Looking for info on wages of Bakers and Pastry Chefs. Averages starting salaries,...Or perhaps any sites that might be helpfull?
Thank You
David

By Nicole Lynne Zecchino (Nicz) on Tuesday, July 13, 1999 - 03:08 pm: Edit

Average starting salary for a baker who has gone to culinary school is approximately $9/hr - a pastry chef may make a little more, depending on the kind of establishment.

By michael belcher (Mikenz) on Thursday, August 05, 1999 - 10:54 pm: Edit

Im not to sure on the current exchange rates at the moment but in new zealand a baker is at $11/ per hour and a pastry chef can get between $15-20 per hour depending on position and job responsibility

By W.DeBord on Saturday, August 07, 1999 - 10:07 pm: Edit

Currently a pastry chef at a private country club salary and bonus aprox. $36,000.

By trudi on Monday, December 27, 1999 - 10:55 am: Edit

I'm considering going to school to become a pastry chef. The $9.00 to $11.00 salary range seems a little low.

Any information on working in a hotel/resort or restaurant?

Any help would be appreciated.

By W.DeBord on Monday, December 27, 1999 - 11:19 am: Edit

Trudi that's the going rate, the more knowledge and experience you have the better the pay. Alot of us learned the trade on the job. It can be hard to justify going into debt at a culinary school to make that low of a wage. No one remains at this profession for long if their not doing it for the love of it, due to the long hours and low pay.

I chose working at a country club because I think it's got the best pay and best hours for the average pastry chef. TOP hotel pastry chefs make the most but you must have ALOT of talent, showmenship, ability to relocate frequently, contacts and the ability to deal with tight bugets and politics. Restaurant pastry chefs in general make less then I do, they work nights and there seems to be alot of job turnover.

Many chefs open their own places in time. As an owner you have the potential to make the most money but have the risk of losing the most too.

By Trudi (Trudi) on Monday, December 27, 1999 - 11:30 am: Edit

Thanks for the answer. Right now I make a pretty good living at a job that I'm beginning to hate, luckily I have a husband who makes a good living at a job that he loves. I think I might enjoy being a pastry chef. In the long run, I'd rather make less money at a job I love, than keep making money at a job I hate.

Thanks for the advice. I have a few things to think about.

By W.DeBord on Tuesday, December 28, 1999 - 09:02 am: Edit

Trudi there is more to it than having a profession you like alot. There are things about my job that I hate even though I enjoy making pastries.

The hardest part of a career in food service is the hours EXPECTED of you! I work every holiday but Christmas day. I can't rotate or even ask for a holiday off. There are no exceptions.

My spouse works a reg. Monday to Friday work week. There are times were I work everyday for a month or two with-out a day off. I start late around 10:00 a.m., leave 6:30 p.m. unless there is a party with a dessert that I can't preplate. Then I work until 10:00 or 10:30 p.m.. This is very hard on a marriage. My spouse doesn't understand why my job is nothing like his.

My job changed his life the most. When I don't have a day off for an extended time he must do all the household chores plus support me by doing the personal things that I need to do but can't get done.

Your family makes this career change with you!

By Trudi (Trudi) on Tuesday, December 28, 1999 - 02:25 pm: Edit

What makes you do it?

By W.DeBord on Wednesday, December 29, 1999 - 09:47 am: Edit

I spent the last 8 years as a professional artist. It doesn't pay enough to survive.

There are tons of people out there who are artists competeing for very few well paying jobs.

I need to be in a creative job no matter how bad the conditions. This job lets me continue using my artistic abilities with a much better paycheck with insurance. I'm pretty good at it so it also feeds my ego. So the job alone fit's me great.

Every job has bad aspects. The hours are universally bad in all professional kitchen. We knew this, my spouse and I live with it because it's the best money I can make at this point in my life.

By Trudi (Trudi) on Wednesday, December 29, 1999 - 10:21 am: Edit

I can understand your need for a creative outlet. My husband is actually a professional artist/web designer so I know how important that creative portion is. Although, in experiencing the hours that my husband works, I find it amazing that a pastry chef has longer hours. You must never sleep.

By W.DeBord on Wednesday, December 29, 1999 - 10:34 am: Edit

Sometimes it's not that the hours are too long, it's that they are the opposite of all my friends and family. How many people do you know that have Mondays and Tuesdays off work, nights and never are available for the holidays? It's not much fun missing everything.

