I've had quite a few jobs during my teenage years, but my favorite has been at a local bakery. My co-workers feel like my family, and we all share the struggles of finishing a shift feeling like we've just bathed confectionary sugar, or dealing with particularly rude customers over the holidays, but we also all know how working in a real-life Candy Land environment is SO worth it when you get to go home with a four pound box of goodies for your Friday night drenches. So, here are some of the struggles you will inevitably face as a bakery employee. Wake up and smell the icing!
1. Sneaking Cannoli Cream
Its just the sugar rush I need during my 8 hour shift!
2. Forgetting to weigh an item
.... giving it away for free because I'd rather not go back to weigh it
3. Purposely “damaging” a pastry
Whoops! Looks like I’ll have to take it home!
4. The struggle of working the screeching cappuccino machine.
The Starbucks is down the street.
5. Saying hi when someone walks into the door and getting nothing in return.
I don’t really want to interact with you, but its my job.
6. Customers who complain about the price
I did not make the price, so please.. don’t yell at me for it.
7. The real Italians who pronounce everything with an accent: “ganoles.”
It's "CANNOLI."
8. Filling the piping bags.
One scoop on me, one scoop in the bag
9. Pretending to look for something in the fridge.
When a customer asks me if we have any more of something and I say we don’t, please don’t waste either of our times and just believe me.
10. Slipping on icing.
I see my life flash before my eyes just about every shift.
11. Coming home smelling like you took a trip to Candy Land.
12. Customers asking for every ingredient inside a pastry
.. really?
13. Customers asking if everything is made in the store.
The truth is, I won’t tell you the truth.
14. Last-minute orders.
50 Custom cupcakes in an hour? What do you think this is, Santa’s workshop?
15. Working on holidays.
… and listening to the same Christmas playlist on repeat
16. Becoming a cake snob.
Do you even use SWISS buttercream
17. Getting PTSD from trying to get the buttercream out of the clogged sink.
I literally can’t even.
18. Early morning shifts.
What, you don’t wake up at 4am for your minimum wage job?
19. Stacking butter cookies.
Every bakery has their own formation. Mine was 4-4-3-2.
20. The strange combinations people get on cake.
Lemon and butter cream...? Why people, why?
21. Folding boxes.
And also the satisfactory feeling of knowing there is already a folded stash waiting for you.
22. Not all cake is created equal
I know the difference between a fresh cake and a store-bought one more than anyone you know.
23. Is it “fond-ant” or “fond-ont”?
It's an ongoing debate.
(All gifs courtesy of giphy.com)
