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Pastry Assistant Duties and Responsibilities

The daily activities of pastry assistants vary by where they work and the expectations of their supervisors, but our look at job listings shows some core tasks important to the position, including the following:

Prepare Baked Goods At the heart of this career is helping with the creation of pastries and other baked goods. Common actions include measuring ingredients, kneading dough, mixing by hand or with kitchen tools, taking items in and out of the oven, and placing goods on cooling racks.

Fill and Decorate Pastries and Desserts Whether cupcakes need frosting or cream puffs require filling, pastry assistants add the special and delicious touches that make baked items look and taste wonderful. Decorating especially allows pastry assistants to use their creativity.

Plate Desserts Attractive presentation contributes to the appeal of the product. To this end, pastry assistants may artistically arrange desserts on plates at restaurants or set up mouth-watering arrangements in display cases.

Monitor Supplies No bakery wants to run short on sugar! Pasty assistants monitor the stock of ingredients and other necessary items and place orders to restore inventory.

Train New Assistants When new assistants come on board, experienced ones often take the lead in getting them up to speed. Actions might include demonstrating how to use equipment, showing the location of ingredients, instructing on proper procedures, and going over cleaning routines.

Present Ideas Pasty assistants may suggest altering recipes or testing new ones to see what results. Innovative offerings attract customers and can lead to increased sales.

Provide Excellent Customer Service People who are happy with their purchase are likely to return. Thus, pastry assistants work with customers to get orders correct and ensure quality. They may, for example, offer suggestions on how a cake could be decorated to reflect a party's theme or on which pastries would make a good spread for a morning business meeting.

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Pastry Assistant Skills and Qualifications

Pastry chefs depend on their assistants to follow directions. Performing steps incorrectly alters the recipe and may result in an inferior product. Similarly, pastry assistants must be attentive. Forgetting to take items out of the oven causes burning, and using the wrong ingredients creates a mess. Other factors critical to the position include:
  • Industry knowledge- familiarity with common baking ingredients, measuring techniques, mixing methods, kitchen equipment, and baking times makes pastry assistants ready to pitch in
  • Multitasking - one dessert may be baking while an assistant is decorating a different goodie, so keeping track of what's going on is imperative
  • Organization skills - a neat, arranged work area promotes efficiency and safety
  • Teamwork - collaborating with others involved in creating, serving, and selling products keeps operations running smoothly
  • Physical requirements - pastry assistants spend a good deal of time on their feet and also should be able to bend, lift, and perform arm and hand movements adequately
  • Pride in one's work- a commitment to excellence yields products that customers crave
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Pastry Assistant Education and Training

Minimal education requirements depend heavily on what the specific employer expects of a pastry assistant. For basic tasks such as mixing, measuring, kneading, and frosting, a high school diploma may be sufficient to land a position and undergo on-the-job training. Pastry assistants hired to help with recipe development, intricate decorations, and product quality often possess skills learned in culinary school. In addition to teaching students how to make various pastries, programs leading to a baking and pastry assistant certificate cover topics such as kitchen safety, sanitation, and food handling.
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Pastry Assistant Salary and Outlook

According to PayScale, pastry assistants earn a median yearly wage of $37,000. Workers on the low end of the pay range earn about $27,000, while the highest paid make more than $50,000. While automation has enabled mass production of many baked goods, consumers still enjoy purchasing fresh specialty breads and pastries. Thus, the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts employment of bakers and similar professionals to grow 8 percent by 2026.
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Helpful Resources

Want to know more about what pastry assistants do and how you can enter this career? Check out these sources we've compiled:

Pastry Chefs of America - founded in 1914, this group has long been a go-to place for everything related to careers in the pastry industry

National Restaurant Association - what would a meal out be without dessert? Explore careers in baking on the website of this well-known industry organization. The NRA website provides information on training, education, scholarships, and the future of working in the restaurant business

The Pastry Chef's Apprentice - learn pastry skills from real-life bakers and culinary instructors in this beautifully illustrated book that provides a good glimpse of what's involved in making outstanding desserts

Tasting Success: Your Guide to Becoming a Professional Chef - explore culinary careers and what it takes to move up the ladder through this book designed for people just starting out in the industry

How Baking Works: Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science - take the mystery out of how baked goods are created with the third edition of this book covering food science topics such as chemical reactions and the roles of different ingredients

So Good Magazine Pastry Blog - check out this digital publication's pastry blog for the latest on industry trends plus interviews with leading pastry chefs

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