Hey my name is Gaby. I am a professional pastry chef that has been lucky enough to have worked at some of the best pastry kitchens across London. My experience ranges from Michelin starred restaurants, bakeries such as Dominique Ansel to five star hotel pastry kitchens. I ran a patisserie business from my tiny East London flat, hence I truly understand what it means to work in an expensively fitted professional kitchen as well as trying to make something special with limited resources all on your own. I have done both.
I am currently working as a pastry chef and running Gaby Bakes - helping others to learn and reach their pastry goals. I truly love what I do but it did not come easily.
It actually was an eight year journey to get to where I wanted to be. I studied journalism at uni and realised that I absolutely hated it. Lost and with limited income I had to choose working in hospitality while applying for random media jobs I was not even sure I wanted to do. Through hospitality I started working in coffee. Although I enjoyed it, I deep down knew this was not it. I was working in that industry for several years until I realised it was not for me either. I felt truly unhappy and unfulfilled and did not know what to do anymore. I just knew I needed a change. Although, coffee industry has introduced me to great food and I thought I need to give it a go. So I quit my coffee job and joined one of the best cookery schools in London (which I absolutely could not afford) out of my two credit cards and just went for it.
One thing led to another and first thing I know I landed a pastry job at a restaurant with one Michelin star. I could not believe it! It was one of the hardest experiences I have ever had but one of the best ones at the same time because there I knew it - first time in my life I am genuinely in love with what I do and that was pastry and I knew this was the right path for me. From there I got to work at some of the most amazing pastry kitchens across the capital. Working in kitchens was not easy to be absolutely real. Long unsociable hours, poor treatment of staff, small pay for the hours you do, poor work culture. I also joined kitchens quite late - at the age of 28 so I felt like I must pick up everything fast so I worked twice as hard as everybody else. On may days off after long kitchen shifts I would go and practice to make desserts at home. I would repeat the recipes until they came out perfect. I kept buying pastry books and soaking all the information I could possibly find. I grabbed all the opportunities with open hands because I knew that was what I needed to do to succeed.
I learned a lot and met some amazing chefs and just knew I needed to keep learning and keep getting better. I knew I wanted to stay in this industry but the conditions that I was working in were just not right for me.
I knew that working crazy hours in kitchens is not healthy but I also had always had passion for pastry and knew I had to find a way that is also sustainable and healthy. It was super scary but once again I quit my job in those intense kitchen environments last year and followed my heart. I knew I wanted to create using an art form that I absolutely love - that is patisserie. I wanted to share it with others and I knew that I will find a way how to do that. I found an incredible pastry kitchen - Happy Endings. (There are kitchens with great work-life balance out there, trust me!) I also started trying out ways to get into teaching pastry. This is how this subscription was born.
Moral of the story - if you love something do not stop until you will find a way! Just keep trying and never settle for less than you are worth.
I would love to invite you to this pastry journey. with me. Let's learn and grow together. Just let me show you how!
Best wishes,
Gaby xx
