Bachelor of Patisserie Arts Programme, School of Food Studies and Gastronomy organized a field trip consisting of approximately 20 students to a patisserie outlet at Elevete Patisserie located in Petaling Jaya. The itinerary included a macaron-making session with Chef Edwin Chan and a short tour around the business’s kitchen and facilities.
The field trip aimed to help students fully understand and equip themselves with the necessary attitudes, characteristics and skills of a successful baker and an entrepreneur mindset when they enter the industry. Besides that, students will also be able to understand what it is like to work in a bakery industry, how each baking equipment is used in the facility and the concept of artisanal cakes and modern gateau production.
Elevete Patisserie was founded in 2014 by Chef Edwin Chan, a former culinary student at Taylor's University. Chef Edwin and his Assistant Chef Clarissa thoroughly shared their previous experiences in the baking industry, as well as how Chef Edwin began to develop his entrepreneurial vision for Elevete Patisserie. In the workshop, Chef Edwin explained the importance of recipes and why every chef should know how to control their recipes rather than being controlled by them.
Aside from that, Chef Clarissa talked about her professional struggles and challenges. Chef Clarissa, in particular, shared her thoughts on family and peer support and how everyone should respond when family and peers have an opposing views on ambitions and entrepreneurship.
Chef Edwin and Chef Clarissa's sharing sessions positively impacted the students because they are the potential individuals who will hold and change the concept of baking in the years to come. This field trip is critical for preparing Taylor's students by improving their visual literacy and actively incorporating the trip into the curriculum. Students had the opportunity to see new things and learn about them in a less structured manner, allowing them to choose what they learn and how they learn it. In other words, student learning can be interest-driven rather than teacher or curriculum-driven.
