Journey of a Pastry Academy: Road to,,,,,,,Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia- par...

Journey of a Pastry Academy: Road to,,,,,,,Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia- par...: "Can You believe this Kind of Work Being Tough In any Academy In Asia?Atleast I never seen all these stuff in my Colleges. Asia Is different ..."

Journey of a Pastry Academy: Road to,,,,,,Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia- part...

Journey of a Pastry Academy: Road to,,,,,,Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia- part...: "Finally , I come up this Poster . I was liking it so much that I want this poster to show what we are all about. Now This Poster is actually..."

Road to,,,,,,Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia- part 5

Finally , I come up this Poster . I was liking it so much that I want this poster to show what we are all about.
Now This Poster is actually acting as our main advertising signage. All the Official informations , press release and advertisement stuff were coming on this poster.
Thanks to chef Michel willaume ,Matthias scheubel, Peter Lourence and chef Aubione.
We were very much behind the schedule and so was Our First Media shoot. This was the first time I saw the way contractor and labour behave. Though I dont totally Blame them I know that these contractor alwasy 1-2 project going on. Any problem , they Quickly move their Labour to another site.
I was going Nuts as the Free rental time was already finished and I was actually paying the Rental.

Fortunately we didnt waste time from Our side. the chefs Team keep on doing the Purchase so that one go we can Move in the Academy.
Finally we move on to the Academy on 1 st August , 2010.
Good 15  days late then discussed..

Road to ,,,,,,,,,,,Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia

This was a good feeling. Designing your Own kitchen. Its a graphical photograp but I was sure that once finall done its will be same or better then this.

well , Bakery has really come out good now. Nowdays all the multinational companies dealing with Oven, mixers and dough sheeters have a production unit in Asia. Speacially china and India.
Not That the quality is bad but the cost of raw material and Labour actually make the entire cost less then Half. I was still looking for a reliable Local Company and got My stuffs through Sinmag.It was what I was looking for the Price I pay.

I was very clear about the Main Pastry Kitchen. it has to be a marble table top with kitchen aid mixer and a hot plate on every table. I wanted every table to be equipped with its own trays,silpats,silicon moulds and paper rolls.
Vision was very clear and I saw the same in French pastry school during my US trip couple of years back.
William was taking time to get the things done on time. I was left with no other choice but to take some of his responsibility on me.It was getting tough as every evening I use to take Guillaume and Tan with to Ikea and start purchasing the furniture for Lounge.
I was doing everything except making pastry. Things were going a little difficult as now we were having an extra job of Purchasing also.Guillaume shows a great deal of responsibilty. His Appartment was a big store house as all the purchase of small equipment was getting store at his place.

what you see is not what have finally come..Its more darker colour with Black leather sofa and black table and wooden shelf.It was not a bad deal and I definitely Would suggest Entrepreneurs to understand the Market and do some surveys yourself before saying yes to a quote.
we got our stuff less then half the price.
I am sure you will be surprise on your visit to Academy as its a different colour.
we got the Secretary table back in the office.I dont know how to explain the difference but for sure ,its better now.
A very strange thing happen during this time. One of a very reputed college from Singapore call us asking for a kind of working together. Its was a difficult situation as we were not even Opened. May be they saw the website and got a different Idea. Anyway , it gives us a reason to smile.
For sure We were on a right track...........................

Road to,,,,,,Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia- part 4

Website designing

Papia
I knew papia through Expat KL. You know looking for someone from your own country in a different land.we try to catch up sometime but never happen.
while my search for web designer got me back to her as I knew that she do some stuff like this.
couple of meeting and she was in designing the website for me.
It was difficult  as she had a great schedule , cant meet personally, out of malaysia on weekends  so we did all the stuff on mail. A person like me who is so hands on being a chef this was unacceptable but after couple of mess up we were moving in the direction. It was coming great. I must say.
Finally we come up with a great website with lots of room for changes which I decide to change in second stage.

Guillaume Joins us.

I like him from the first day. Very Unsual for a french to be so accomodative.he was. He start shifting to his appartment with his girlfriend.He was happy setting his things , new country. Poor guy ,with out realising what in store for him ....hahahhha. Now days he start his day at 7 am and finish 10 pm....hahahhha

Renovation
Biggest Nightmare
People start their Renovation with a work and we were starting with a back log. removing venyl  from the Previous tenant.Can you believe it? we got one month rental free from the owner and we use first 10 days only removing Venyl from the Last Tanent.
I was working for the first time with a contractor. Everything was new. Lots of importance from so many People. No complain .I was enjoying it.
But still pennyless......My salary was the Only source of funds.

Up till now, Things were getting too fast. the Business plan wan in my laptop for 8 month and now we were ready to open in a month.

Finances

Driving me crazy. Me and my friends who were my partners were trying to get money in every possible way. we were loosing money with every transaction.

Cool Breeze
Finally we got it fixed and Money start coming in.

offfffff,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Road to,,,,,Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia- part 3

Every Business Book says that arrange the finances first....I was doing just opposite.
I did all my Planning from scratch to end without any money in hand.