By Trudi (Trudi) on Wednesday, December 29, 1999 - 10:48 am: Edit

I know it's off the subject, but I guess that's why nurses marry cops, same hours.

I can imagine missing everything is hard, and I guess when you finally make a function, you're expected to bring dessert.

Having off either Mondy or Tuesday may not be bad, but only having Monday and Tuesday off would'nt be fun either.

By Trudi (Trudi) on Wednesday, December 29, 1999 - 10:49 am: Edit

I know it's off the subject, but I guess that's why nurses marry cops, same hours.

I can imagine missing everything is hard, and I guess when you finally make a function, you're expected to bring dessert.

Having off either Mondy or Tuesday may not be bad, but only having Monday and Tuesday off would'nt be fun either.

By Ramodeo (Ramodeo) on Wednesday, December 29, 1999 - 09:28 pm: Edit

Trudi-

You're right about being asked to bring dessert to every function you make it to! I hate that! When I have family to our house, that's the first thing I dole out to someone else! :)

On the positive side...there are situations out there that aren't so bad. My husband is a chef, we work together with overlapping hours so we don't need outside child care. We work for a family oriented operation - owned by a close knit family who allow us to put family first. We can bring the kids to work if we need to. We work with a fabulous group of people who are trustworthy and supportive. We really don't have to worry about work when we're not there. Not to say we don't worry... As for pay, it's good for my h., ok for me. I made about three times as much doing consulting work in my previous field of food product development, but I hated the "corporateness" of it all. I had absolutely no desire to go out there and scare up business for myself anymore. (I hated having to be nice to people I didn't like to get their business.)

Now, I have that creative outlet I need, I don't have to dress up for work, I like the people I work with and I'm home for my kids when they get home from school, most of the time.

My husband works 12 hr days, but most weeks he gets two days off. Our operation is closed on Sundays except for New years eve, we have all the other Dec/Jan holidays off.

Every job has it's challenges, mine included. But I would encourage you to follow your heart to the work that makes you happy. You will find a situation that suits you.

Enjoy! R.

By W.DeBord on Thursday, December 30, 1999 - 08:37 am: Edit

I don't mean to discourage you if this is your calling.

I read the kids posting in "want to be" chefs and wonder if they have any real idea of what to expect from this profession.

When I see adults posting questions about entering this field from well paying situations I really worry! Even doing work that you love becomes a "JOB" after several years. Your boss is an idiot, your coworkers are lazy. You don't feel like your payed well enough for all your sacrafices, etc...

From the bottom of my heart I agree with R. when she wrote "But I would encourage you to follow your heart to the work that makes you happy.".
In order to follow your heart you must know yourself very well, then ask yourself some hard questions.

How much money do you need to live a comfortable life?
Do I need to live a average life style like my neighbors and friends?
How will my family deal with me not being there?
Will I find what I'm looking for in this profession or is it something in me I looking for?

By Trudi (Trudi) on Thursday, December 30, 1999 - 10:26 am: Edit

Right now I'm a secretary to a bunch of miserable lawyers. Luckily, I have skills that I can always "go back to" if needed.

Also, since I don't have children and my husband is a work-a-holic, it'll also be easier on us if I get stuck with really crappy hours (only at first, hopefully) .

Thanks for everyone's input. It is well appreciated.

P.S. Anyone have any opinion on the Restaurant School in Philadelphia?

By momoreg on Thursday, December 30, 1999 - 05:22 pm: Edit

There are chef jobs out there with not-so-crappy hours, but they're usually the least gratifying. If you work in a corporate dining room, you can expect normal working hours, but if you work in a restaurant, chances are that you will always work harder than you may like, even ten or twenty years down the line.

By Pam (Pam) on Friday, December 31, 1999 - 12:35 am: Edit

when i got out of baking school i got $5.00/hr w no insurance,it was at a 4 star restaurant in a chicago suburb. they thought i should be so glad to work there for anything, in a way i was. it was the best education,but i could only stay 1 yr because i was already over 30 and had rent (no husband) etc, i was in debt from this year. i then tried small hotels so i could get insurance instead of paying my own. my pay slowly went up but of course the items i made and things i learned at the french restaurant could not even compare. i wish i could have stayedbut i was going broke & had to even charge groceries regular thing to live with. now i adopted 2 kids & gave up baking for a regular 9-5 jobwith good benefits,sick days,holidays off but everything is a compromise.igave up one thing i love to take care of some kids that needed someone to care for them. i also had chef probs & worked at the 4 seasons for 2 weeks & couldn't even work there anymore it was so sexist & cruel. sometines you just put up with some of the macho stuff & dirty talk & become on of the boys,but not if it's cruel

