive a certificate stating he or she is fit and has no communicable diseases. The work not only involves the creation of appetizing delicacies, but the pastry chef does a considerable amount of lifting and carrying, is on his or her feet for long periods of time, works around hot ovens, and may have to put in some very long hours. Pastry chefs rise early in the morning and start their day immediately.
Along with industrial or restaurant work, pastry chefs can be found in school and hospital cafeterias, in small specialty shops, and as pastry caterers for parties, weddings, and conventions. Pastry chefs need to be imaginative and creative with a good eye for design as well as having a well-developed sense of taste, smell, and touch. It is work that can satisfy your artistic leanings as well as your pleasure in meeting the challenges for producing delicious desserts that can cause anyone to cave to sweet temptations.
