Pastry Biz Chronolog

What is turning out to be a rather interesting exposition of single orgin Couvertures is beginning to take shape. The Executive chef and I today sampled ChocoVic from Spain.

Although the varietals were not really blowing any wind up Tim’s skirt, I did find some premise in particularity the Guaranda which uses forastero arriba cocoa from Ecuador. This chocolate had a less pronounced profile than the Ocumare which uses criollo cocoa from Venezuela. The GUYAVE was the most subtle of the group 100 % Trinitario de Grenada cocoa. and had no pitch or punctuation to it’s profile. Samples are coming in from the following companies, Cluzel, Felchlin, Barry, Callebaut, and Valhrona. This expo will be conducted at the OZ in December (probably mid month) to essentially demonstrate the superiority of single orgin couvertures over blends and the justification of the higher tariffs associated with those varietals.

The exposition will be an objective non-partial scored and professionally panel graded representation of what to expect and should be nothing less than fascinating.

Labels: chocolate, single origin

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.

Alright now I am finished with school, what’s next…

Choosing the right place to raise your game

Pros and Cons to different establishments.

Hotels/Clubs/Catering

Pros:
Incredible venues to learn and do a host of different things that would not normally be possible in other venues.
May or may not have a staff to administrate.
Ordering may have few governors.
Equipment and facilities are usually top notch
Cons:
Properties are usually switched on 24/7
If salaried, your only down time may be in winter months or summer.
May be limitations on work force due to budgetary concerns and chef may
Have the responsibility of management along with multitasking production assignments.

Retail/wholesale bakery

Pros:
Linear monotonous production to fill a “bank” –pipeline of day to day production, straight forward, unless there are a lot of specialty requests, almost commonplace.
Dynamic on the fly creativity.
A certain level of freedom implement limited production runs-one of a kinds, prototypes.
High prestige, if executed intelligently within a particular metropolitan area or nationally
Ie. Payard
It’s a beautiful thing to see a showcase completely stocked with all of your wares, the entire smear laid out, on display for the word to see.
Cons:
Limited distributed resources to purchase, maintain and upgrade operations
Sometimes shoestring budgets to work with, management may attempt to blame a chef for underlining ill’s afflicting an operation on a more fundamental level such as excessive lowballing of pricepoints in an effort to either generate cash flow or increase market share.
Instability of financial disbursements to leasor, utilizes, tax agengencies, and most importantly to staff (payroll) it has happened to me on more than one occasion and I have had to find more stability in wage earnings on both occasions.
No benefits whatsoever-you want to call out sick? Good luck…paid vacay, ha you are on your own, bonuses, dream on, perks like insurance, tuition reimbursement, your out on a limb.
You may wind up working under what’s known as sweatshop conditions, no OT pay after 40 hours, mishandled checks, special errands, deliveries, sales, marketing, you may find yourself not making one hell of lot more than the next guy working for Wegmans, or Whole Foods and doing three times as much work, and not even being paid for it, shades of Yum Yum.
Having to excessively appease clientele, in an effort to make wholesale account happy and not be led astray, IE preferential treatment in the form of price breaks, custom work (proprietary) and so forth.


Restaurants

Pros:
Extremely high profile venues, high prestige factor, strong added benefit to having your desserts and name associated with a project.
Incredible venue to tinker and learn.
The word is specials, and your ability depending on your level of creative genius to come up with them faster than change your socks daily or the frequency at which you shower over the course of the day in the summer time.
Dynamic, intense, at times “fun” place to work.
Highly improvisational, a restaurant can challenge even the seasoned to make due with what they’ve got, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger as they say, to be sure better.
Ability to make your mark out there and percolate to the top of your game faster than with other venues, providing your better than good, and the critics and more over your quests feel the same way.
Cons:
Usually archaic working conditions, cramped quarters, storage (shared) space limitations.
Bottlenecks on ordering ingredients, and equipment.
A very communal feeling, shared ovens, shared mixers, refrigeration, etc…you may be making bread pudding right next to someone filleting seafood, oh joy!
House can have a skewed vision of a disparity of logged hours if you are on salary,
Put in 90 plus opening the operation, put in 90 plus during the first 120 days, put in 90 plus during the holidays, time to recuperate and regroup – zero, time to spend with a friend or significant other, zero.
Very frequently, one person shows, want to take a vacation, or time off, ha don’t make me laugh, that’s a taboo, your sick-you have a cold-so what, you want a job right?
Not too much opportunity for growth, you leave as you came - in pastry.
Most of the time, with some exceptions for certain venues and larger chains, no benefits, no insurance, nada.

Big vs. Small

Advantages and disadvantages of going with a big house vs. a small operation:

Big operations offer the following:
Benefits including paid sick leave, vacation, and holidays
Medical, dental, and perhaps vision
Profit sharing, 401, tuition reimbursement
Job security, structured production/expectations
Opportunity for advancement

Small operations usually offer none of the above but may offer the following:
Disbursements in cash
Greater flexibility of schedule
Less structure to ordering equipment and supplies
Less structure/formality to hiring process for associates
Little to no opportunity for advancement
Sometimes greater ability to dynamically spindle (come up with new creations) time contingent

Bottom line-depending on your own career path and your measure of how important job security and a stable (reliable income is worth) Big usually beats out small, unless you work for incredibly savvy administrators.