Most of us don't need much encouragement when it comes to indulging in the delicious breads or pastries produced by bakers and pastry chefs.

In Western Australia there are approximately 1,750 bakers and pastry chefs. Around 80% work in the Perth metropolitan area. The remainder work mostly in the south west region with small numbers employed in all of the State's other regions.

Nearly 90% of the bakers and 65% of pastry chefs working in Western Australia are male, however, females are also very well suited to these occupations.

While numbers fluctuate, around 160 people commence an apprenticeship in baking or pastry cooking each year. The Certificate I in Food Processing (Pre-Apprentice Retail Baking - Combined) provides students with off-the-job technical training and may be advantageous for those who want to undertake an apprenticeship.

Baking As Many Still Waking

The day's order might include 50 Vienna slices, 30 olive loaves and an equal number of savoury pies, so long before the sun is up, bakers and pastry chefs are busy preparing these and other goodies.

Bakers and pastry chefs prepare and bake different varieties of breads, loaves, cakes and pastries. First, a baker or pastry chef creates or selects a recipe. Then they prepare and mix together the magic ingredients. Once this is done, the mixtures are poured into tins or trays, loaded into a piping hot oven and removed once the baking process is complete. Many of the cakes are then glazed or decorated.

You only need to take a peek inside a bakery or patisserie (a shop where pastries are made and sold) to find out just how many different types of baked products there are.

Michael, a senior baker who has worked in the local industry for 24 years, says he's at work very early in time to turn on the ovens and weigh out the dough for the day's order.

''We have a production list of the items we need to make each day. Everything is hand made on the premises, and kneaded and moulded one at a time. We're usually baking until noon that day. It's extremely hard work because of the hours, but it's a job where you're able to be very creative. When you see what you've baked it's great.'' He says this occupation can also be a lot of fun, especially if you're working with a great team.

''It's great if the other bakers are conscientious and take a lot of pride in their work. We're very quality driven here.''

It must be fun sampling the odd doughnut too!

After a busy day of baking, there's probably the odd speck of flour left behind by bakers and pastry chefs. Before they go home, they need to clean their work area and prepare for the following day.

While the work of bakers and pastry chefs takes place mostly behind the scenes, in some workplaces they also serve customers and are in charge of displaying their products to look their attractive best.


Catering For Health Conscious Tastebuds Too!

Bakers, in particular, have been influenced by the current trend toward healthier eating. Wholemeal bread, low fat banana bread, and wheat- and gluten-free breads are just some of the healthier options that they offer.

In Western Australia, most bakers work in small retail bakeries or big wholesale suppliers of baked goods. They also work in department stores, at 'in house' bakeries in supermarkets, food store chains, hotels and restaurants. They may also work in their own bakery shop.

Christian, a pastry chef who hails from the Loire Valley in France and who owns Martineau's Patisserie, says chocolate eclairs filled with creamy custard, and hazelnut escargots (a pastry which is shaped like a snail but which tastes like heaven), are just some of the French pastries on his menu.

''I love food. I love to eat and there are plenty of people out there like me. This job can be routine but it is also very artistic and I enjoy making cakes and pastries that are sophisticated and highly specialised.''

Pastry chefs may choose to specialise in a particular area. Those who are passionate about chocolates can become chocolatiers. Or they may choose to become a patissier (someone who makes French pastries). In Western Australia, most pastry chefs work in specialist cake shops, patisseries, restaurants and cafes, five-star hotels and department stores.


Hot Stuff

Both bakers and pastry chefs are on their feet most of the day. You can be guaranteed to get your daily workout from kneading and rolling dough, and lifting trays. The kitchen can get hot, and it often gets busy trying to get things made on time. You will need to start work very late at night or early in the morning, and you'll be required to work on the weekends and on public holidays.

Due to the steady increase in the number of franchised bakeries opening in Western Australia, employment prospects for bakers are very good.

According to industry sources, despite the increasing availability of pre-packaged cakes and pastry mixes, there is also a very strong demand for pastry chefs' specialised skills.

People who venture into either of these occupations can look forward to utilising their creativity and possibly becoming self-employed.


The starting award salary for qualified bakers and pastry chefs is around $30,000 per year. Baker and pastry chef assistants start on approximately $26,000. With further experience, bakers and pastry chefs can earn considerably more than the starting award while self-employed bakers and pastry chefs may earn in excess of $60,000. For further information regarding salaries, you can check out the Australian Government Workplace Authority website below.

You will need to complete an apprenticeship in breadmaking, baking or pastry cooking under the Australian Apprenticeships scheme to become a qualified baker or pastry chef. Successful completion of Year 10 with a C grade in eight stage 4 units is the minimum entry requirement.

You will undertake your training both on and off the job and you may have the opportunity to develop some skills in all three areas. For example, if you choose an apprenticeship in baking, you may be able to select units to gain skills in pastry cooking.

Completing the Certificate I in Food Processing (Pre-Apprentice Retail Baking - Combined), which is offered at the Bentley Campus of TAFE, may increase your chances of obtaining an apprenticeship.

For more details on how to obtain an apprenticeship, please contact the Australian Apprenticeships Hotline on 13 38 73 (local call cost).

	TAFE Colleges
	Homepage links and contact details for all TAFE Colleges in WA.
	TAFE Handbook
	An online guide to full-time TAFE courses throughout WA.

Catering Institute of Australia (WA)
PO Box E203 Perth WA 6001 Ph: (08) 9316 9368 Fax: (08) 9316 8304 URL: http://www.cateringinstitute.com.au/links.html

Food and Beverage Industry Training Advisory Board
86 Farrington Rd Leeming WA 6149 Ph: (08) 9312 2666 Email: leoni.ellement@wafitc.asn.au

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The Greeks coined the term 'epiphany' to describe a sudden and important realisation that a person has in their life. French pastry chef, Christian Martineau's epiphany happened at the age of 14 when he saw an incredible castle made out of sugar.

''When I was 14, I wanted to do something with art. I attended a food demonstration where I lived in France and I saw this beautiful sugar castle. I thought to myself, 'This is art and this is a good job to do.'''

After completing a three-year pastry chef apprenticeship in the Loire Valley, France, Christian set his sights on Paris.

''In France you do an apprenticeship and then you either work as a baker, where you bake breads and other yeast products - say a brioche, or you work as a pastry chef.''

Christian quickly found work in a Parisian restaurant before relocating to Switzerland where he continued honing his skills. Fortunately for people in Australia, Christian found his way down under and started his own business, Martineau's Patisserie in Nedlands.

''With your own business, you must work very hard and long hours. But I'm able to be very creative in an area that I love, food.''

Christian's day starts at 4.30am, which doesn't leave him much time before people begin finding their way to his patisserie, often placing orders for more than one of his specialist creations.

''I make very sophisticated and specialist cakes, icecream cakes, liqueur cakes as well as pastries and chocolates. There's a lot of work involved.''

There is also a high level of customer contact, something which Christian enjoys as he can get the positive feedback from his regular clientele when he does his stint on the front counter, selling anything from French style pizzas to chocolate croissants.

Artistry still figures strongly in Christian's life as a pastry chef. Each time he makes a wedding cake or a special cake for a function, he is able to transform simple ingredients into amazing, edible works of art.

''Being a good chef is an art in itself. You need to be very artistic when you make special cakes for people.''

And, yes, Christian has worked his culinary magic with sugar. He once was asked to make a replica of the famous Parisian church, Sacre Coeur, proving that the French tradition of 'food as art' is alive and well in Perth.