country clubs and casinos.
Unlike a traditional bakery,
Sucré serves plated desserts
with custom garnishes, in
addition to boxed treats. “I love
being able to have fun with
what I do,” says Hanna. “The
most rewarding thing is to see
the customers’ faces when
they walk in the shop for the
first time or the 101st time. It’s
always the same expression.”
Many pastry techniques
require adjustment,
refinement & repetition.
Keep practicing, and you will
see your skills improve along
with your production speed.
—Jennifer Kopp, CEPC
“
Traditional path
While nontraditional baking/
pastry opportunities abound,
traveling the traditional
pastry chef career path can
be educational and gratifying.
Alyssa Gorelick, pastry chef/sous
chef at Mez, Charlotte, N.C.,
initially studied savory cuisine,
but was drawn to pastry. At Mez,
Gorelick bakes breads and pizza
dough and prepares the dessert
menu and any custom dessert
menus for catered events and
private parties. “I am always
trying new things to complement
the restaurant’s menu. Pastry
allows you to be wild and
spontaneous with flavors. I love
that,” she says.
The decision to become a pastry
chef for Jennifer Kopp, CEPC,
pastry chef at Chevy Chase
Club, Chevy Chase, Md., was
more of an evolution than a
choice. “Sometime during my
childhood cooking classes, I
realized that I preferred baking
cookies and icing cakes to
chopping onions and breaking
down chickens,” she says.
”
Kopp is responsible for the
organization and production of
desserts for the club’s five food
