The Right Bake

The Indian food industry is seeing a huge change in the way we approach food and its makers. Up till just a decade ago, chefs were largely people who worked in five-star hotels, but with the growing number and types of new outlets and restaurants, the art of cooking is in much demand. And the young have been quick to catch up. Apart from the other aspects of food, the need for good patisserie has perhaps always been felt in Indian metros. It바카라�s some comfort to know that now there are a few pastry making schools training young, enthusiastic to-be-chefs in the art of sweet sin.

Bani바카라�s resume throws at you an ­interesting set of qualifications바카라�a ­degree in both physics and pastry ­making. Her romance with pastry began while she was pursuing a degree in physics from Delhi University. 바카라�When you바카라�re doing a BSc in physics, coming across internships is tough since most organisations demand experience. So during one of the summer holidays, with nothing much to do, I interned at the Oberoi hotel, learning how to make pastries,바카라� she recalls, adding that this was the moment she fell in love with the culinary art.

Soon after the internship, Bani wanted to quit college and take up her newfound love as a full-time profession, but her parents weren바카라�t having any of it. 바카라�My parents were adamant that I complete my physics degree. More so, they said that if I were to take up pastry making as a full-time profession, I had to be formally trained,바카라� she says.

Pastry making has grown as a niche profession over the past few years in India. From mom and pop stores, run by people who love to bake, to online shops which do cakes on order and high-end patisseries such as the one Bani runs, the profession of baking is on a rise in India바카라�s metropolises.  

So what are the requirements for being a pastry chef? According to Bani, one can go either of two ways. You can start with doing apprenticeships under different chefs and learn through experience alone or get formal training by attending pastry schools for a degree in pastry making. The former though could be a bit difficult. 바카라�In order to do an app­renticeship under a chef who will really teach you, one needs to have connections in the industry, something many don바카라�t have. The best way thus is to study in a school and then go on to practice,바카라� advises Bani.

There are several schools which offer exhaustive courses on the subject. 바카라�Colleges such as The Lenotre School and Ferranti in Paris are exc­eptional,바카라� she says. Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Bani바카라�s alma mater, too is one of the best schools in this profession. Closer home, there바카라�s the Pastry Academy of India in Gurgaon as well as the Lavonne academy in Bangalore. Both highly recommended by practising chefs in the country.

The fee for these courses though is quite expensive. It runs into lakhs. However, there are a few scholarship programmes around. Most first-time chefs who decide to open their own shops have to build a market for their products, often by word of mouth. 바카라�I built my market by taking a cake to a get-together with friends who liked it and then recommended it to their friends who in turn recommended it to other people,바카라� says Bani. 바카라�It is extremely important to find your target audience to cater to. Good and consistent work goes a long way,바카라� she adds. Social media, she thinks, helps a great deal. 바카라�It is one of the best ways to get the word out. Even better, it gives your consumers a platform to give you feedback which is extremely important.바카라�

Being a pastry chef though is not all sugar and fun. 바카라�My work hours sometimes run to 15 hours a day,바카라� says Bani, adding that if one has to make it in the profession, struggle and hard work are inevitable. 바카라�I don바카라�t remember the last time I enjoyed a festival like Diwali or New Year. Considering they are our busiest time of the year!바카라� she says with a laugh.