Pastry Biz Chronolog

It’s especially important to note that you may not always have at one’s disposal the necessary venue nor materials/conditions to dynamically create on the fly. Here I am going to demonstrate some of the positive conditions that lead to one’s evolutionary state and also some of the pitfalls that inhibit an individual from doing their best and truly being able to cut loose.

Some of the conditions for contributing to raising the art of pastry are as following:
An environment relatively free of bottlenecks, which can bog a chef down.

Bottlenecks include but are not always limited to:

A good production space (efficiently layed out, proper working equipment) the right equipment for the right job (IE. Making a batch of something for 300 people with a 30 quart mixer vs. a 60 quart. Proper storage space-both refrigerated/freezer and dry.

A venue relatively free of politics such as having inherited a legacy difficult staff that operates on their own agenda/timetable. (ever work with someone that is just there buying time or looking toward their retirement, they have no desire to learn anything new and are completely complacent on dumping “the workload” off on you. Rest assured you will be doing all of your job, more than half of theirs, and have very little time to develop anything new.

A company that is not burdened with poor/no cash flow, and imposes restrictions on ordering supplies and materials to accomplish the task at hand.

Very few limitations on who you can order from in the way of purveyors. Allow me to be the first to say there is no one stop no shop company in the way of good quality ingredients. They are sprawled out over a myriad of different suppliers/companies. The more freedom one has in being able to order from who you want and what you need to get the job done dictates the final outcome on the quality of what moves through the door.

Very few limitations on who you can order from in the way of equipment brokers. This is every bit as important. Restrictions on equipment and not understanding the simple concept that there is a cost to everything that we do in production…you want this, you’re looking for that on the menu…well this is what is necessary in order to make it happen.

Someone who allows you free artistic license to cut loose. This can take week sometimes months, it can also happen in a nanosecond as with the presentation of the opening of the OZ. You immediately lay claim to something, your word is uncontested, you own it. You are free and clear to navigate on your own course heading and trajectory, without some insecure fool micromanaging every step of the way.

You need individuals that know that you are on their side, you are there to assist them and make them look good. Petty jealousy’s are nothing short of completely absurd. If you have someone who is so insecure that you work with and that feels somehow that you are going to take their job away from them, that person should get a reality check, chances are you may need that person more than they might think. Their pettiness and inability to keep the peace may be an obstruction to creativity.

People that know the biz. Ever worked for someone that didn’t know the food business? It’s annoying isn’t it? Very frequently they are in a position to dictate terms and conditions without a clue of exactly what it takes to get things done. In this scenario you will be required to work ungodly hours, wear multiple hats, be paid sub standard out of range wages, and expected to work miracles, very frequently all by yourself.
Working for a manager that is involved and that cares. Ever work for someone that day per day is always asking questions, even at the risk of seeming like a badger? This person is involved; they care about what is going on with their business. On the flipside, there are absentee supervisors that always seem as though they are “out to lunch” you will find them on the golf course, in the wine room, playing games on the computer or fraternizing with someone in the office. This type of person puts the ship on auto pilot and hopes that it will navigate itself; the thing is unless you have very responsible people working for you, it doesn’t.

Having someone in management that understands that you are not a mechanized bot, but are there to service the house and create a livelihood for yourself and perhaps a family. Things happen to living people, sickness, emergency’s etc…The only time we have to stop worrying about thing like this is when we are six feet under.


Working for someone who appreciates and knows quality when they see it. In other words, someone with a clear vision. Have you ever worked for someone who just simply doesn’t have a clue? They have their own preconceptions of the truth that matters to them and only them, they wouldn’t even begin to recognize nor appreciate the “legacy” behind something. These people are effectively, “lost in space”.

To be certain, there are other criteria that can go into this soup mix such as burdens on the home front, concerns about familial matters and such. Keeping a clear head, uncluttered from day to day nonsense is not easy. But releasing the chains of burden should lead to linear thinking, it’s all up to you, it’s all up to what you feel is important and what matters most to you.