By momoreg on Friday, December 31, 1999 - 06:41 am: Edit

One would think the union could've stepped in at that point. Pam, you bring to ming something that continues to amaze me. My first pastry assistant position was in 1983. I was 17, and was earning 11 dollars an hour. It was in a Hilton hotel. This was only a summer job, so I received no benefits. I finished pastry school 2 years later, and took a job working in the New York Hilton. There, I got 10 an hour, plus benefits, and union membership. Now, in 1999, my assistant makes less than that (much to my disapproval). She deserves more, and I've told the company owner. But the fact is, that's the going rate. Sad, but it takes a couple of years to go beyond it.

By Joey181 (Joey181) on Sunday, January 02, 2000 - 10:50 am: Edit

I graduated from Pastry atrs at the culinary institue of canada and this past summer i worked at a well recognizable resort where they only payed me $7 an hour. Thats not the real kicker though, a girl who i had gone to school with who (let me try to put this nice) she couldn't boil water if her life depended on it. Don't ask me how she graduated!!! But she also worked out there and got paid the same wage and i had to fix all her misakes daily, and there were a lot. The thing that really got to me was that the chef knew what she was like, i've told him many times, and never did a thing about it. so all summer i was doing her work and mine and getting paid practically nothing compared to the work i did. :o(

By W.DeBord on Sunday, January 02, 2000 - 06:19 pm: Edit

Get use to it. Pay is not given equal to the amount of work you do. It's a rare kitchen that doesn't have some dead weight in it. But if the body is warm we keep them just incase.

By Joey181 (Joey181) on Wednesday, January 05, 2000 - 02:25 pm: Edit

W.DeBond

Yeah i guess i better! I see what you mean about keeping them around i mean if they try, and she did, then mabey they just need a little help. Before i worked there i was at another job which told me i would get almost 3 times the hours that i actually got. I needed money so i had to quit there and take the job at the resort. The only thing was the job wasn't totally in pastry because they allready had 3 people to cover that. which was fine at least i was getting my hours in the kitchen so i took the job cooking the lunch menu. The chef gave me as many hours as he could in pastry and both him and the sous chef complained about the girl i previsously talked about. Not to sound concieted but i know that i'm more qualified for the job than she was but all summer they kept her. She left before the season was over so i quickly took her position and everyone complimented me on my desserts, even the chef. which made me wonder really why they kept her there. because the chef knew what she was like and complained about her as well. She did try though, she just needed to be held by the hand through everything, i think the thing that really got her was that i don't think she was ready for the fast pace out there.

By Joanne on Wednesday, January 19, 2000 - 08:36 pm: Edit

II have worked at aressort for the past twelve seasons . The money and the benefits are good,but ther is no place for advancement. I believe I can not have the head job because,im a WOMEN. iN THIS FIELD IT IS SOME TIMES HARD TO BE TREATED AS A EQUAL.

By Ginger Carter on Tuesday, January 25, 2000 - 10:32 am: Edit

After reading all your messages, it makes me think. I'm planning on attending a baking and pastry arts program (CIA hopefully) later this year. I'm only 18 years old and female. I've worked at a golf club's banquet facilities for over a year now. I've done the front and back of the house there. While I was still in high school, I would often pull forty hours a week plus school. And now on my breaks from college, I work there often doing sixty hours a week. 14 hour days on saturday were common. But the thing that kept me going was that I loved it. I loved the people I worked with and loved my job. I thought this was good preparation for the long hours I know are to come. I've loved making desserts since I was little, and do believe I have a hand for it. But still, as anyone picking a profession, I'm worried about making the right choice. I love baking, but will that be enough?

By Ramodeo (Ramodeo) on Tuesday, January 25, 2000 - 10:47 am: Edit

Ginger -

Please don't worry too much about making the "right" choice now. You have a huge world of options open to you. I suggest you explore the path that your heart is telling you to right now.

If you have financial goals you wish to meet in a certain time period, you may have to do work you don't love so much. If you are concerned with finding a life's work that will make you happy, "do what you love, the money will follow". (There is a book by that name you might want to look at! :-)

Enjoy! R.

