Bakery and catering, Photography
La Petite Patisserie
Hallo
Ek is ’n gekwalifiseerde voedseldienstebestuurder en voedingskundige wat glo in deeglike opleiding in en beter begrip van voedsel vir elke mens. Ons het Suid-Afrika in 2018 vir Nederland verruil en ek moes my geliefde skool, die La Petite Patisserie-akademie, ná agt besige jare sluit.
Ek het besef dat opleiding oor voedsel baie gewilder is in Europa, want die publiek is altyd op soek na hoëgehalte-, voedsame en heerlike disse.
Ek het oor ’n paar jaar heen opleidingsmateriaal geskryf wat maklik verstaanbaar is. Ek sal resepte deel, asook studieklasse en idees vir gebak op my webtuiste plaas. Voedselbeginsels soos toegepaste voedselwetenskap vorm ’n groot deel van my kursus.
Ek het kursusse ontwikkel in broodbak, Franse fyngebak, meringues, koekversiering en koekbak. Dié kursusse is in net minder as agt jaar aan meer as 1 000 studente aangebied. Die meeste van hulle besit nou hul eie tuisbakkerye of werk in of dra by tot die bakkersbedryf. Kursusse was geakkrediteer by die FoodBev-seta en ons het opleidingslidmaatskap by die Suid-Afrikaanse Sjefvereniging gehad.
Ek en my hoofbakker, Lennie, en dosente Charleen, Michelle, Liezl, Kayla en Dessy het gehelp om ’n pragtige sakeonderneming op te bou, en ek is diep dankbaar vir elkeen se bydrae.
Wil jy graag ’n werkswinkel bywoon? Ek bied steeds opleiding vanaf my huis aan, of op jou perseel, en boonop in Engels, Afrikaans of Nederlands. Daar is ook ’n aanlyn videokursus te koop oor elke onderwerp.
Voedselfotografie en -stilering van gebakte items is altyd deel van my diens; wees dus verseker dat jy ná die tyd pragtige foto’s van jou werk sal hê!
Ek het nooit ’n belegger gehad nie en het nooit ’n lening aangegaan nie, maar eerder met die paar rand in my sak begin. Só het alles begin …
Ek het in Pretoria grootgeword. Toe ek in 2000 afstudeer, het dit nogal deursettingsvermoë geneem om die voedselbedryf voltyds te betree. Wat ek graag vir ’n lewe wou doen, sou baie meer ondervinding vereis, wat ek besef het slegs met ouderdom kom. Waarin ek egter regtig belang gestel het, was die bestudering van voedselwetenskap, voedingswaarde en mikrobiologie. Daar is iets wat my selfs meer interesseer: Waarom maak mense verskillende voedselkeuses en het hulle verskillende idees oor eet? Ek het daarvan gehou om met my kollegas – en later met my studente – te gesels oor hul herinneringe van kos uit hul kinderjare.
In 2010 het ek en my man besluit om na Kaapstad te verhuis. Ek het in daardie stadium by geen maatskappy aansoek gedoen nie, want ek het gevoel dat dit die ideale tyd was om my eie onderneming te begin en aanvanklik eers troukoeke te verkoop. La Petite Patisserie is in daardie selfde jaar nog in die lewe geroep. Ek het slegs R400 gehad om mee te begin, so ek het op gratis webtuistes geadverteer, Facebook as bemarkingsplatform gebruik en die meeste van my toerusting by tweedehandsewarewinkels gekoop.
Hoewel ek in die troukoekbedryf was, het ek eintlik meer van die fyngebak van die bedryf gehou. Dit is kreatief, innoverend en ek kan met mense omgaan, wat ek baie geniet. Ek is in 2012 deur Discovery-kanaal se TLC gekies om as deelnemer aan die reeks Who is the Cake Boss? deel te neem. Dit is in Kaapstad aangebied (en, bygesê, ek was 28 weke swanger!). Ek is ook genader om opleiding te gee en ’n paar demonstrasies vir DStv te behartig.
Dit was in hierdie tyd dat ek ontdek het dat ek ’n groter ruimte moet hê sodat ek aan ander die kuns van gebak en versiering kon leer. Ons het aanvanklik plek in ons klein huisie daarvoor ingeruim. Maar met die baba wat grootword en die afleweringswa wat op ’n dag nie in ons oprit kon inpas nie, het ek besef: Ek moet ’n kombuis loop huur.
My passies kan opgesom word om mense te leer, fotografie en pragtige kos.
LEER | SKEP | GENIET!
Nicolette van Niekerk
Hello
I am a qualified foodservice manager and nutritionist who believes in thorough training in and understanding of food for everyone. We moved from South Africa to the Netherlands in 2018 and I closed my beloved baking school, La Petite Patisserie Academy, that had been operating for eight years.
I found that education around food is more sought after in Europe, and the public are always looking for high-quality, nutritious and delicious meals.
Over a few years, I wrote training material that is easy to understand. I will be sharing recipes, tutorials and baking ideas on my website. Food fundamentals such as applied food science is always part and parcel of my courses.
I wrote courses in bread baking, French pastries, meringues, cake decorating and cake baking. These courses were presented to just over 1 000 students in just under eight years. Most of them now own their own home bakeries or work in or contribute to the baking industry. Courses were accredited with the FoodBev SETA and we had training memberships with the South African Chefs Association.
Together with my head baker, Lennie, lecturers Charleen, Michelle, Liezl, Kayla and Dessy, we all built up a beautiful business and I am so grateful for everyone’s contribution.
Would you like to attend a workshop? I present training from my home or on-site at your location in English, Afrikaans and Dutch. There is also an online video course in each subject available for purchase.
Food photography and styling of baked items are always part of my service, so be sure to have some lovely photos of your work afterwards!
I never had an investor and never took out a loan but started with a few rands in my pocket. This is how it all started …
I grew up in Pretoria. When I finished my studies in 2000, it took some determination to work fulltime in the food industry. What I wanted to do for a living needed a lot more experience, which I knew would only come with age. What I was really interested in, however, was the studies of food science, nutrition and microbiology. Even more interesting to me: Why do people make different food choices and have different ideas about eating? I loved speaking to my colleagues and later my students about their memories of food while growing up.
In 2010 my husband and I decided to move to Cape Town. I did not apply at any companies at that stage because I felt it would be an ideal time to start my own company, selling wedding cakes at first. La Petite Patisserie was founded that same year. I only had R400 on me to start something, so I advertised on free websites, used Facebook as marketing platform and bought most of my equipment at second-hand shops.
Although working in the wedding cake industry, I enjoyed the pastry section of the industry more. It is creative, innovative and I can mingle with people, which I enjoyed so much. In 2012 I was chosen by Discovery Channel’s TLC to participate as a contestant on the show Who is the Cake Boss? It was hosted in Cape Town (and I was 28 weeks pregnant, I may add!). I was approached to do training and to present a few demonstrations on DStv as well.
It was during this time that I discovered that I need to create a space for others to come and learn the art of cake baking and decorating. Initially we made space in our small home. However, when our baby started growing up and the day came when a delivery truck could not fit into our drive way, I saw the need to rent a kitchen.
My passions are summed up in teaching, photography and creating beautiful food.
LEARN | CREATE | ENJOY!
Nicolette van Niekerk