Rising Stars at Fiona’s Fancies
Georgia Beard discovers how new generations of bakers and pastry chefs are deepening a legacy of masterful homemade service at Fiona’s Fancies.
Every morning, a collection of confectioners fasten their pink aprons, rifle through the recipe books and warm up the kitchens in a cosy pâtisserie tucked along Noosa Junction.
As orders for specialty cakes, sweets and savoury goods make their way onto the wall, Fiona’s Fancies wakes up with a swell of activity.
Strips of pastry dough roll for croissants, quiches and sausage rolls. Fresh batches of batter churn in cauldron-like bowls and rise in cake trays. Creamy glaze gushes into piping bags for icing.
Three generations of bakers work alongside each other, making quality products from scratch in-store under the easy instruction of Head Chef Fiona Williams.
A lifelong passion for the craft and decades of industry experience has guided her approach to training since she opened the bespoke bakery in 2008.
“My mum inspired me to pursue this career, with all the baking we did at home when I was younger,” she said.
“My biggest childhood memory is making profiteroles filled with custard and dipped in chocolate and I would also plan parties and create menus.”
When her passion for pastry stuck around, she apprenticed as a pastry chef and cultivated her skills in restaurants and chocolatiers across Sydney before setting up shop in Noosa.
“I’m now motivated to be sharing my knowledge and creating this wonderful business to help others with a career in the industry, from apprentice pastry chefs to juniors still in school,” she said.
The food industry is notorious for treating apprentices poorly, but Fiona was determined to create a friendly learning environment with healthy workplace relationships and opportunities for staff input and freedom.
“I have had two apprentice pastry chefs complete training and leave qualified, and I have one more apprentice completing and another who has started this year,” she said. “There’s always movement.
“To better grow myself in the position, I’m currently studying Training & Assessing to become a qualified teacher.
“This will be useful in training in all aspects of the business, not just apprentice pastry chefs.”
Among Fiona’s team of skilled apprentices, Jess is in her final year and approaching the end of her training for a Certificate III in Cake and Pastry with TAFE Queensland.
With a café owner for a mum, she grew up baking in the kitchen with many a weekend spent sitting on a stool in front of the oven, watching her recipes rise through the glass.
She went on to complete hospitality certificates in high school, taking part in community cook-ups for families experiencing homelessness and working as a barista.
After graduation, she found work with another pâtisserie on the Sunshine Coast, but a harsh training experience led her to question her future in the industry.
When a chance encounter with an old teacher connected her to her current TAFE instructor, Jess decided to give tertiary hospitality a second chance. Fiona soon gave her a workplace welcome she hadn’t known before.
“I got to be hands-on with everything straight away,” Jess said.
“At previous jobs, I learnt nothing. But Fiona trusts me with everything. We’re at the stage where she doesn’t even have to come into the bakery every day.”
Empowered to take ownership of her role in the business, Jess has experienced growth in all stages of her craft.
She’s mastered Fiona’s methods, like mixing batter for sponge cake without over-mixing and leaving lumps or creating an egg replacement for vegan cakes with soy milk and apple cider vinegar.
Now the recipes come naturally, and the baking techniques feel like muscle memory.
“Jess has progressed extremely well and is a valuable part of the business, working in all areas from front-of-house serving and making quality coffee to creating cakes out the back and even doing dishes when required,” Fiona said.
“I hope to see growth in all employees. Even our front staff have a chance to learn skills in the kitchen.
“I like my employees to have a great understanding of the products they serve.”
As she nears the end of her apprenticeship, Jess is still weighing up the options for her future. Taking on a senior role and sharing her knowledge with younger apprentices may be on the cards, but so is the dream of a travelling food truck!
No matter where she goes next, Jess belongs to Fiona’s legacy of futureproof training, handcrafted confectionery and customer service that feels like coming home.
It’s a recipe that will always leave us wanting more.