By W.DeBord on Tuesday, January 25, 2000 - 08:12 pm: Edit

I hope you listen to Ramodeo. I feel bad if I contributed to scaring you away from doing something you love. The intent of my words were mainly to inform, so people make informed decisions.

By Ginger Carter on Wednesday, January 26, 2000 - 12:10 am: Edit

To DeBord and all,
I will admit that your words did make me think, but they did not scare me away. But that's probably the purpose they were put there to serve, make people think. It's obvious that though you all complain, you love your job, otherwise you wouldn't be talking about it in these forums if you didn't have to. I hope that I will be lucky enough to work with people like you who are obviously devoted to their trade. These forums have taught me things that no book or teacher ever could. Thank you all for that!!
Respectfully yours,
Ginger

By W.DeBord on Wednesday, January 26, 2000 - 08:19 am: Edit

You do understand us, good for you!

Best of luck!!!!

By Ginger Carter on Friday, January 28, 2000 - 02:04 am: Edit

To anyone,
I've been thinking about a lot of things lately, and I would appreciate some advice if anyone gets the opportunity. I'm applying to culinary school right now, but have been considering staying home and working for a while longer before I go. I have worked in this kitchen for a while before, so I know what I'm getting myself into, but I'm not quite sure how long is a good amount of time to be "experienced." I'd be working under two great chefs that know my desires and would be willing to teach me, but should I just head to school instead? I'd appreciate any opinions anyone has on this. I'm struggling about whether I should stay and get even more experience or should go to school as soon as I can get in.
Ginger

By W.DeBord on Friday, January 28, 2000 - 08:05 am: Edit

I think there are advantages to either decision. Not every person goes to culinary school and few jobs require it. I'm a pastry chef and I've never taken one class of any kind in this field. I had no problem finding my job based on my experience and photos showing the quality of my work. I also know men who are Head Chefs that also have no school based training.

BUT George made this point and it's ever so important...one day when your much older you may not want to work in the kitchen. That day you will need an education behind you.

If I could do it over I'd go to a reg. 4 year college and study everything. Business classes are really important even if you stay in this field for the rest of your life.


As you grow older and have more bills and responsiblities it will be MUCH harder to go back to school. If I was your parent I would beg, bribe and plead with you to GO TO SCHOOL! You'll never regret it!!!!!

By Matt (Matt) on Friday, January 28, 2000 - 02:39 pm: Edit

W.DeBord -

Well said!

And GC I second what W.DeBord said and have nothing to add except go to school work harder than you have in your life and learn as much as you can. If you do that, you will be ever so thankful you did later on.

Matt

By Mikeh (Mikeh) on Friday, January 28, 2000 - 02:53 pm: Edit

Ginger,

I'm currently a culinary student and I can understand the difficulty in your decision. Since I can study, but not work, in the United States, the decision was fairly easy for me. Hopefully, I can offer some helpful advice regarding school.

First, with regards to what W. DeBord says, business skills are essential in any field. As a baking and pastry student, I plan to own a bakery after I get enough experience behind me. Even as an executive chef you will be required to have knowledge of food costs, human resources, capital budgeting, etc. Culinary school will give you some basics in this field.

Currently there is a discussion in this forum on the pricing of wedding cakes. In my pre-baking life, I took a lot of economics, commerce, marketing, and financial and managerial accounting courses. It is a very good feeling to be confident that issues such as pricing and marketing will never have to be an area that I blindly stumble into in my bakery. However, it completely possible for someone to pick these up through correspondence courses or part-time at your local university or community college after getting out of culinary school. Just be prepared for a little less social life.

Second, if you choose to go to culinary school, grill your instructors and take the opportunity to get everything you can out of it. Let me give you an example from my cakes class. Monday through Thursday the day is broken into a production period, dinner, and a demo/lecture period. Each student goes through a rotating schedule for what they are responsible to produce, and in addition to that, there are special assignments, which generally include helping the chef get his demos ready. There are students who are warm bodies in the room and there are students who are very eager to learn. Two days ago one student got cake syrup as a special assignment, while I had to make two swiss style black forest bombes -- complete with chiffon, cake syrup, stabilized whipped cream, and chocolate mousse, on top of my regular production. Guess which one is the warm body and which one is getting more back for their buck?

