When we hear the word ‘baking’, a variety of pictures of cakes, puffs, bread rolls, dough, and nuts, pop directly before our eyes and it leaves our mouths salivating. The credit for this goes to talented pastry specialists who investigate every possibility to offer real value stylishly introducing luxuries as well as extravagant treats that please our taste buds too.
Changing ways of life have prompted a blast in the business and today a profession as a baker is both rewarding and satisfying. As the Coronavirus lockdown gained momentum, many individuals began mastering new leisure activities and skills. One of these that saw a higher spike among the youth was baking. Indeed, even before the pandemic, many had given up their comfortable tasks to lean on their instinct and prepare bread, cakes, and pastries and that's just the beginning. A humongous change in consumer habits and lifestyle has moulded the baking business in India.
The motivations behind why baking as a profession is rewarding and satisfying are as follows:
- Growing Interest
Baking, perhaps the biggest portion in the food handling area, is seeing a hearty development as of now. There has been an expansion of bakery chains and a bunch of organisations that offer baked items. With huge and extraordinary development potential, limits with regard to development, and open positions, a profession in the business is quickly turning out to be more plausible and rewarding in India.
2. Flexible Schedule
While most of the pastry kitchens and cafes are open the entire day, a baker who is engaged in supplying them can plan work shifts as per his or her comfort levels. This gives one an opportunity to complete seven days of work in three days and tick off the rest of the other days.
3. Instant Feedback
The client’s response decides the pastry specialist’s prosperity in the near future. Hence, it is extremely crucial to learn from the experiences and work on getting to the next level. Closely monitor your best sellers and see which ones the clients are disregarding. This will let you know what you need to work on to improve yourself every single day.
4. Work for Yourself
Working as a baker includes active involvement with overseeing supplies, keeping up with the hygiene guidelines, and managing individuals. This works towards creating a strong sense of abilities to maintain a business. You can also just bake alone and work for yourself or in other words, you can be your own boss.
5. Restorative Medium
Baking can be both addictive and reflective, as it calls for investment of time, focus, and persistence to keep your items in a manner in which you need them. This interaction decreases pressure and uneasiness and is hence therapeutic.
6. Acquiring Fame
Being a baker puts you in a position to where you might hold many individuals’ key to happiness. Dissimilar to going to the dental specialist or standing in line to get a driver’s permit, purchasing treats and cupcakes makes people feel great. Clients additionally request baked merchandise for elevating occasions like weddings and birthday celebrations. Like some other businesses, pastry specialists obviously can run into testy and difficult clients. However, in general, their items put a smile on buyers’ faces.
Looking to make a career in the field of baking is a choice that you could never regret. With adaptable timetables, a significant salary scale, and current customers’ making requests your door to opportunities will be loaded with numerous advantages. Apart from all these perspectives, there’s always the fact that baking is fun and involves creativity in equivalent measure.
About the author: Chef Dr. Balendra Singh is a Director of the Institute of Bakery and Culinary Arts (IBCA). He initially studied his art at IHM Dehradun, focusing on bakery and confectionery. Having mastered his skills as a pastry chef and chocolatier, he returned to his roots in culinary education and held a position as an Executive Pastry Chef.
In an endeavour to impart this knowledge, he went on to introduce his 'Excellence' programme, which consists of courses on a melange of topics - Pastry, Chocolate, and Entrepreneurship. He also started his own Institute of Bakery & Culinary Arts (New Delhi) and delivers online live sessions every month in the skill category of bakery and pastry arts.