Cakes, bread, truffles, pies, cookies, and so on are delightful pastries to consume. These palatable creations of fine pastry or baking products are part of what makes the job of a pastry chef interesting. Foods that are made from flour are grouped as pastries and those who prepare those yummy food items are pastry chefs. Although many men and women who prepare and sell baked products in their pastry shops are amateurs, some people can learn this art of culinary skill from a pastry chef school. They will become certified, have an opportunity to get a high-paying job and prepare pastries and confections of high quality. But you might wonder: what are pastry chef schools? Why enroll in one? What differentiates pastry chef colleges from other regular culinary schools? How do you become a pastry chef and what are the best pastry chef schools currently available? All those and more will be discussed in this article. Stay with us!
What are Pastry Chef Schools?
A pastry chef school is a culinary school that teaches chefs both the foundational and advanced techniques of baking and pastry making to measure up with the international standard. As it is with other culinary schools, pastry schools are vocational learning centers where you can be taught food inventory, kitchen management, international cooking styles, and other valuable lessons. Training ranges from proper flour mixing to shaping down to the diverse baking techniques including other kitchen skills and food sanitary measures. There are two kinds of people that come to a pastry chef school or a catering school. First, aspiring chefs who specifically want to start their career in pastries and confectioneries. Second, professional chefs who want to change their career to become pastry chefs instead. Some people dread the name “school” when considering becoming certified professional chefs. They assume that pastry chef schools are just like a combo of classroom and practicals where everyone must follow a set-out list of rules in making every food from bread to a full-course meal. That is not actually true! Pastry chef schools also referred to as Pastry Art schools are places where expression of creativity is allowed unlike in a conventional school setting. You will hone your cooking and baking skills in a state-of-the-art kitchen where your teachers will mentor you one-on-one. You will gradually realize that culinary tastes are evolving in modern times as people’s preferences are no longer limited by cultural and socioeconomic barriers.
Why Become a Pastry Chef?
Luxury resorts and hotels can’t do without good chefs. They need pastry chefs in particular as morning breakfast usually comprises of bread and some other form of baked food or pastries. At large bakeries around the world, pastry chefs run most of the kitchen operations the same way a business owner runs his staff and the business. The job description of a good pastry chef range from preparing raw food inventory and daily menus to shaping and creating exquisite cakes, bread, muffins, and so on. The job keeps getting exciting overtime! Read: 31 Best Culinary Schools in the World and their Tuition Fees in 2022
How to become a Pastry Chef
1. Determine whether you have an inner desire to become a chef:
Just like any profession in the secular world, one must consider the possibility of becoming a chef. You must ascertain in your heart if this is the career you would love to pursue for the next coming years. Once you’ve convinced yourself that this is the right career for you, do some research about the industry.
2. Figure out what aspect of pastry arts you like:
Almost every chef you meet has an area of specialization. As a pastry chef, you may be required to master one aspect and become a specialization at it. It might be bread, cakes, croissants, or any other pastry. The choice is yours!
3. Practice baking on your own:
Your passion and intense desire to become a chef should move you to practice baking on your own. You may preferably use your free time to try some pastries and confectioneries. Surely, you will be glad you did so! Remember the old adage “practice makes perfect”.
4. Attend a culinary school or a pastry chef school:
Your baking skills need to be improved on and attending a pastry chef school is one way to do so. Once you search for a good school and enroll you can be sure of becoming a certified and internally recognized chef. For some pastry chef professionals, this seems to be the first and most important step.
5. Obtain experience and apply for jobs:
After you have spent money training yourself, you might as well endeavor to put in some effort. You should endeavor to gain some real-life experience during your course of study and attempt bakery competitions. In addition to the above steps to become a pastry chef, the following bullet points are worth noting.
What major do you need to be a pastry chef?
As earlier mentioned, becoming a pastry chef doesn’t compulsorily mean earning a certificate before working. But as it is with every other Culinary Arts career, the better your educational level is, the better your employment opportunity and the chance of ascending your rank. There are a lot of courses to embark on for Cuisine but the ones that concern baking, pastry and confectionery are; You can enroll as a full-time student or part-time depending on your schedule. Most culinary school programs go from undergraduate to post-graduate level.
How much does pastry chef school cost?
Quite a number of aspiring pastry chefs are discouraged by the high price tag of enrolling in a culinary/pastry or catering school. Attending one of the best pastry chef schools listed below will set you back a cost of over $40,000 annually. The tuition fees for a Bachelor’s degree may be costly more due to other additional semester costs.
How long do I have to go to school to become a pastry chef?
Associate’s degree programs will require an average of 2 years to complete whereas a certificate or Diploma in Pastry Arts will take about 6 months to complete. A bachelor’s degree program offers full coursework and hands-on training which touches on almost every subspecialty. In addition to learning culinary and baking skills, students learn the science of food processing, food presentation, digestive physiology, and components of management of a pastry business.
How do you apply?
You can select from the best ten pastry chef schools below or choose anyone close to your locality. It is wise that you inquire about the variety of culinary courses they offer and speak to the support desk or a recent graduate. Alternatively, visit culinaryschools.org which is a good school search engine website. You can filter from multiple sections and select a school from your bespoke search results and select the courses based on duration. Kiiky found this site to be resourceful and loaded with various courses for those looking to study cheese making, Pizza making, baking, and more. Read: How Can I Become A Chef In 2022? Best Schools, Cost, Salary.
What are the career and salary expectations?
