I was able to produce a wide variety of items and learned techniques for each of them. While working on the banquets team we made large volume orders so I was able to learn how to work with big batches of time/temp sensitive desserts. On the restaurants team we focused on presentation, which allowed me to practice plating desserts and work on my attention to detail. I loved being able to work on different teams because I got an idea of all the types of production that went on in the hotels pastry shop.
What I wish was different
While I was trained on a handful of basics when I first arrived, I feel like I was thrown into working alone a little more quickly than I would've liked. I was expected to produce items on my own rather early on and ended up training someone on a station that I wasn't completely confident on.
Advice
Always ask questions, even if you have just the slightest doubt, because someone will always be willing to show you. Also, always take the opportunity to watch the chefs and sous chefs when they are working on something. A lot of the skills I learned and used were just from me watching the chefs working on their own projects in the kitchen.
