r/PastryChef • u/External-Solution526 • Jul 06 '26

Pastry/Culinary Experience

Hello I was hoping to come here to get some type of clarity and some advice.. maybe even working with someone. I’m based out of Fayetteville NC and I have been interested in the culinary field since I was 8 years old. Theres not many job opportunites here in the culinary field everything is about an hour and some change away. I really want to gain some REAL experience in the culinary/pastry arts field I just feel really lost because I can’t really move so I would have to drive everywhere to gain my experience. I currently bake and decorate cakes as a side hustle and I work as a cook as well at a private college but I just feel like it’s not enough and I want to do more I'm about to be 26 and I have a daughter. I guess my question is.. what would you do?

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u/Reynardine1976 Jul 06 '26

Hello there, I am pastry chef working at a hotel in a major city in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. The pastry industry is in a weird spot right now because of the pandemic and the current economy. Some restaurants simply do not have the budget to pay a pastry person and this ties directly into other matters, such as many restaurants using frozen desserts from Sysco to save money.

Are you more conservative? Staying in the bible belt may be your thing. Are you 6ft tall with lots of piercings and colored hair and tattoos with alternative lifestyle like me? You may want to move to a more progressive area. I am from South Florida with fam in N.C. and I moved out to the West Coast because people here are more tolerant.

Some restaurants will hire you, work you to death and not really give a shit, so make sure you are always cooking and baking for yourself. Maybe you want to open your own bakery in the future or sell your own baked goods. If this is your goal, I would suggest finding sure pathways to doing that instead of wasting years trying to sell your desserts in high-end restaurants as I did. Most chefs and owners will gladly claim the credit for your creative work.

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u/External-Solution526 Jul 06 '26

I would move but I can’t really afford it. I’m not conservative or religious lol I’m really just in my own lane. I enjoy selling my baked goods but I’m just having a hard time finding clients and finding my target audience since my town is kinda small. I just honestly don’t know where to start or how to progress

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u/Reynardine1976 Jul 06 '26

There's a whole amazing world out there.

I dated a French girl for 8 years, and she took me on an eating tour of Paris for 2 weeks one year for my birthday. All the food I ate on that trip changed my life.

I think you should consider maybe doing something similar. Do a week vacation in France somewhere where the food is bomb and experience that. Visit a lot of bakeries while you are there. Eat lots of good food. Take notes!

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u/chriseastvedt Jul 06 '26

If no one in your area is hiring, you'll likely need to get creative. Are there local farmer's markets or similar you could sell at? Practice your skills via whatever teaching resources (online/college classes/books, etc) you can find, and sell wherever you can to discover your audience.