How to Become a Pastry Chef

If you’re a creative, dexterous person with a sweet tooth and a love of all things pastry-related, why not consider a professional change in direction that sees you turning your passions into profits? Read on, and you’ll discover how to become a pastry chef in an industry that’s more popular and in-demand than ever right now.

There’s so much choice within the dessert sub-sector of food service that you’re almost certain to find the dessert franchise that suits you if you pursue a career as a pastry chef. From donuts to crepes, your options are endless - especially as a franchisee. Franchising allows you to start running your own business at a far lower level of risk than going it alone, and it’s a great way to enter an industry even without any prior experience. If a career in pastry is your dream, franchising could make it happen for you.

What does a pastry chef do?

As you might imagine, the daily responsibilities of a pastry chef will change depending on the specifics of the wok you’re doing. If you choose to make a franchise investment with La Donuteria, for instance, you’ll have a very different set of tasks than the set you might have had if you chose to invest with Rassams Creamery instead. Still, there are certain things you’re likely to be doing regularly across the industry, such as:

• Making and selling (or managing the making and selling of) sweet food products
• Communicating and negotiating with customers
• Performing quality checks
• Maintaining hygiene and food standards
• Managing stock and supplies
• Managing employees (for larger-scale investment options)
• Managing the finances 
• Marketing your dessert franchise
• Staying up-to-date on the latest industry trends

How to become a pastry chef and start running a franchise

Franchising is a great way to go about becoming a pastry chef, but that’s not to say that it comes without any risks. Before you make a legally binding commitment and start your own dessert franchise, ensure that you’re getting things off on the right foot by asking and answering the following three questions fully and comprehensively... 

1. What skills/training does a pastry chef need?

Many dessert franchises won’t ask that you have prior food service or management experience, and your training will largely be covered, once you invest, by your franchisor. In terms of skill, however, there are certain skills that will set you up for success as a pastry chef. Check in with yourself before you go any further towards an investment and make sure you’re:

• Friendly
• Creative
• Attentive to detail
• Able to lead
• Able to manage people effectively
• Able to manage your time effectively
• Someone with a head for the business
• Someone who’s passionate about the work

2. What is the current state of the dessert sector?

This is a really crucial question whenever you’re making an investment, but particularly so post-pandemic. It’s important to understand the dessert sector before you jump into it with both feet, and to understand whether you’ll be able to turn a profit in current circumstances (and what you’ll need to do in order to do so). Thankfully, this sub-sector is doing well right now. Some of the dessert industry trends currently dominating the conversation and worth looking into include:

• Dessert splicing (e.g., croissant plus donut equals “cronut”)
• Desserts in new contexts (e.g., dessert pizzas, dessert charcuterie boards, etc.)
• Gourmet ingredients
• Drinkable desserts
• Healthier, lower-sugar options
• Plant-based options

3. Which franchise opportunities best suit my professional wants and needs?

The dessert industry is vast, and your final step on the way to becoming a pastry chef and running a dessert franchise should be to find the 100% ideal fit. Consider what you’ll be doing every day, and whether this aligns with your desires for your professional life. Carefully research the costs associated, and whether you’ll be able to meet these financial demands. Start your research right here, with three really strong options...

Dessert franchise investment opportunities 

1. Chock Shop

Chock Shop is an artisan producer of chocolate brownies. These brownies are sold on the go by Chock Shop franchisees, and are very popular with customers at food festivals, markets and live events across the UK.

• Becoming a Chock Shop franchisee: No prior experience is required, but you should enjoy working outdoors and meeting people. You should also be great with customers, organised, resourceful and energetic (no matter the season).
• How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £10,000, with franchise fees of £15,000 and a monthly advertising fee of £67.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll receive a comprehensive support package including full training, on-site assistance and an initial supply of equipment, marketing materials and operational manuals.

2. Bubblewrap

Bubblewrap was founded by Tony Fang in 2017 after he realised bubble waffles would be very popular in the UK. Bubblewraps’s products are now an internet hit and a popular treat among customers of the franchise.

• Becoming a Bubblewrap franchisee: No prior experience is required, but you will need business acumen, a positive growth mindset, strong people skills and excellent customer service skills.
• How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £36,000, with franchise fees of £15,000, a total investment cost of £100,000 and advertising and royalty fees charged at 3% and 6% respectively.
• What you get for your investment: In return for your investment, you’ll receive a full programme of initial training, regular visits from your franchisor, access to ongoing support and access to data on your performance.

3. Crepe Delicious

Crepe Delicious has been growing in size and popularity for a number of years. With the original idea for the business originating through a mixture of global influences, this franchise is bringing new and exciting crepe recipes to global audiences.

• Becoming a Crepe Delicious franchisee: You don’t need previous sales experience to start a Crepe Delicious franchise - you just need to be entrepreneurial and, ideally, looking to run multiple franchise units.
• How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £50,000, with franchise fees of £16,000, a total investment cost of £80,000 and advertising and royalty fees charged at 6% and 3% respectively.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll have access to a full support package, with training and mentoring available on everything from product development, social media and marketing to construction guidelines and premises negotiations.

Why not try running your own business in this hugely lucrative (and hugely tasty) growth industry?

You should now have a strong sense of not just how you can become a pastry chef, but of where you might like to invest your money within the dessert industry. For more information about starting a thriving dessert business, stay on Point Franchise. Check out the five advantages of running a dessert franchise, and discover four tips for building a successful business plan for a dessert franchise.