• Pastry Chef, ICEP HOTEL SCHOOL instructor and innovation manager at Ana Pan, Mirela Cață is a prominent presence in the confectionery world, with over 30 years of experience in the field. With an unparalleled passion for chocolate and confectionery, she started her career as a simple confectioner and quickly progressed to coordinate the production activities of renowned laboratories in the field.
As Senior Pastry Chef Instructor at ICEP HOTEL SCHOOL, Mirela dedicated herself to training and inspiring new generations of pastry chefs, trying to instill in them the same passion and skill that guided her in her career. She is a fervent follower of innovation and creativity in confectionery, always looking for new tastes, textures and innovative combinations of ingredients.
Throughout her career, Mirela Cață has achieved recognition and appreciation in the field, being nominated several times for the title of Best Pastry Chef of the Year by the HoReCa Awards. With a dedicated and innovative approach, Mirela coordinates Ana Pan's Innovation Department, continuing to inspire and bring joy through her outstanding desserts.
1. Graduated in legal sciences, with numerous specializations in management... Why confectionery-pastry? Is it a field you chose, or did it choose you?
The field chose me. During the 80s, my parents directed me to vocational school, convinced that I should have a job "girls". Living in Constanța, I could not turn to a career in the naval field, so this path was the natural choice for me.
Starting from the well-known sayings "Job is golden bracelet" or "With a job you never starve", at that time I was not encouraged to pursue higher education, my parents placing value on training in a profession and encouraging me to start on this path: the profession of confectioner-chef.
Until then, my creations had not gone beyond the kitchen of our house... But, in the school laboratory, the technology teachers, recognizing a real potential in me, stimulated and guided me much more in this direction of confectionery. So, I didn't even realize when it became a real passion for me.
I did the college part and majors in management later, after I ended up coordinating the activities of some laboratories and where I was often challenged because I was a simple confectioner who had ended up running a laboratory and holding an important position without have the necessary certifications.
I chose law because I also had a moment when I wanted to give up this career in the field of sweets, but, in the end, passion won and I returned to confectionery. And I don't regret for a moment the choice made. Because I belong to the category of lucky people who don't go to work, but go to do what they like. And so things work and go in the direction you want.
2. What is the first memory in this world of sweets? When did you first step into a confectionery lab and what was the first dessert created?
Honestly, I don't remember the first dessert I created. I stepped into a professional laboratory for the first time when I was training for this job and doing production practice.
I remember that we, the apprentices, were always put on small jobs, never mind touch the more important areas, such as the decoration. At one point, the instructor next to us leaving, I took the bag and started decorating. When the teacher came back, after the inherent moment of observation but also seeing what I worked on, he told me to continue.
This is my first memory from the lab, my first validation, the moment I gained confidence in myself. Then followed the encouragement to participate in contests - national at that time - from which I returned with prizes. In order to improve myself, I also worked very hard outside the school courses, accumulating an impressive flow of theoretical information in addition to practice.
If I think a little about desserts... During the time when I was still working in Constanța, I worked two days and two nights creating special products for the opening of a new confectionery in the first Mall in Constanța. These products still exist in the respective location's portfolio, a fact of which I am extremely proud. Especially since appreciation came both from those who worked with me and from clients.
3. You have over 30 years of experience in the field. We know that you are also involved in the professional training of new generations of confectioners, but also in the development of new products. Which part do you like the most? That of a trainer or that of an innovator?
It is a very difficult question... Because, if I think about my job and until I became a manager and until I coordinated the activity of the laboratories, I constantly taught people. People working together pass information to each other. After you gain experience, it's natural to teach others what you know.
Meeting with the staff from ICEP we realized we are on the same wavelength. We were at a time when there was a labor crisis in the market. Even we, at Ana Pan, were looking to hire people and there was continuous frustration, both among the employer and in the case of those who applied, who had diplomas, were graduates, but could not be hired because they had no experience. And that's because at that time only theory was done, and practice was done at employers, who didn't pay enough attention to practitioners. That's when I realized how important rigorous training is in this job and I wanted to do it differently from what was done before, that is, more through practice in the laboratory-school, then later on to production.
"Healthy competition helps you be better"
Yes, I like to be a trainer, I like to pass on what I know to people. Colleagues from Ana Pan I often joke that I am preparing for future competition. And yes, I definitely prepare the competition, because I believe that healthy competition helps you to be better every day.
Recognition came faster from the trainer part than from the product developer part. Over time we have developed, the growth also due to the fact that we have always taken into account the feedback of the learners. We started from a very small laboratory with minimal equipment, and now we have come to support Masterclasses international with big names in the field, such as Antonio Bachour, Amauri Guichon, from whom we certainly have something to learn.
4. You were part of the team of specialists that developed and revised the Occupational Standards for the professions of confectioner, pastry chef, confectionary decorator, chief confectioner. How important was this step?
This question is related to what I was telling you earlier about the labor crisis. Occupational Standards represent the basis for professional training in trades. There we find provisions related to the minimum equipment that the confectionery-school laboratory must have for the training of future professionals and details regarding the professional skills that the students must acquire and which will be contained in that descriptive supplement attached to the graduation diploma.
