A chef that makes pastry. 

A pastry chef specialises in the creation of desserts, pastries, and other sweet treats. Pastry chefs are typically employed by restaurants, bakeries, hotels, and other food service establishments. They are responsible for creating and preparing a variety of desserts, from simple cakes and cookies to elaborate tarts, mousse, and other confections.

Some responsibilities of a Pastry Chef:

• Creating, testing and evaluating new pastry and dessert recipes. The pastry chef will often consult the executive chef to ensure the desserts are in line with all other menu items. Depending of the business, the pastry chef will also be in charge of the preparation of all baked goods including all type of breads.

• Keeping a budget for the pastry department as well as being responsible for inventory and cost control.

• Ordering food and supplies for the creation of his/her dessert menu items and for running the kitchen.

• May be required to train or supervise other kitchen workers who may be involved in the preparation of dessert items.

• Ability to work in a team-driven environment, take direction, offer direction and assist with problem solving.

• Continuously develop and research recipes to keep the dessert menu appealing to customers.

There are several types of pastry chefs, each with their own specialization and expertise. 

Some of the most common types of pastry chefs include:

• Pastry Chef de Partie: This is the most common type of pastry chef, responsible for overseeing a particular section of the pastry kitchen. They are often in charge of preparing specific pastry items, such as cakes, cookies, or bread.

• Executive Pastry Chef: This is the head pastry chef of a restaurant, hotel, or bakery. They are responsible for overseeing the entire pastry department and ensuring that all pastry items are of the highest quality.

• Pastry Sous Chef: This is the second in command to the executive pastry chef and is responsible for assisting in the day-to-day operations of the pastry department. They often help to train new pastry chefs and ensure that all pastry items are of the highest quality.

• Cake Designer/Decorator: This type of pastry chef specializes in creating and decorating cakes for various occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries. They often use specialized tools and techniques to create intricate designs and decorations.

• Ice cream: The glacier produces all types of ice cream and other frozen preparations. The glacier may also be responsible for ice sculptures.

• Chocolatier: A chocolatier is a pastry chef who specializes in working with chocolate, creating truffles, bonbons, and other chocolate-based confections. They have expertise in tempering chocolate and working with different types of chocolate.

• Baker: A baker is a pastry chef who specializes in making bread, rolls, and other baked goods. They often use traditional methods and techniques to create a variety of bread and pastry items.

To become a professional pastry chef, it isn’t compulsory to complete formal education. However, it can be beneficial to obtain professional traineeship that will prepare you for the role. Training as a pastry chef can enable you to learn key information and skills to in the competitive industry. A combination of the right qualifications and experience are vital to success. 

It is often recommended to begin your career with an apprenticeship or an internship. As a pastry chef you can then decide to work as part of a restaurant / hotel team or to open your own pastry business. As member of a large patisserie department within a restaurant or hotel, you will start as a commis pâtissier, before becoming chef de partie to then progress to Chef and finally Executive chef.

Gaining the right experience as well as training can aid in allowing you to find out what kind of field within the pastry profession you’d like to specialise in. For example pastry chefs can choose to specialise in sugar or chocolate. It is also good to take up an internship in order to obtain valuable work experience and get used to the environment of the kitchen and the role of the pastry chef and others in the kitchen.

The workplace of a pastry chef can vary depending on the type of establishment they work in. 

Pastry chefs can work in various settings, including : 

• restaurants, 

• hotels, 

• bakeries, 

• cafes,

• pastry shops.