Pâtisserie and Confectionery

The confectioner/pastry cook is a highly skilled professional who produces a wide range of intricate and predominantly sweet items, including hand finished chocolates, candies and petit fours, hot and cold desserts, cakes, biscuits and iced products. They may also produce elaborate display or themed pieces for special events.

Patisserie and confectionery cooks possess artistic talent and gastronomic flair alongside the ability to work effectively and efficiently using a range of specialist equipment high-quality ingredients. The expert possesses a profound respect for these ingredients appreciating what they bring to the product and working with them to high levels of creativity, taste, food hygiene and health and safety. Familiarity with flavours and textures, with measuring and mixing basics, and with variations in palates and preferences is a definite “plus” for the expert in this field.

The specialist confectioner/pastry cook is likely to work in top class hotels or restaurants. At the same time, in some countries specialist retail shops have dedicated areas in which they display and sell hand-made and decorated pastry products, cakes and confectionery - which are nearly irresistible and which spotlight the skills and talents of the confectioner/pastry cook.