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Is baking a good career?

Imagine a workplace where the air is always fragrant with the delicious smell of baking bread. The day is divided between mixing flour and whisking batter. Dallops of cream are scooped on to delectable pastries of all sizes and colours. What a treat it will be, right?

Well, thanks to the increasing popularity of different types of desserts, there is a huge demand for skilled bakers and pastry chefs in the dynamic food and beverage industry.

The culinary art of baking has become serious business. Professional bakers work in five-star hotels, artisan bakeries, television shows and with dessert manufacturers to produce the delicate and delicious creations that glitter temptingly on our social media screens or shop windows.

If you are passionate about baking, working as a professional baker could be a sweet choice. So put on your baker’s apron, grab a bag of flour and start baking!

Scope

The role of a baker involves much more than just baking bread. People with formal training in baking and pastry arts have a plethora of options, including working as pastry chefs or bakers. You can specialise in a specific type of baked good such as wedding cakes or artisan breads. There is a huge demand for customised and creative cakes. This is known as edible art and is a lucrative field. You can also specialise as a chocolatier or a food stylist. Chocolatiers design chocolate bars, truffles and other confectioneries, while food stylists prepare and style food for photo and video shoots.

How it works

Baking is a skill that can be picked up through training and practice. It broadly involves making biscuits, breads, cakes, muffins and pies. Baking is no longer restricted only to conventional local bakeries. While many bake as a hobby, professional bakers are those that put their skills to commercial use. Plant bakers usually work in small-scale, independent bakeries, five-star hotels or a restaurant chain. The last few years also has seen the rise of gourmet bakeries that cater to different tastes and requirements such as gluten-free and vegan goodies.

Required skills

  • Passion for baking
  • Culinary skills
  • Creativity
  • Innovation
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Patience
  • Dedication

What to study?

Anyone can become a baker, but to work in restaurants and hotels, a degree or a certificate course in bakery and confectionery is a pre-requisite. Hotel management colleges offer short-term courses in baking. Recently, some institutes started to offer craftmanship courses in Bakery and Patisserie, accredited by City and Guides (C&G), London.

Where to study:

  • The Institute of Hotel Management Catering and Nutrition, Pusa, New delhi: Diploma in Bakery and Confectionery (C&G)
  • Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts, Bengaluru: Diploma in Patisserie (C&G)
  • Institute of Bakery and Pastery Arts, New Delhi: Diploma in Bakery and Patisserie Arts
  • Kohinoor College of Hotel and Tourism Management Studies, Mumbai: B.Sc in Hotel Management, along with a certificate course in Bakery
  • Institute of Hotel Management, Kolkata: Craftsmanship course in Food Production and Patisserie – one-and-a-half years
  • Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Goa: Craftsmanship course in Food Production and Patisserie – 24 weeks

Abroad

  • Le Cordon Bleu, London and Paris: It offers a Grand Diploma with Professional Immersion programme (includes a course in French language at the Paris campus) and Diploma in Patisserie – Nine months
  • Edinburgh School of Food and Wine, the U.K.: Diploma in Professional Patisserie
  • Ashburton Chefs Academy, the U.K.: Diploma in Professional Patisserie

 

Picture Credit : Google

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