Cheers, Mike

By me on Friday, January 28, 2000 - 11:52 pm: Edit

i finished culinary school about a year ago. it was a great deal of fun and i made some wonderful friends. i also learned a lot about production style baking. however, i kind of feel like i wasted my money.
sometimes i think i could have learned more by spending that money on cook books instead. if you already feel confident about your baking skills then you could probably just start working in the profession.
i would recommend getting a baking/pastry job before going to culinary school just to make sure that is what you really want. reading about others experiences is worlds different than actually doing it yourself.
I am in complete agreement with DeBord about going to a "real" college first. a pastry chefs salary is pretty low and if you can't find that you can live off of it then it is comforting to have a backup skill.
besides, you could always do culinary school after you graduate :)

By t. natividad on Tuesday, February 15, 2000 - 01:41 pm: Edit

I agree with W.DeBord. I myself am a self taught pastry chef. Books, picking co-workers brains and being flexible & ready to learn. Jobs ranged from a baker, cake decorator, cake designer, dessert&pastry design,organized production,beautiful product, perfect flavor(s), and cost&labor concerns. I work 330 am to 12 or 1 pm. except @ holidays. Tuesdays & every other sunday off. no perks. 11.00 hr.

By Bakerboy (Bakerboy) on Sunday, April 02, 2000 - 11:30 pm: Edit

This is for W.DEBORD!!!!!
If you don't like your job find another one!!!. Stop discouraging people and find a job with better hours and days off!!!. There are jobs in foodservice like that if you look!! EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS. If you tell people about all the bad things about your job, you don't like it!!!! Stop lying to yourself!!!

By W.DeBord on Monday, April 03, 2000 - 09:13 am: Edit

This is for bakerboy, you may choose to put your head in the sand and not look at reality. That is your choice! When someone wants an honest answer I will give just that! It's an opinion, take it or leave it, but a wise person learns alittle bit from it before he turns his head in fear.

You have to read more than one message to understand what's being written. I'm not slamming this industry, but your young if you don't see the minus column involved in marrying these types of jobs. Food service is very demanding in relation to the pay involved!

By Panini (Panini) on Monday, April 03, 2000 - 06:45 pm: Edit

Bakerboy,Bakerboy,Bakerboy, ca'mon now. These are our opinions from an industry standpoint. This is the most primitive industry going. Were working when everyone is playing"holidays".weekends etc.
Its a good ole boy business, with the adage of thats just "paying your dues".
You will find that there are more than normal politics on the corp. side. and a lot of discrimination on the working side. This is not an ideal profession. Food Service is about the only thing I will try to steer my son from.
But those with a passion for this art will do it for the rest of their lives. You don't think DeBord loves what he or she does?

By Bakerboy (Bakerboy) on Monday, April 03, 2000 - 08:31 pm: Edit

No I don't think Debord likes what he or she does. I am just trying to say, if you don't like your job- QUIT IT!. Yes, I agree there are some terrible jobs in this industry. Foodservice is extremely varied though. It depends who you work for and what you do. For instance, a short order cook is one of the worst jobs you can have. There are also jobs like teaching culinary arts or baking. It also really depends who you work for and what you do exactly. You just have to try different things, and if all elese fails, open your own business.

By momoreg on Monday, April 03, 2000 - 09:24 pm: Edit

That's not a good reason to open a business, in my humble opinion.

By Panini (Panini) on Monday, April 03, 2000 - 09:29 pm: Edit

You don't have to like your job to be passionate about what you do. You are talking specific jobs.Your career and your job are two different. Finding that perfect job is highly unlikely in this industry. Its great if you can get one, but some of us don't have that opportunity because of location and other things.
And if all else fails, open your own business?
HA! Then you get to do all the sh-t jobs.

Anyway, I really hope you find wonderful jobs along the way, and if one of them might not be perfect than come on and ••••• a little about it. We will understand.
The best to you,
Panini

By Bakerboy (Bakerboy) on Tuesday, April 04, 2000 - 01:01 am: Edit

You just really sound like you don't like your job when you come in here and post messages that tell everyone how much you hate this type of work. If you don't like this type of work, go do something that you like and enjoy!.. I enjoy what I do, and if I dislike my job, I look for another one that I might like. No one is "Stuck" in this industry. There are plenty of other types of work out there.

By momoreg on Tuesday, April 04, 2000 - 06:35 am: Edit

Bakerboy-
You sound a bit idealistic. If you could find ANY job or career that is perfect all the way around, everyone would be doing it. There's nothing about telling the downsides of this work that illustrates that W. hates her work.

