One week “working” @ Pasticceria Cucchi in Milan
Well, yes, as you can astutely figure out from the picture above, I was a pâtissier for a week!
After months of research, nobody in Cannes, Nice nor anywhere else in my region, was willing to make me work FOR FREE part time on weekends as a helper in a pastry lab. Nobody!
So, thanks to my Italian “network”, I was able to get a one-week internship at Pasticceria Cucchi, one of the most famous pastry shops in Milan!
It is a relatively traditional place (“that’s what the clients want”) but it is an institution in Milan and its Panettone is one of the best in town (and after tasting it, one of the best in Italy, I would say!).
I was positively impressed by the high-quality of their products: their fruit tarts were excellent (honestly I hadn’t eaten fruits that tasted that good in ages) and the pastry chefs are very generous in terms of quantities.
Everybody in the team was very nice and helpful! With them, I had the chance to make spongecakes, choux, tarts…
milk bread…
but also croissants…
Hundreds of croissants!
It was a great experience not only because I had the chance to actually make what I had studied in the last months, but also because I finally saw what a professional environment looks like, how a big oven and fridges work, etc…: these are all small aspects, but for sure I’ll feel more confident at my exam!
I woke up everyday at 5, when the air is fresh and the streets are empty… but it was definitely worth it!
To conclude, you won’t be able to experience the nice environment of the kitchen of Pasticceria Cucchi, but if you happen to be in Milan, go there and “experience” the Panettone! It’s out of this world! 🙂
Pasticceria Cucchi
Corso Genova 1
Milan
