Hi everyone!
No recipe today since I'm still recovering a bit but an interview with a blogger whose blog I love: I love cakes. Valérie's blog is a clever mix of North American inspiration and classic French pastry which is very similar to me, which is why I find myself in her recipes.
Plus, she chose to change careers after obtaining her CAP and I thought her testimony would be very interesting for those who want to take the leap.
So here's Valérie!
- Hi Valérie, can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your blog?
Hello Camille, first thank you for giving me a platform on your blog which I really love. So my blog I Love Cakes, I created its first version in 2008 following a trip to Ireland. It was the first time I traveled, I loved it and when I got back I wanted to dive deep into my passion for pastry. My blog is my way of showing what I love, what I try, it's really a reflection of who I am. I think my strong personality really shows in my writing 😉
Camille's note: Yes, yes, we thought we detected that in the little nickname given by your boss "fucking complaining bitch" 😛
- What do you think differentiates it from other food blogs?
The difference between me and other blogs... Complicated question but I think I put a lot of heart into what I do, into the photos (Oh my when I see the ones from the beginning...) and I have no advertising. I wanted a beautiful blog with a North American influence and that's my specialty: a mix between two worlds to keep only the best of both.
Editor's note: I am SO jealous of your photos, I hope to reach that level of composition one day! 😉
- What is your favorite recipe? The one your readers prefer?
Well, that's easy, my favorite recipe is the Key lime cheesecake, it reminds me of my trip in 2013 and my birthday in Key West. The favorite of my readers, by far, is the Starbucks-style blueberry muffins. It's an excellent copy and I love them too!
Editor's note: Given my passion for lemon, I'll have to test the Key lime cheesecake then!!!
- You passed your CAP as an independent candidate, can you tell us about your experience?
Well actually, I wasn't an independent candidate but an intern with an internship agreement. That means I wasn't an apprentice because I did this training through the Employment Office. They paid me (so I didn't cost the company anything) but on the other hand I had to pay for my training myself and two years of CAP and qualification, let's say that's not within everyone's reach.
I did my CAP at a fine pastry shop in Grenoble, specialized in macarons. I learned a lot, it was my first professional experience in pastry and I will always be grateful to them. For the qualification I chose a bakery-pastry shop, it's important to change and see different things.
- What advice would you give to those who want to get started?
We've said it a lot but cooking and pastry have become trendy professions. Many people pass CAPs but the reality is that these are very demanding professions. Don't hesitate to do internships beforehand to discover daily work and when you get started, you have to work hard and be aware that it's a beautiful profession but one that will demand a lot. My advice is to do alternating training and choose a good company, because that's what allows you to be in the thick of it right away and to face the reality of this beautiful profession.
Editor's note: I completely agree, I passed my CAP "for fun" and while I love baking, I don't see myself doing it as a profession. You have to wake up very early and it's very physically demanding, I didn't realize before...
- Following your CAP, you made a career change, can you tell us about this period and what you got out of it? Any regrets, things to avoid? Advice?
Yes basically I wasn't destined for pastry, it took me 28 years to find the job that suited me and now I know that pastry is my world, it's good! It wasn't without difficulties, especially with my character, receiving directives that I didn't always find logical, it's not easy.
During training you have to tell yourself that you're learning the basics and that you'll do what you really like after. I came out of it much more confident, more resourceful, proud of my profession, truly a revelation but honestly it was my first professional experience that was the most decisive. I became a pastry section chef in a fine dining restaurant and I can tell you that it's an incredible job!!!
Pastry is a profession where you can do many different things (shop, restaurant, cake design, starting your own business...), the important thing is to find in which of these "sub-worlds" you feel good. I'm the type to try everything to see for myself but it's up to each person to do what works for them.
My regrets, honestly I don't have any. It may seem cliché but whether it's having changed companies during my qualification or having accepted a first job for which I wasn't sure I was up to the task, I regret nothing, it was extremely educational and I'm proud of my roller coaster career path!
Well, after leaving my position as section chef, I needed some lightness so I went to Canada. I'm living in Montreal for a few months and then I'm coming back to France to do a winter season in a resort with my boyfriend and friends. Next is a long trip to Thailand and after that either I find a position in a pastry shop or I try to take over a business. I have to admit that I recently realized that I would have to move in France to find a more dynamic city than Grenoble to open my bakery-pastry-café, but I don't know where yet. Toulouse? Bordeaux? Or maybe I'd like to come back and settle in Canada... More to follow by end of 2017 😉
Editor's note: Good luck with all your projects and long life to your blog!