Glassdoor reports that the average base salary of a pastry chef is $39,907 per year. This is the national average salary in the USA but in reality, it may be lower or higher depending on your geographical location and the company you work for. An executive pastry chef will according to Glassdoor earn around $63,000. The U.S Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) reports that there is an expected job growth of 6% for bakery chefs between the periods of 2018-2028. An entry-level chef can advance his career by adding new skill sets and earning a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Just as it is with all other work fields, the more specialized one is with Pastry and Culinary Arts, the more you rank and the more you earn. Worldscholarshipforum has highlighted the 10 of the best pastry chef schools among the 200 programs accredited by the American Culinary Federation.
10 Best Pastry Chef Schools
1. French Culinary Institute
The French Culinary Institute is a top-notch pastry chef school that was designed by the legendary Jacques Torres. Culinary school has campuses in New York City and San Francisco Bay Area. It is currently named The International Culinary Center in those two US centers. The duration of the program is a 6-month for full-timer and 9 months for part-time night students. French Culinary Institute (FCI) currently called the International Culinary Center (ICC) ranges from $38,000 to $41,000 per year. Click here to learn more.
2. The International Culinary Schools at the Art Institutes
This renowned institute offers superb baking and pastry courses in its various colleges distributed in select cities. The art institutes are found in many American cities including Denver, Houston, and Seattle. Each of the art institutes contains various international culinary schools. Diploma and associate degree courses are available at affordable rates and good quality training experience. Once registered, you will be taken on courses on a range of international cuisines from French to Middle Eastern. If you choose only Pastry Art courses, you can opt for that program. Click here to visit their site, download the brochure and learn more.
3. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts
Le Cordon culinary art school is one of the best places for aspiring chefs to attend. The main branch is located in Paris, France. Many who complete their degrees there come out with flying colors and perform well internationally. You can apply for their pastry chef program in Hollywood Los Angeles, San Francisco, Maimi, and other locations in the US. You can opt for the 15 weeks diploma or the 30-month associate degree program that is available. They cost €8,100 (plus €500 application fees) and €22,800 (plus €1500 application fees) per annum. Click here to learn more. How Can I Get A Diploma In Culinary Arts In 2022? Schools, Cost, Salary, Career
4. The Culinary Institute of America
The Culinary Institute of America is found in Hyde Park, New York, and is renowned for producing highly trained chefs. This culinary school is for all things cuisine thus, it offers the Baking and Pastry Arts Associate in Occupational Studies AOS (21 months) and the Baking and Pastry Arts Bachelor degree (38 months). They provide some weeks of externship with hands-on training and teachings on how to manage a pastry business. The average annual tuition cost is above $40,000 but may reduce if you receive grants or scholarships from the institute. Click here to learn more
5. Star Career Academy
Star Career Academy has its campus in Long Island, New York. This is one of the best pastry chef schools in North America because the coursework is very thorough and highly recommended by previous graduates. You can earn a certificate in Baking and Pastry Arts either as a full-time student or part-time. There are several subspecialties in pastries and confectionery arts that you could dive into in Star Career Academy. What is noteworthy about Star Career Academy is that it offers countless occupational programs with reasonable entry requirements. Click here to learn more.
6. Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
The approved school curriculum is based on teaching the cooking skills and techniques of the legendary Auguste Escoffier. This chef school specializes in culinary and pastry arts education for both freshers and professionals. Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts offers diploma and degree programs for aspiring pastry chefs and it has campuses scattered around the US. Additionally, students are entitled to receive career support services even after their graduation. Tuition fees go for around $22,110 excluding other expenses such as accommodation, registration, and so on. Click here to learn more about how you can enroll and even get a scholarship if you’re fortunate.
7. Kendall College School of Culinary Arts
Some high-end pastry chefs working in well-to-do establishments will attest to the impact Kendall College School of Culinary Arts has had on international cuisine. Kendall College has a good reputation and in the USA and around the globe. It is considered renowned for its active contributions to innovation in the food and beverage industry. The tuition fee for Baking & Pastry is $8,131 excluding the cost of accommodation and application fees. Click here to learn more.
8. New England Culinary Institute
The New England Culinary Institute was founded in England (as the name suggests) in 1980 but a branch is located in Vermont, USA. This culinary institute is known for producing world-class chefs in many luxury resorts, vacation villas, cruise ships, and hotels. The tuition fee without any financial aid is $40,221 but may reduce by 30% if the undergraduate receives aid from the government or from the institute. They offer a variety of courses such as baking and pastry, culinary arts, food, and beverage management. It soon found a place in many top culinary school rankings around the globe just some years after been established. Click here to learn more.
9. The School of Artisan Food
It is situated in Nottingham’s Sherwood Forest in the UK. It is known for providing in-depth training in the art of bread making, cheese making, and many other artisan skills. The School of Artisan Food is one of the best schools to learn and sharpen one’s cooking skills in Europe. So, if you are a chef with an interest in learning particular cooking areas, you should consider the school. The specialized education provided here is conducted in a conducive environment and some graduates have highly recommended it. Click here to learn more about the fees and other findings. Read: EASY STEP GUIDE TO GET A DIPLOMA IN NUTRITION IN 2022
10. Castello di Vicarello
Castello di Vicarello is one of the best pastry chef schools to attend. As a registered member, you can expect to receive professional cooking lessons. Actually, the institute is a Castle Hotel in Tuscany, Italy where rich guests come to relax and soak in the sun and breeze of the Mediterranean climate. They primarily offer short professional courses like diplomas. At the castle, you would learn how to make a perfect Pasta and Bread. You would also learn pastry making of selected categories at the Tuscan Kitchen. This is a fun place to be if you only want to expand your skills as an amateur home cook. Click here to learn more.
Conclusion
All the culinary schools highlighted here have one thing in common – they embrace the systematic approach of ‘farm to table’ culinary education. All the colleges above teach learners from the grass-root knowledge of where food comes from down to how to prepare food and serve it on the table. A good pastry chef school will encourage students to value sustainable practices of food sanitation and food quality inside and outside the kitchen.
References
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