We talk to Chef Adrian. Founder, Director and Head Pâtissier at The Pastry Emporium about his experience as a business owner, his inspiration, and the desire to share his passion. If you're planning a trip to New York, Chef Adrian also reveals where to find what he considers the best croissants you'll ever have.What inspired you to open The Pastry Emporium?I was brought up in hospitality. My parents have owned restaurants and cafes for the past 40 years. I admired them growing up and so I always wanted to open my own venue. I moved from the Gold Coast to Melbourne to do my apprenticeship at 24 and moved back up to open The Pastry Emporium. I was always going to move back to the Coast to be closer to my family.Describe the challenges of opening up your own place and how you overcame them...Small business is hard, very hard but it’s worth it for the creative control. Having your own place means you choose what ingredients you use, what products you make and what you call them. One of my biggest challenges is finding staff who can manage the tough hours and work/life balance. However, I found that as The Pastry Emporium name became more established, people started coming to us for jobs, they see the quality and environment and want to be a part of it.What is unique about The Pastry Emporium?We make everything from scratch, everything is handmade and baked fresh every morning. We opt for local ingredients, for example, our croissants are made with flour from Brisbane and butter from New Zealand.What inspires your new pastries?Inspiration comes from everywhere - Instagram, books, magazines, and especially travel. Tokyo is a favourite for its French influenced pastry culture, and New York has always been special to me. I love visiting the Supermoon Bakehouse in New York, which is owned by a friend of mine. They serve the best croissants you'll ever have, and their work has inspired our own techniques at The Pastry Emporium.What's your favourite dessert to make?My favourite dessert to make is Tiramisu, simple because it reminds me of family. My parents are Italian, so I was brought up with it. And I love coffee!Describe your favourite decorating technique...Glazing. A high shine glaze can make almost any product more attractive. High shine glaze can be sensitive; the glaze must be the right temperature and the cake needs to be frozen to achieve the best, shiniest finish. What's in the pipeline for The Pastry Emporium?I am always aiming to improve products. We never stop evolving - whether that’s trying new techniques, recipes or ingredients.Looking ahead, I want to expand our wholesale offerings and start running cooking classes to share my passion with more people. For anyone considering a career in this space, I recommend reading our guide on how to be a pastry chef.Your uniform of choice is the Springfield Chef Jacket paired with the PVC apron tell us why you chose this?Chef Works Springfield Jacket - I like the grey colour, it's not too heavy. PVC Bib Apron – It’s easy to clean, no laundry, just wipe it down.Follow Chef Adrian Grazioli on social media: @pastrychefadrianWebsite: thepastryemporium.com.au
