Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Making Sweets Alone Isn’t Enough!

Days passed by in the blink of an eye.

Two weeks later, I checked the progress of the interior construction, and it was spectacular. Everything was going according to my plans, with no shortcuts taken.

In fact, I could say it exceeded my expectations.

Additionally, I selected six women from the village to be store clerks. Since that number was insufficient, I talked to my father and got six more young women sent from our main village. They were obedient and quick to learn.

Since the sweets are made daily in the village and air-shipped by dragon carriage, these women will primarily be in charge of customer service. Naturally, it’s more favorable to have women for this role.

These twelve women will work at the Eclava store.

The Eclava store has its shop on the first floor and living quarters on the second floor.

These twelve women will primarily live in Eclava.

The fact that women from the main village volunteered is largely due to the attraction of living in the city of Eclava. Young women have always yearned for the city, no matter the era.

Since they will also receive a decent salary, they should enjoy living in Eclava.

After much consideration, I decided that all the sweets we sell will be made in this village.

Every morning, the sweets made in the village are transported by dragon carriage. The carriage drives up to the garden of Count Fernande, from where the sweets are transferred to a wagon and taken to the store. This method only takes about two hours.

The sweets are prepared early in the morning and displayed in the store by the morning.

The main reason for this is that I can’t be constantly stationed over there.

There are many processes that I can’t leave to amateurs, so I have to be involved in the sweets making.

Even using the same ingredients from the same place, the taste can vary slightly. Factors like the temperature and humidity of the day need to be considered.

“In the end, there wasn’t anyone I could trust to manage the business.”

This is my biggest concern.

I can’t help but think about how things would be if Jorg were here…

It might not be necessary to rely solely on villagers anymore.

Hiring a merchant with a certain degree of experience in Eclava might also be a good option.

“The issue is whether they can be trusted. A reasonably experienced merchant should understand the consequences of playing around with nobility. However, entrusting Arnoldt’s shop to someone else still feels uneasy.”

The worries never cease.

Nevertheless, there’s no more time. For now, I’ll handle it myself.

“Kurt-sama, it’s time.”

“Ah, let’s go.”

Tina came to call me.

What we’re about to do now is pastry training.

We were also in the process of selecting personnel for this. The important criteria were their sense and physical strength.

Both are essential for a pastry chef.

◇

“Thank you all for gathering. The shop will open in two weeks. Most of the sweets we will serve there will be made by you.”

The grand kitchen was hastily built. Thanks to earth magic, it was easy to create something primitive.

Earth magic, which allows crafting stone tools as desired, is very convenient.

Most of those present here are women. After all, they’ve been doing farm work for a long time, so they have ample physical strength and are well-versed in cooking.

The men are primarily occupied with expanding farmland, which is Arnoldt’s main mission and cannot be neglected.

“Today, we’ll actually be making sweets. What I want everyone to promise is to measure everything precisely. Never rely on intuition. Sweets are delicate. Even a slight change in the amount can cause variations in taste.”

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve taught pastry making like this.

Yet, I will repeat it as many times as needed.

While I might rely on intuition myself, precise measurements are absolutely essential.

“Alright, let’s go over today’s recipe. First, the flour…”

I wrote today’s recipe on the blackboard I painstakingly made.

The proportions of ingredients like flour and eggs, as well as the temperature and humidity, vary each time.

A craftsman captures these changes through intuition, which can only be developed through years of experience. By quantifying that intuition and ensuring precise measurements, we eliminate variations in taste.

This is something only I can do. That’s why the kitchen is here and not at the store in Eclava.

“Let’s begin cooking.”

The women started measuring the ingredients with serious expressions.

Everyone was diligent and thorough, as expected. Those who couldn’t do this weren’t selected.

I observed everyone’s hands as they finished measuring and began cooking.

“You’re adding too much flour at once.”

“The dough isn’t mixed enough.”

“Use your wrists more gently.”

I pointed out issues to each person.

Everyone listened to my advice sincerely and made corrections. They’re really getting the hang of it.

One person in particular caught my attention.

“Big brother Kurt, how am I doing?”

“Perfect. There’s nothing to criticize.”

It was Mil, one of Johann’s group, the girl I healed with recovery magic.

Despite her limited experience, her skills were those of a seasoned professional.

Indeed, as Johann would say, she’s the master of cooking. She’s been filling the stomachs of children since the slum days, even with scarce ingredients.

