Nectarine and blueberry mille-feuille with toasted almond ice cream. None of this just happens, although many restaurants and hotels buy prepared or partially prepared desserts. Those who commit to in-house pastry preparation face major hurdles. A first-class pastry kitchen requires its own space, special equipment and refrigeration. The need for extensive preparation and the fact that dessert will be the final food served each night dictate that several people become involved.
Ingredients are expensive and spoil easily.
The greatest concern, however, is the serious shortage of pastry chefs with the training and experience to run a kitchen. One result of this situation is that in many kitchens the boss the executive chef or chef de cuisine directs the pastry department. He or she will plan the menu and teach necessary techniques to one or two cooks, who execute the recipes by rote. This limits creativity and virtually excludes spontaneity, but helps the chef keep down payroll and cope with limited space. Otherwise the customer gets mixed signals about the intentions of the restaurant.