Pâtisserie and Confectionery

Confectioners produce a wide range of intricate and predominantly sweet items from petit fours to chocolates and candies. They can be served hot or cold everywhere from hotels and restaurants, to specialist stores.

Confectioners need to be skilled in designing great products using sugar, icing, chocolate, and other sugar-based ingredients. To succeed in this field, a confectioner should have a sense of form and colour, hand-skills, accuracy, initiative, mastery of different food raw materials and techniques as well as ability to work in a hygienic, economical, sustainable and collaborative way. Many years of training go into making the best confectioners and pastry cooks, who also show flair and creativity, working with many different materials and types of equipment.

Confectioners work in small and mid-sized pastry shops, cafe/pastry shops, in the restaurant industry and in catering services. Population and income growth as well as constant demand for sweet items at an array of formal events will drive the need for professionals in this field.