Pastry chefs find a new home – at home

Even before Covid-19 hit, US restaurants were undergoing change. One of the most notable shifts was in the dessert menu, or perhaps more accurately, the lack of such in many locations. Pastry chef jobs were on the decline, and the number of retail bakeries was likewise dwindling. Then the pandemic significantly disrupted restaurants even further. Despite these setbacks, a growing number of pastry chefs are finding new ways to reach diners, thanks in part to the cottage food laws passed in many states.

Cottage food laws, which vary from state to state, have sprung up across the country over the past decade or so. Generally, they allow sales of baked goods, preserves, and other food items on a small scale without the need for a brick-and-mortar store and all of the expense that entails. Social media sites like Instagram are tailor-made for this business model, enabling people to more easily reach their target audience, announce pop-up locations, and communicate availability of products.

While cottage food laws allow people to sell direct to the public from their home kitchens, most states have food safety training requirements built into their statutes, offering a level of reassurance to consumers that the food from a licensed vendor is prepared in accordance with food safety standards.

The flexibility of this type of arrangement allows a better work/life balance, according to many pastry chefs who have made the switch. “There are so many things you can be, there are so many ways you can be, you don’t have to work in a restaurant or bakery. You can do you,” says Rachel Caygill, a former pastry chef who now runs a home-based business.