Should I stop me study in patisseries at a vocational school?

[yuluyouyue]

1 hour ago, trents said:

Has anyone in this thread said or implied that the OP would be "sitting around eating baked goods all day"? And I don't see that anyone has "dissed her dream." People are just trying to offer helpful advice and alternatives, though some may have expressed themselves a little dogmatically.

I quote Sahamies:

Yes your symptoms will get worse.  Gluten intolerance always gets worse, not better.  A lot of people don’t like the gluten free baking. That you can’t eat buckwheat, which isn’t even a grain, is a sign your gluten intolerance is bad.  If you bake a lot, you probably put on weight too.  Sorry to crush your dreams.

 

Please don't make it all gloom and doom on this forum. I know some wear celiac dx as some heroic badge but lets encourage people to live as normally as they can with it. It's possible you know. 

[cristiana]

4 hours ago, AlwaysLearning said:

Just because a person becomes a pastry chef doesn't mean they are going to be sitting around eating baked goods all day. 

I agree.  I no longer work in catering (I gave up years before I was diagnosed with coeliac disease, it's not related) but when I did I was about twenty kilos lighter.  It was in a really busy hotel and there was no time to sit around and eat baked goods (more's the pity!). 

The two female pastry chefs employed at my first hotel job were both skinny-minnies,  brilliant at their work, and real artists. One of my absolute cake baking heroines is another slim lady who is very popular here in the UK - Mary Berry - so putting on weight is obviously not inevitable.  I think the reason I've put on weight over the years is to do with mindless grazing, which can be avoided.  I hope to turn over a new leaf in 2022.☹️🍰

Anyway, I just wanted to say I think this has been a very interesting and useful thread with lots of different points of view expressed. 

Forewarned is forearmed, as they say, and I think it is absolutely right to look at the pros as well as the cons before embarking on any career.   But I think if gluten exposure can be limited in the educational setting it would be a great way to learn the wider skills required for this line of work, which that can then be adapted later on in, hopefully, a gluten-free working environment.   If things did become difficult at college, I guess another option would be to seek an apprenticeship in a gluten-free kitchen, or in a hotel that has an allergy-free food preparation area.

Cristiana

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by cristiana

[Sahamies]

I think for most people baked goods will make them fat.  It is just sugar and starch.  Men don’t get fat as easily.  When I was thirteen, I had to give up toast with marmalade for breakfast because I was putting on weight.  I would not eat any bread all summer and lose weight and keep it off.  When I went back to school, I would have a sandwich for lunch and put weight back on.  Just a little bit would make a difference.  They do have vitamins, but nothing that you can’t live without.  My friend got fat working as a cook, so you can get fat from other things too.

Our cows could not deliver their babies because they would get so fat from all the grains.  My father could only give them hay.  Of course they would eat grass all year too.  Sheep and goats can die from eating corn.  It gets stuck in their intestines.

 

[Scott Adams]

13 hours ago, AlwaysLearning said:

Just because a person becomes a pastry chef doesn't mean they are going to be sitting around eating baked goods all day. And shame on anyone here for dissing her dream! 

You are mistaking anyone here "dissing her dream," as pursuing it in a gluten-filled environment could be harmful to her health, and may not give her the skills she will need to make gluten-free versions of wheat pastries. The original poster has come here for advice, and it is therefor fair for others here to offer it, without being shamed for doing so.

[Scott Adams]

3 hours ago, Sahamies said:

I think for most people baked goods will make them fat.  It is just sugar and starch.  Men don’t get fat as easily.  When I was thirteen, I had to give up toast with marmalade for breakfast because I was putting on weight.  I would not eat any bread all summer and lose weight and keep it off.  When I went back to school, I would have a sandwich for lunch and put weight back on.  Just a little bit would make a difference.  They do have vitamins, but nothing that you can’t live without.  My friend got fat working as a cook, so you can get fat from other things too.

Our cows could not deliver their babies because they would get so fat from all the grains.  My father could only give them hay.  Of course they would eat grass all year too.  Sheep and goats can die from eating corn.  It gets stuck in their intestines.

 

So I'm not sure how relevant this is to the original poster's request for advice. There are literally hundreds of millions of people who happily eat pastries each day and are not fat. Of course, many people may put on weight eating them or other things, but this really has nothing to do with the topic.