Getting a location was not easy looking at what I was looking for. I was looking for a huge place where I can have different specialised pastry kitchens. chocolate room , sugar room , bakery , wedding cake room and main pastry kitchen. Till now I have already drafted my Kitchen so every time I was looking for a location I was trying to fit my kitchen Plans to them.
Hunt for a good pastry chef was going on. Applications were coming from all over the world.I was looking for a european pastry chef who can run the Academy for me.Its Not easy to put your money on someone you never met. My pastry chef friends all over the world were sending me resume.
At this moment of time I forgot to mention one  name...CHEF KEITH HURDMAN...first chef who came forward to help me and start talking to me.
we strated sharing resume and also working on our strategies.
WISMA THRIFTY
I saw this place by accident and love it at the first sight. After couple of weeks I got my agent to show me the same place. A huge 2nd floor , Pillarless and great visuals.This was the best place I could have got. I knew that.
GUILLAUME LEJEUNE
Director of Pastry Arts
I saw his resume and his work. He had some excellent training in France under some great chefs , trainined in best hotels and restaurants.Guillaume was having his own pastry shop in paris before moving to Oman to open a pastry shop.Finally he was working with a culinary school in Oman.
we exchanged couple of mails and Finally he was on board.
WILLIAM
My designer and contractor
A nice sober guy , funny a bit was not the first choice but came with recommendation from my friend Ranjit.
I like his simplicity thought it always give me back feel that can he carry this work with the Imagination and panache I am looking for?

JAMES FROM SINMAG

Rough guy with good hands on knowledge was the right choice from starting .I knew that.Very supportive and accomodative.
Infact he was the person who helped me get my Kitchen equipments , tables and steelwork contractor Leong.

LEONG
Look a bit rough to me, maybe because of his nature of work
But the team was getting ready and meeting were on the tables by now.

Contract were signed with all, designs were getting discussed , Quotations were flowing in without any Idea that I am pennyless......hahahhahha

Road to,,,,,,Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia- part 2

Dreaming is a very good thing.

One should always dream. Its your dream which become reality.If you dont dream you never achieve that. so dream it , visualise it . put your ideas into it and then again dream.

Things were very much in control in and another way...out of my hands.

Lots of Task to follow. Money , How much Money? Location , what is the best Location? Till now everybody I contacted with my Business plan and vision  liked it but no one was ready to put the Money.
I still didnt loose the grip and plan to Go ahead . It was too funny. Keep on doing something which you are not sure of.
I was the one man Team doing business plan , finances , company formation formalities,courses schedule , Licenses , equipments, contractor and before that the best location hunt.
It was tiring and I certainly use to miss my good old time swimming , gym ,watching Movies and Hanging out with Kids. Off use to be more busier mostly without lunches.Salary use to get spend on something I was'nt even sure of.I was not Complaining as it was a great learning . Business term were on my tips thought limited . I was weak in finances so I use my own trail and tested ways to keep a tap on financial figures.
From a Pastry chef I was turning into an entrepreneur...and Undercover Entrepreneur..hahhaha.

 I remember Talking to my friend in april.....  , my current Business Partner and Financier. Things were going not so bright when he finally give me a green signal to go ahead with the plan.This was the "Moment of Truth". I was knowing that once we move forward now , then no going back.
I was scared......
and I was very much scared.
to go ahead OR to have one more final thought.
I was putting all my money which was for my House plus money of my friend....big responsibilty.
I was having every damn reason to be scared.

Road to,,,,,,Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia

I have never written before.....

So , if you are looking for a professional write up then this may not be a very suitable one. but if you are looking for something which directly comes from heart and brain then this can become one of the most interesting journal for anyone.Journal which can tell you that nothing is impossible. If you have a non dying spirit in you to read , study , look around you and visualise your dreams , you can do it.

All my Life I was reading Biography of people who change their life and others. Never I realise that every person is capable of it. Me , a highly spirited pastry chef who took every chance in my life to prove that I exist , that I am in this world with a reason , that I am one of the best available talent never ran out of Ideas.

I was the last person to ever think of doing something of my own though owning a pastry school was always in back of my mind.
One fine day while talking to my child hood friend , we just decide to do something of our own. It took us 15 min but never I realise that those 15 min of talk will be giving Birth to something so Niche , so Huge and something entire south Asia region is looking for.

ACADEMY OF PASTRY ARTS MALAYSIA

One of the Best Pastry Academy in entire south east Asia region .you can see new kids getting training there , pastry chefs practising and trying new recipes , professional chefs practising for competitions. what better then looking at world Champions , MOF and Olympic gold medallist chefs come on the same platform and share their knowledge.

First we though of opening a chocolate lounge but very soon we realise that it will be a risky decision as it will take huge investment, lots of competitions where business open and close everyday.And then comes the golden Idea of Pastry academy.In a Country where I don't Belong to , my iinvestors and friends never visited?Is it a good Idea? After spending 3 years in Malaysia, I was very confident of Malaysian economy and stability.
First difficulty was ..how to start? and where to start from?
3 month Of working on the business plan , 3 month on SME tool Kit.I am sure many of us never uunderstand or heard of a SME tool Kit. To me its one of the best self education source for anyone who don't want to attend a business school but Interested in knowing as how to open a business. Learning is same , you learn through book in college or you learn through website where in professional share their experiences.there is so much you can learn around you ,you just need to find the source.

Finally after 7 month of computer work , reading Journals , travelling all over Asia visiting pastry schools , colleges and Academies....I was Ready.