By W.DeBord on Tuesday, April 04, 2000 - 09:04 am: Edit

I do LOVE being a pastry chef, I am PASSIONATE about being the best pastry chef I can be!

I have had problems at work (WHO hasen't?). I've written about my problems to learn from others here at this site how to handle or understand them. I have chosen as an adult to work thru my problems and not run from them. Those issues are on another thread.

Panini wrote "food service is the only thing I'll try to steer my son from", almost brings tears to my eyes because I've heard so many other people say the same thing. THIS IS A HARD profession if you care, if you do the best job you can!

I don't tell other to stay away. It's our responsiblity to pass on the knowledge and truth of our profession, to mentor to the less experienced.


When I'm driving down the road I appreciate the street signs ahead that tell me what to expect so I can make an informed desision. When a person comes to this site and ASKS for an opinion I am free to give mine, as are you.

By Panini (Panini) on Tuesday, April 04, 2000 - 04:01 pm: Edit

W.DeBord,
It is truly apparent that you are passionate about what you do. I'm sorry my comment about my 8 yr old son saddens you. But its just so hard to come up in the business,I guess I just want to shield him from that. It will be his decsision what to do with the company when he gets it.
If all of us weren't passionate about what we do we would not even bother to be here posting. I personally love what I do and would not change anything in my past.

By Bakerboy (Bakerboy) on Tuesday, April 04, 2000 - 06:58 pm: Edit

Well ok then you proved you're point. I would like to start another subject now. People with disabilities in foodservice. I tried another type of work(manufacturing) because I have IBS. The hours I had in manufacturing were much worse. I returned to foodservice despite my disibility. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a type of digestive disorder which has some of the same symptoms as crohns disease, colon cancer and other digestive disorders. This disorder is caused by stress. I have no medical insurance so I have not been to the doctor in years. I would say I'm passionate about this industry, especially when I have this disorder that is not widely understood.

By Panini (Panini) on Tuesday, April 04, 2000 - 10:28 pm: Edit

IBS is wide spread but little is known about it,many people are usually mis diagnosed. my mother has suffered with this disease for years now. Her last surgery was 5 months ago with the same results. She is not any better. She is almost homebound now.
Bakerboy, educating your employer is going to be the challange, I'm willing to bet he or she will have problems with this.There was a time I even doubted my mom.
This dissorder is not only caused by stress, unfortunately it seems to be a very generic term when your doctors don't know whats going on.
Good luck to you,
panini

By Kathyf (Kathyf) on Tuesday, April 04, 2000 - 11:56 pm: Edit

IBS symptoms can be caused by food allergies.

By Janie Craft on Thursday, April 27, 2000 - 12:31 am: Edit

I have alway worked for myself and think I have had it better than most of you. I have a kitchen outside of my house. I have always baked by order only. I have never lacked for orders and had to turn down lots. I have always made more money doing wedding cakes than anything else. I like the other things better, but wedding cakes paid the bills. I have the freedom to turn down orders that I don't want. I have provided items for restaurants and caters. That is also bread and butter money. I have all comerical equipment and own it and my building, so do not have that much overhead. I have enjoyed reading all of your comments. The Country Baker

By slomo on Tuesday, May 09, 2000 - 10:16 am: Edit

My DH has treated many people with IBS. He is a psychiatrist.

By Nigel on Sunday, July 02, 2000 - 03:40 am: Edit

Hello All,

I am a Chef de Partie back in Bombay, working for a flight Catering unit, in the Bakery department. I have done a diploma In Culinary and Food Technology in Bombay, India.
I am here in the US on holiday and to scout for a very basic and entry-level job in a Bakery.
I actually have a 10yr visit Visa for the US. Can anyone help me out here? Anyone in the same boat?
I'm into French Bread, Croissants and Danish.

Thanks.

By G.r.W. on Saturday, July 15, 2000 - 12:18 am: Edit

To Janie Craft:
Thank you for the encouraging words. You are doing exactly what I hope to do within the next year. Trying to get started is complex. Would appreciate any tips.
I am a health care worker and make a very good salary I am not a grad from any culinary school-have done all sorts of cakes-some for restaurants and it's been great so far- Can you tell me some things I should beware of-stumbling blocks that you have met? How did you ever afford commercial equipment? Using my kitchen now!!