Who doesn’t love a sweet treat or two from time to time? This week Thursday Food is filling you in on how to become the next great pastry chef.

As we shared with you a few weeks ago, one of the best ways to introduce yourself to the culinary field is to enrol in the HEART Trust National Training Agency, applying for the Food Preparation Course at the Runaway Bay Hotel Training Institute.

It’s a simple process:

Applicant must be at least 17 years of age.

Pick up an application form at any HEART Trust office or institution. Applicants can also apply online at www.lms.heart-nta.org.

Fill out and submit the forms, carrying with you originals and copies of your academic qualifications (you need at least one CXC pass to apply), and a passport photograph. You’ll be contacted thereafter to come in for an interview, and then begin your training.

It should be noted that applicants without qualifications will be required to sit an entrance test, while others may be exempted upon proof of qualification.

If you decide to take this route, you may do the accelerated programme of fifteen months, consisting of Levels 1 and 2 of the food preparation course. This will then lead you to Level 3 – the Chef de Pâtisserie – which runs for an additional nine months. This programme will refine a student’s skills in pastry making, teaching them how to prepare basic hot, cold and frozen desserts, as well as hot and cold pastries.

Of course, there are shorter courses one can do to learn basic baking skills.

Using the same application process, one can apply for the three-month course at the Brown’s Town Vocational Training Centre, where they will learn the art of cake baking and decorating.

For both these courses, it’s a good idea to apply for, or be in possession of a valid Food Handler’s permit before your acceptance, since you will not be able to continue your studies without one.

The most important ingredient, of course, is a passion for baking.