The Pastry Project in Seattle, Washington, is a community space that provides free pastry and bakery training to people with barriers to opportunities in the baking and pastry industry. King 5 News highlighted the Pastry Project in its March 10, 2021 report "This Seattle Kitchen Is Training The Next Generation of Pastry Chefs for Free." (Updated June 24, 2021.)


The Pastry Project offers training to those who face barriers to the pastry and baking industry. They offer 14-week classes twice a year for those who want to become pastry chefs or bakers. They work with nonprofits to find students who would most benefit from this program and then with job placement partners to place graduates in fulfilling and supportive jobs. The Pastry Project offers residencies for start-up pastry businesses, typically lasting six months. The organization leases space at a competitive price for production, selling, or other business needs.


Making baked goods more accessible to everyone is part of the Pastry Project's mission. There is an inventory of stand mixers, cooking tools, and cookbooks that anyone can borrow. To support the ongoing educational opportunities and other events at the Pastry Project, it offers a Goodie Box Membership. People can obtain a box of freshly baked treats once a month. A Pastry Kit Subscription gives people the opportunity to test out their baking skills at home by providing all of the ingredients and instructions to create a baked treat. Once monthly on "Sunday Bunday," the Pastry Project offers retail bakery goods for sale as well.


The women who founded the Pastry Project used their skills to teach others in their community how to become professional bakers. These new bakers might not have had the chance to become bakers without the Pastry Project. The Pastry Project relies on selling baked goods, baking kits, and renting space to support their project. What marketable skills can you offer to those who want to learn? What products could help your venture? Consider other professions who could share their skills and products like artisans of all kinds, mechanics, farmers and gardeners, writers, and a myriad of others. What skills can you teach others? What products can you create that will fund other worthwhile projects? The possibilities are endless.

To learn more about the Pastry Project visit: https://www.thepastryproject.co/