She’s talented. Her ability to grasp the essentials is exceptionally high. Perhaps I can entrust everything to her in the future.

I find myself thinking such things.

“Thank you, big brother Kurt! Hey, can I take home the sweets we made in practice today?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Actually, as a reward for increasing their workload like this, I let the cooking staff take home the sweets they’ve made.

We’ll make up for it elsewhere once we actually start selling the products.

“Yay! Johann and the others really love my sweets.”

“That’s also a talent.”

“A talent?”

“It’s the sincere desire to make someone happy.”

“Then I have talent!”

I chuckled slightly.

And that day, we all tasted the cakes they made in practice.

We compared them with cakes I made using the exact same recipe. There was still a difference, but it wasn’t as pronounced.

The cakes made by the girl from Johann’s group were in a league of their own. You’d need a discerning palate to notice the difference between hers and mine.

Terrifying, yet reassuring. I’ll teach her in a slightly different way than the others.

I decided so.

“Tomorrow, we’ll have another special training session! Let’s make it perfect by the time of the grand opening!”

“Okay, everyone!”

Their energetic response was reassuring.

With this, the sweets lining the storefront should be well-stocked without any issues.

For the grand opening, we’ll have cranberry cookies, the pinaru honey cake we’re practicing now, and a limited quantity of custard pudding made by myself.

Ideally, I’d like to offer more variety, but the more items we add, the greater the workload for both making and selling, and the more confusion it causes for customers, reducing turnover.

Until things settle down, this is our limit.

Next up after the cooking staff is the customer service side. Let’s go check on that.

◇

I headed towards Farne’s mansion.

The twelve staff in charge of customer service were undergoing training at Farne’s mansion.

They were all complete beginners.

And I’m not particularly skilled in customer service myself.

I’m a pastry chef, not a waiter.

That’s why I’ve hired customer service professionals. Through Farne’s connections, I’ve hired two professionals who previously worked at one of the top establishments in Eclava on a two-month contract.

Of course, they’ll provide support not only in training but also for a while after the grand opening. It’s clear that without competent professionals, the initial rush after opening could be disastrous.

Using skilled individuals on a temporary basis is costly, but it’s a necessary expense.

“Welcome, sir.”

As I approached the entrance of the mansion, Farne’s servant greeted me warmly.

He led me inside to the hall where we’re conducting the training.

Farne’s mansion was hastily constructed when he decided to come to this village, but it’s spacious enough, and there’s no better place in my village for training indoors.

Then…

“Welcome.”

The women practicing customer service all bowed simultaneously.

I was surprised.

Not just their gestures, but their voices as well.

At first, their greetings sounded casual, like they were talking to friends. But now, their voices carried a respectful tone suitable for addressing someone of higher status.

“It seems like the customer service training is going well, everyone.”

As I spoke, the village women smiled happily.

“We’re finally getting the hang of it.”

The response came from the professional hired for customer service.

Despite her intimidating demeanor, when facing customers, she provides soft and flawless service, which is both impressive and intimidating.

“You’ve all worked hard in this short time. Thank you for your efforts. And thank you, Ms. Dolwart, for training them.”

“I’m simply doing the job worthy of my compensation. I’ll do my best to present ourselves as top-notch before the grand opening. And after the opening, I’ll nurture them to become top-notch through experience.”

“That’s reassuring.”

She’s a gem. I’d like her to stay longer, but it seems she already has another job lined up.

“I’ve tasted your sweets. I’ve experienced various shops, so I have an eye for quality. Let me assure you, if you continue selling those sweets at that price, your shop will become incredibly popular… a battlefield.”

A battlefield.

What an apt expression. I want to strive for that level.

“I’m glad, but also frightened. Please train us to withstand the battlefield.”

“Of course. Would you like to observe today?”

“Yes, indeed. I won’t interfere. Let’s take a close look.”

With such reliable professionals present, it would be uncouth to meddle.

I carefully observed the customer service training.

A shop cannot succeed on delicious sweets alone. It’s only with competent staff that delicious sweets can be sold.

If the staff become overwhelmed and frustrate the customers due to being too busy, those customers will never return.

With Ms. Dolwart here, she’ll surely train everyone to avoid such situations.

I confirmed the progress of the women who were steadily growing, satisfied, and then left the place.