[Sahamies]

It is a big deal getting fat.  People commented on my post that bakers won’t get fat.  You think I should just ignore this.  I said most of them do.  Some more than others.  It has everything to do with opening a pastry shop.  I know I wouldn’t want to open a pastry shop if it would make me fat.  Once you put on weight, it is hard to lose it.

[Scott Adams]

@LiJ if would be great if you could meet with your instructors and arrange for you to try to make gluten-free versions of all pastries. I'm not sure they'd allow it, but if so, would definitely make the time and effort you spend there more valuable for your future career.

[LiJ]

On 1/5/2022 at 3:21 AM, Scott Adams said:

I would like to add that I don't think that a traditional "Confectionary Art" education based on learning how to make bakery products using wheat flour will help you very much when it comes to gluten-free versions. Of course there are some things you can learn that may transfer over and be helpful, but in reality you need to be focused heavily on gluten-free versions. I'm not one to discourage anyone from getting an education/degree/certificate that shows you have a certain level of knowledge, but to me the most valuable part of your current program, at least to you, would be the "Management" side of things. Knowing this could be very helpful, so hopefully they do a good job teaching this aspect.

Hi Adam, 

Thank you for your advice!!! After days of thinking and discussing with my family, I have decided to change my study into International Business and Marketing. Thinking that changing the study, I can still pursue my dream, and I should mainly focus on gluten-free versions of baked goods like you’ve suggested. I’m happy with my decision😊

[trents]

5 minutes ago, LiJ said:

Hi Adam, 

Thank you for your advice!!! After days of thinking and discussing with my family, I have decided to change my study into International Business and Marketing. Thinking that changing the study, I can still pursue my dream, and I should mainly focus on gluten-free versions of baked goods like you’ve suggested. I’m happy with my decision😊

This makes sense to me. I wish you well and much success and fulfillment.

[Llana]

On 1/2/2022 at 5:49 AM, LiJ said:

I’m 21 yr old and currently in the 1st year of studying Confectionary Art and Management (2 years) course. Unfortunately, just few months before enrolling into this school, I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance and sometimes even experienced some severe symptoms whenever I tested the patisseries and breads during theory class. Even my plan for the future is to work in a bakery because I can gain experiences in a way that would help me to open a bakery in the future. So, do you think I should stop continuing my study (and enroll into Uni) or do you think I should continue because it is necessary to have a basic knowledge of baking in order to open a bakery shop?  :))

I know it can be hard studying something you can't necessarily participate or experience to the fullest. I think it would be a fantastic idea to encourage your teachers/school to have a gluten-free stream. It pushes the school to expand their teachings, you get to stay in your chosen line of studies, AND owning a gluten-free bakery would put you at a much higher demand compared to others in the neighborhood/market.❤️

[Aaron2018]

I agree with everyone that says open a gluten free bakery and I agree with Scott Adams you don’t need to learn how gluten foods are made if you will be baking gluten free, gluten free stuff is made different as Scott said, so do  what you feel is best, but in my opinion changing to  business is a good idea like others have said.

[trents]

@Llana and @Aaron2018,

You are replying to a thread that has been inactive for almost two years.

[Aaron2018]

I had no idea sorry 

[trents]

Nothing wrong with it but don't expect to get a response from the OP who seems to have moved on. In the future, look for the date of the original post and the ones at the end to get an idea if the thread is active. The date is at the top of each post.

[cristiana]

Don't worry, @Aaron2018, it isn't always easy to see esp. as it had just been reopened. 🙂

An old thread but I thought seeing as it's live again I'd add another thought.  In the UK a lot of students are choosing to take up apprenticeship schemes over college and uni.  An apprenticeship scheme in a gluten free catering establishment could be a great way to learn the trade,  although  I'm not sure if any are being offered as yet.  If they are, they must be few and far between as there are very few such premises in the UK, although I'm glad to say I'm going to be visiting one in Reading this week!  I can't wait - a gluten free cake shop/cafe!  I can eat everything in the shop!  The only drawback being it is nearly two hours away by train.... 

Edited November 20, 2023 by cristiana