It's a very important professional standard and they needed to be updated because they hadn't been updated since about 1980 or so. It was not a simple nor easy process, but I was lucky to work with a team of super professionals, people from whom I learned and with whom I trained. Thus, this activity represented for me both an honor and a joy. We tried to make, as much as the bureaucracy at the moment allowed us, a professional standard, truly a guide for those who want to do training, so necessary in Romania.
5. What are the key points in the professional training process of future generations of confectioners?
As I said, you need to have a location equipped with the minimum of equipment, as modern as possible, because after all, the development in this field is very accelerated and then you need to be able to cope with this development, and one way to achieve this is and owning high-performance equipment.
Then you have to have capable and very well trained trainers and a structure, some modules to work on. This abundance of information is transmitted in a very short time and that is difficult, especially since many of the trainees also have jobs and are doing this training in parallel. Most of the students have other training and opt for professional reconversion or want to open a business in the field. I would also add to the key points in vocational training that we have to teach them to work efficiently and how to organize themselves.
It is a very beautiful job but it also requires a lot of effort. You have to be resistant to fatigue and make sacrifices from little things like wearing jewelry, a professional manicure, always keeping your hair up and not wearing makeup, to working in the lab on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays when everyone is having fun with loved ones. These are the realities of the profession that those who wish to pursue it should know.
6. How do you balance practicality and creativity in your work as an instructor?
A creation does not have to remain in the drawing stage. It must be transposed into the practical register. Thus, when you create, you also think about how you would execute the product, with what ingredients you would make it...
It is important that the idea can be put into practice, but this does not mean that it will always work out. You have to carefully observe all the details, analyze after each execution what you could improve, what else you could do, until you perfect the product.
There must always be a practical component in everything you create, otherwise... After all, that's what innovation is all about: being able to translate creativity, the work of art, and make it accessible to everyone.
7. Tell us for those who don't know, what are the responsibilities of an innovation manager in a company in this industry?
To give a more joking answer, I play on other people's money. It's very nice to discover, to innovate, to play with, to spoil ingredients that you don't pay for. That's the part of one's responsibilities innovation manager.
Otherwise, you have to create or improve existing products, which then end up being sold in stores. It is very important how you achieve this, because you have to know all the trends in the field, you are obliged to be informed, to be up to date, to have an open mind.
And you have to know very well the production process and each person involved in it, to be able to adapt according to the capabilities of each individual.
I am responsible for choosing the ingredients we work with, the techniques we will use, because in the end we have to sell and make it affordable.
8. What are the main criteria you use to evaluate the viability and potential success of innovative ideas?
It is always important the feedback we receive from customers, it is good to know the trends and players in the market, changes and news at the international level.
At the same time, it is important to know the tastes and preferences of consumers and respond to these needs. Tradition is also of great importance - we are a brand with over 30 years of activity - our products are known, but you have to reinvent and reinterpret older recipes according to current taste preferences.
This includes the specific products, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, with low sugar content, but which keep the classic taste that the consumer is used to. That is why the choice of ingredients is of major importance, as is the choice of techniques.
Colleagues from sales, marketing, and production are part of the innovation team of the Ana Pan company, and in the development of a new product we take into account all the criteria presented and I say that we reach the expected result. Both ingredients and technique play an important role in creating a market-worthy product.
9. What techniques or ingredients do you feel define your patisserie signature? What do you enjoy working with the most and why?
I love chocolate and I really enjoy working with it. It is difficult to work with until you understand it, until you know everything about chocolate. Then everything becomes very easy, especially now that we also have machines for its processing and modern working techniques, developed by those who work a lot in chocolate.
I generally like simple ingredients. I find it much easier to reach a man's heart when he knows and understands what I have to offer. And that's what I think is essential: simplicity.
10. How do you manage to maintain a balance between your professional and personal life? Because in this field there is continuous fire.
Everything requires organization and discipline. Organization means that you have to respect the deadlines and everything you set out in the program, and discipline means to achieve everything you set out to do, without delays.
Then everything will become easy to balance. Moreover, I became a master of delegation. Because I'm always working with production colleagues, developing with them, it's very easy to delegate tasks afterwards. And what's more, they really want this, because they want to develop and they want to learn, and for me it's very nice to teach others: to take a step back and watch them develop and how it evolves.
11. After all this journey, if you could go back in time, what advice would you give young Mirela at the beginning of her career?
First of all, I would tell her that when Carmela Dragomir asks her if she wants to participate in the World Championship, she should not refuse. At the time I thought I didn't need to participate in contests... Of course that was the wrong mindset!
And now, as often as I can, I encourage confectioners to participate in competitions, because a competition, beyond professional validation, means learning to work under pressure, which happens frequently in our profession, it means having a lot of discipline, to you learn to organize yourself very well, efficiently. And, yes, it also comes with the subsequent recognition, which is very important. I am not talking about prizes and medals here: it is the participation itself that is important.
The second aspect to which she should pay attention, would be the promotion on Social Media. I didn't believe in Social Media and I wasn't very active there, where I could have presented my work. It took me a long time to reach the recognition I have now, but if I had also used this medium I could have achieved this recognition sooner.
Interview conducted by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
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