Success Stories 成功的故事

Former graduates

LIU Liu
(employed by Sofitel Hyland after her internship there. Won 3rd prize in the FHC bakery competition in 2010)

I really like working in Sofitel Hyland, and especially because of my chef, Mr. Wang. He has been guiding me since my internship and he is of a very good temper: if I fail his expectations or don’t know how to do a certain kind of bread, he will teach me with great patience until I can do it well by myself. In the bakery of Sofitel, they don’t usually hire interns after the internship, but somehow, they offered me the opportunity. Since I had already become familiar with the work here and in particular with my chef, I chose to stay. Plus, I think if I stay at the same place, they are more willing to pass their know-how on to me.

JIANG Zhaosheng 
(previously interning at Paul, currently working at Bund 18)

Through the training, I have gained a solid base in French bakery. In most high-end hotels and western restaurants, French bakery is practically all that is required, I really feel that I have an advantage over others, especially considering that in SYB, we not only attended classes, but also completed internships at host companies.

LI Rongrong 
(previously interning and working at Saleya, now working at Glo London restaurant)

Learning French baking is difficult in the beginning. Fortunately, our beginning classes had detailed explanations and repeated practices. Thus, when I got to work after graduation, I felt quite at ease. For me, SYB was certainly a better starting point to learn baking than at work.

LIU Minghui 
(previously interning at Radisson, now working at Renaissance Putuo)

I changed a lot during the one-year training program, especially in my personality. I remember that when I entered the program, I always stayed alone and was reluctant to speak with others. By the time I graduated, I had become more social and willing to smile. I began to see how good the world is.

From rural China to France, from SYB student to SYB trainer

Our French bakery classes are now taught by three graduates from the SYB program; they belonged to our first enrolment. Based on their outstanding capabilities, SYB selected Zhang Zhenghai, Wang Li and Xiao Jinjin to study in France at the Ecole Francaise de Boulangerie d’Aurillac where they graduated with the C.A.P. diploma. Following their return to Shanghai in August 2011, they are now teaching our current students, thanks to the technical and financial support of yeast producer Lesaffre.

Zhang Zhenghai, Wang Li and Xiao Jinjin are living examples of how our program can successfully train bakers, but more importantly, develop socially-minded citizens who are ready to give back to society through the skills that they have acquired from SYB.

Wang Li: Born in Henan province, Wang Li was working at a toy factory in Guangdong before enrolling into SYB’s pilot program. She worked as an intern at Paul’s, first in their bakery department, and then in pastry, prior to her further education in France.

Xiao Jinjin: Xiao Jinjin is from the Anhui province. She completed her high school diploma before enrolling in our pilot program. She interned at Hyatt on the Bund and the Crowne Plaza as part of her training at SYB. Xiao Jinjin specializes in pastry.

Zhang Zhenghai: Born in Shaanxi province, Zhang Zhenghai enrolled at SYB’s pilot program in 2009. He was previously working at a computer factory. During his SYB training, Zhang was an intern at Paul’s, one of Shanghai’s first French bakery, and later, at the Hilton hotel.

Giving Back: Braille Without Borders

Becoming a reference in French traditional bakery training in China is one of Shanghai Young Bakers’ objectives. The recognition of this expertise seems to be on the right track, judging on a recent agreement set up with Tibetan-based NGO Braille Without Borders (BWB). Set up in 1997 by a young German who is blind herself, to teach Braille and vocational skills to Tibetan blind youth, BWB have different sets of vocational training programs to which they’ve recently added bakery. With the same challenges, philosophy and ambition as SYB for their bakery training program, it seemed just natural for them to come to a Shanghai-based charity for assistance. Shanghai Young Bakers has the expertise Braille Without Borders was looking for. Since SYB does not have the knowledge, nor the facilities to welcome blind students, they agreed to take on one sighted volunteer from BWB, so that this person could train to baking for one year, and then go back to teach blind students and help BWB develop their bakery shop.

20 year old Basang Lamu was selected to integrate this year’s promotion of SYB program. Today a student, she’ll be training blind students later on. Lamu comes from a poor family in the Tibetan countryside. She faced her first cultural challenges when coming to Lhasa to study at high school level - everybody spoke Mandarin there. But she caught up quickly, studied some Tibetan medicine and went on to work at a pharmacy, while volunteering at BWB in her spare time. She says she loved the atmosphere there. Now she's facing her second set of cultural challenges in Shanghai. She's a shy girl and still struggles a little with Mandarin, but she studies hard, has quickly made friends with the other students and is already pondering on how to adapt the SYB training to the blind students of BWB.