Chef Jen Kwapinkski Interview
February 15, 2013
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco
• 0 Comments
Success Stories
Jen Kwapinski
Graduate: 1999, California Culinary Academy
Degree: Certificate in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Chef and owner of Jen’s Cakes in San Jose, California
California Pastry Chef Jen Kwapinski is no stranger to competition. Not only does she want to be the best cake decorator in San Jose, she also wants to be the winner of TLC’s Next Great Baker (season three).
“I’m competitive by nature,” said Chef Jen Kwapinski. “I don’t have to win to be happy. I just need to be the best. I want my cakes to be decorated better and taste better than all the others.”
It’s this drive that has led Jen to where she is today. Not only has her bakery, Jen’s Cakes, been in business for nearly 10 years, but she also earned a spot on the current season of TLC’s Next Great Baker.
“I didn’t let myself get too excited about the show before the audition,” she explained. “I didn’t even tell people that I had applied.”
Despite her apprehensions, Jen said the audition was fun, even with her hands shaking like a leaf and Buddy (the show’s host) heckling her. “I walked out confident and ready to compete.”
Jen admits to having a great time filming the show, even though it was tough at times.
“It’s like childbirth,” Jen said. “When I was doing the show I told myself I would never do something like that again, but now I feel like I would.”
Be prepared to spend years working on your business before going anywhere. Literally.
When asked about the advice she’d like to give aspiring pastry chefs and bakery owners, Jen was quick to say that her biggest challenge has been finding staff she could rely on to manage the business while she was away. She warns all new business owners to be patient.
“It’s going to be 24/7,” she said. “I’ve been in business awhile, and it’s only been in the last year that I could leave. Without my current team, there’s no way I could’ve gone on the show.”
Jen also encourages new business owners to minimize their overhead in the beginning. That means doing as much as you can from home or by renting space in a commercial kitchen while you build up clientele.
Quick to figure out what she wants.
Speaking with Jen it’s clear she discovers what she wants quickly. While in high school she aspired to be a doctor, but it only took one semester in college to realize that medical school wasn’t the right choice. As she transitioned into culinary school, she knew she wanted to work in a bakery almost right away.
“I didn’t like the smells of cooking in a kitchen, and I knew I didn’t want to work most evenings and weekends. I wanted to work in a bakery.”
Following culinary school Jen gained experience working at an established Bay Area bakery for several years. After fine-tuning her skills there, she opened Jen’s Cakes in 2004. The bakery specializes in custom cakes, cupcakes, and desserts.
Learn more about Jen and Jen’s Cakes on JensCakes.com and TLC.com.
Career success will depend largely on the effort put into studies, job search efforts, experience and attitude. Le Cordon Bleu cannot guarantee employment or salary. Find disclosures on graduation rates, student financial obligations and more at www.chefs.edu/disclosures. Credits earned are unlikely to transfer.
