Pathways: Laszlo Kovacs, head baker, St John Bakery

A lifetime spent in bakeries in Hungary and the UK means the head baker at St John Bakery has a vast store of specialist knowledge to pass on. He talks to Victoria Miller

 

Did you study a hospitality-related course at school, college or university?

 

Yes, I studied to become a pastry chef and a baker in the early 1990s at catering college in Debrecen in Hungary.

 

What initially attracted you to working in hospitality?

 

It was something my grandmother said to me: “People will always need bread, no matter how times change or where you go”. A baker is a true profession at the heart of life. She taught me the value of making your own food and of being self-sufficient, at least in life’s staples.

 

What was your first job in hospitality?

 

As a pastry chef in small café and shop called Gara Cukraszda in Debrecen in Hungary.

 

How did you decide on your career direction?

 

I did not come from a wealthy background. I saw a lot of poverty growing up and people living humble lives, often struggling to have enough food on the table. I saw the importance of being able to make ends meet, being able to make your own food, which makes you less dependent and more self-reliant. It means you can take care of your family and you can take care of whoever you supply with what you have made. There was a level of necessity and forward-thinking in terms of what career is timeless. On top of that there is satisfaction in having the skills to create something tangible with your own hands that people can enjoy, and to make a career out of it.

 

Could you talk me through the roles you have had in your career to where you are now?

 

When I started my career, I was both the baker and pastry chef for seven years, and I then moved up to lead baker and then to manager after four years. I then left Hungary for Vienna, in Austria, where I learned about Austria’s culinary historical repertoire and enjoyed new skills such as decoration.

 

I then headed to London to continue my baker’s journey. I had both supervisor and head baker roles before I took on my current role at St John Bakery eight years ago.

 

What are the biggest challenges you've faced?

 

Perhaps the uncertainty when I moved to England – the unknown. I was confident in my skills and abilities and felt I had done well to build my career and reputation in Hungary. I knew I could manage people and develop a successful bakery, but there was no guarantee that whatever worked there will also work in a country I had never lived in before.

 

Being successful in this industry not only involves being skilful in baking, but also understanding the market, the demands, realising the potential differences in cultures and tastes, and being able to cater to all of them. I was ready and excited for this challenge when I moved here, but of course, I also worried at first. What if my English is not good enough to communicate my skills? What if my skills are not enough without also speaking the language perfectly? But, in the end, it was enough. My knowledge, my experience and my ideas were welcomed.

 

What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?

 

Learn, learn, and keep learning. Be humble and don’t think you know everything because you have done your studies or you have worked here and there. No, always be open and eager to learn more. The more you do, the more you can reinvent yourself and progress within your career. That should be your motivation and that will help you keep your passion and perseverance.

 

What are your career goals?

 

To be able to pass on my experience and knowledge, even the most difficult or least-known techniques. I work hard to perfect what I do, and I don’t want all that experience to die with me one day. I want to be able to inspire anyone who is eager to learn and teach them everything I know, so that the next generations can take over and carry on these skills.

 

Once I know I have done my best to do this, I would like to retreat to my roots and open something of my own – a small, local bakery. I will be proud to watch newer people strive in the industry and see how their knowledge and skills contribute to the success of bakeries and pâtisseries.

 

Who inspires you in the industry?

 

My grandmother was my truest inspiration. I learned a lot from her, things that you cannot learn from schools or from work placements. Any tips, tricks, methods or techniques you learn from a grandparent will make your cooking and baking more skilled in the most authentic and wholesome way possible.