School's out for summer! *cue song*
Finally finally finally, I have officially graduated from SAIT's two year Baking and Pastry Arts program. Certainly, while you're in the thick of it, time seems to move slowly, but as you near the end, time flies by in a flash. The last day was a mix of emotions - relief of being done, sadness from leaving good friends and teachers, and excitement at what's to come. But trust me, life will only get more and more interesting.
The last two things we made this past week:
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| Caramel pear cake |
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| Passionfruit curd, white chocolate mousse, chocolate hazelnut crunchy crust |
Chef set up a display of everything we made in this class. I think we were supposed to help ourselves and eat some of it but no one touched it. Too pretty!
Was this program worth it? Is it worth going to school for baking when you can learn it at home? Yes and yes! It is very important in this day and age to be properly educated in this industry before heading out. One of the main reasons is that few places will hire someone with no industry experience or training. Home baking is COMPLETELY different from commercial baking, despite how the Food Network makes it look like. But let's start with the first question.
Attending SAIT was the best move for me for several reasons. First, it was affordable. Specialized baking schools can be extraordinarily expensive, reaching over $10,000 cad per semester! A famous and more expensive school may help snag you more prestigious placements, but in the end, you will receive a similar education and how far it takes you depends on the individual. Second, it was relatively close. I looked into moving to Ontario, even France, but I didn't feel the difference in education was worth the cost. Third, I chose the two year program over the one year because the two year program is more comprehensive. If you have the time, I recommend the longer program because the time will allow classes to go into more depth on each topic. Two years is still very short but it's double the one year program!
The Chefs at SAIT are all extremely knowledgeable and dedicated to passing it on. The teaching staff is really the treasure of the program. All the Chefs came from the industry and thus have real world working know-how. It makes for great stories and even better lessons - tips, tricks, and things to watch out for.
Now, home-educated baking vs school-educated baking, which is better? Unless you are a hardcore home baker bordering on pro, school-educated all the way. Why? Isn't it enough to know how to bake cookies and ice a cake? Maybe, if you only want to work at a cupcake store or a coffee shop. But if you want to go further, a program like SAIT's is one of the best ways to do it. A school program gives students the chance to experience a variety of things, like sugar and chocolate, that can be difficult and expensive to do on your own. Also, internships give you the real experience of being in the industry. Is this really for you? The baking and pastry industry isn't easy. It more often than not involves standing continuously for 8 or more hours (sometimes with no breaks), lifting heavy equipment and ingredients (20kg bags of flour), working in crazy hot kitchens, and a host of other conditions.
That's not to say there aren't easier jobs in the industry and that home education is useless. On the contrary, almost all bakers start at home. I am just an advocate for formal education as it can help to cover gaps in knowledge, introduce you to a variety of niches, and open many more opportunities than may be available otherwise.
Rant over. :p
So now that I can close that chapter of my life, I am super excited for the next. I'm leaving Canada behind! Can you guess where I'm going? It's a place filled with lots of "kiwis" - all three kinds!
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| One last look at SAIT |
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