Disha Ekal, a professional pastry chef at an elite Indo-French cafe in Paris, spoke to SheThePeople about why she left her well-paying job for baking, which truly is her passion. Here’s her story:
"I was 15 when I baked my first cake! It was so fulfilling, but as I got busy with life, I didn’t really find time to bake. It was only during a college fest, where I baked and decorated some cupcakes for our stall, that I rediscovered my love for it. But, I knew this industry was not as lucrative in India to step into for a full-time career & so in 2018, I ended up doing an MBA in Sports Sciences & started working at a corporate. In the meantime, I’d keep my passion alive by experimenting with exotic cakes and muffins.
One day, I’d randomly packed some pastries into my office and my colleagues just loved them! That’s when one of them said, "This is your true talent"—now, that hit me hard enough to realise that baking truly was my passion and I just can’t waste more time!"
In 2019, I left my job to focus on getting some industry experience and knowing where I stood in the professional market. So, I started working at a pastry cafe and to my surprise, it just paid me Rs.5000, which was 10x less than my previous job, but I was 10x happier. My father understood my passion but he’d still say, "MBA karke bhi 5000 wali job kyu kar rahi ho? (Why are you doing a job worth Rs.5000 even after doing MBA? )" and he wasn’t wrong.
I had to hone my skills to get recognised and so I pinned the destination on a map: Paris, home to some of the finest elite patisseries! My parents were initially reluctant to send me off, but just like any other parents, they said, "If this doesn’t work out, corporate job toh mil hi jayega.(If it doesn't work, then you will get a corporate job) "
I did my research, applied for the course, and flew to Paris in December 2019-just when the lockdown was about to begin. Somehow I managed to complete my diploma in French Pastry, and when finding a job during the pandemic was tough, I was able to secure one because the bakery was considered an essential industry here. At that moment, that paycheck of Rs.5000 flashed as a memory when I thought, "I’m just in the right place!"
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Today, I work as a professional pastry chef at an elite Indo-French cafe while living my dream life-but none of this would’ve been possible if I hadn’t taken that leap of faith to pursue my dreams! "
Watch the video here.
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