Life in Multicolour: From Wage Earner to Master Baker
斑斓人生：从打工仔到烘焙大师
On another typical grey winter day in Shanghai, a medley of vibrant hues graces the northwest corner of South Xiangyang Road and West Jianguo Road. A cursory glance of the counter display yields a delectable selection of treats: rose, yellow, and beige macarons; chocolate éclairs; golden croissants, to name a few. Enter the bakery and you will catch a whiff of cinnamon and the homely aroma of freshly baked loaves. Perhaps that will entice you to linger for a while over a cup of coffee and dessert – the mango-flavoured macaron is marvelous. Or if you are a religieuse type, you can nibble on one of its namesake creations in the pastry section.
这是一个上海的冬日午后，和往常一样，天灰蒙蒙的，然而在襄阳南路与建国西路交叉口的西北角，几抹跳跃的色彩交织着，轻快映入眼帘。远远地往柜台上的陈列撇上一眼，映入眼帘的全是令人心情愉悦的美味：玫瑰、黄色、米色的马卡龙、巧克力手指泡芙、烤得金黄的羊角包，各式各样。推门进去，首先迎接你的是肉桂的一缕淡淡甜香，然后就是在空气中弥漫开来的新出炉面包的香气。也许这些会吸引你想在面包店里小坐片刻，就着一杯咖啡，吃上一份甜点–- 芒果风味的马卡龙简直令人叫绝。又或者你是修女泡芙的粉丝，那么就在甜品区里点上一份，小口小口慢慢品味。
Behind the scenes, a master baker strives to deliver a pleasurable – albeit rather expensive – bakery experience for his customers at Bread Etc. He reigns over the bakery department, surveying its every detail. “I am responsible for ordering baking ingredients, ensuring product quality, training the bakery staff and managing their work schedules,”he states matter-of-factly. Quick-tempered and savvy, the master baker strikes one as a rugged, no-nonsense type despite his slight frame.
在这一切的幕后，在Bread Etc. 面包坊的烘焙间里，一位主管正努力为他的顾客营造愉快–尽管也价格不菲–的舌尖体验。他统帅着整个烘焙间，仔细勘察每个细节。“我负责订购烘焙材料，确保产品质量，培训员工，安排排班，”他平淡地说道。这位性急而懂行的主管给人留下的印象是瘦削但结实，没有废话。
He is Liu Xiaodong, a member of the Shanghai Young Bakers’ first class of graduates. Hailing from Gansu province, he describes his journey from apprentice to master baker as akin to cutting woodblocks: “if you stick with the process, you will succeed.” Given that baking is a profession that demands both attention to detail and patience, the journey proved to be a colourful one for Liu, due to his fiery temper. “My temper used to be a lot worse,” he laughs, “but it’s gotten better.”
他叫刘小东，是海上青焙坊培训项目第一届的学员。来自甘肃的他用劈木桩来形容从学徒走到主管的这段历程，“只要有坚持的人都会有回报的。”烘焙是个既需要耐心又要注重细节的行业，小东一路走来的历程可以说是色彩斑斓，当然这要“归功”于他的火爆脾气。“以前我的脾气更差，”他笑着说，“现在好多了。”
Ten years ago, Xiaodong worked as a waiter in Beijing, earning 750RMB/month. A chance encounter with a member of his sponsor organisation, Les Enfants de Madaifu,* guided him onto a more promising path in life. “Initially it was exhilarating to be making money,” Xiaodong says, “but Jean-Pierre Fouilleul, the head of Madaifu’s Beijing office, told me that earning wages could only take me so far and that learning a skill would be better.” And journeyed far he has, from having no foundations in French bakery and pastry to becoming the chief baker of Bread Etc.
十年前，小东在北京当服务员，每月工资750元。一次他碰巧遇到张福瑞，马大夫之家的一位工作人员，没想到这次偶遇引导他走上了一条更有前途的人生之路。马大夫之家非政府组织是小东的资助机构。“刚开始挣钱的时候，人很兴奋，”小东说，“可是马大夫之家北京办事处的负责人张福瑞老师跟我说，走当服务员挣钱的路，就能走这么远，去学习一门手艺，可以走得更远。”事后证明他确实走得很远，从一个对法式烘焙一无所知的毛头小伙，一路走到了 Bread Etc 面包坊的烘焙主管。
Alternating between baking classes at SYB and an internship at a Shanghai bakery, Liu proved to be a relatively quick learner. “My supervisor only mentored me for three days before having me and another person take over the entire shift,” he recalls. “We weren’t given many chances [to make mistakes], unlike in bakery classes, where we had the chance to redo some of our breads and our teachers would explain things to us multiple times.” Both experiences were integral to Xiaodong’s growth as a young baker.
海上青焙坊的培训由课堂学习和在上海一家面包房实习交替组成，小东用事实证明他是一个学习新东西很快的人。“当时我的主管就指导了我三天，然后就让我和另一个同事接管了整个排班时段，”他回忆道。“所有的事只教一遍，都要自己摸索，不像在烘培课里，有重新做一次的机会，老师也会多次的向我们解释。”在课堂和实习岗位上的双重锻炼是小东成长为年轻烘焙师不可或缺的经验。
Today, Liu is one of the drivers behind Bread Etc’s expansion in Shanghai, as the demand for Western bakery and pastry continues to soar in the city. “Right now 80% of our products are designed for foreigners and Chinese expatriates,” he says, “however, the consumer power of the Chinese are rising as well, meaning that this sector has great growth potential.” With two new bakeries planned for 2017, the future is bright for Xiaodong and his baker colleagues.
今天，小东的手艺可以说是 Bread Etc 面包坊得以在上海迅速发展的背后推力之一，上海这座城市对西式面包和甜点的需求也在持续上升。“现在店里80%的产品都是针对外国人和海归人士设计的，”他解释说，“不过中国人的消费也在提升了，所以这个行业是很有发展空间的。”Bread Etc 面包坊在2017年还有两家新店计划开业，对小东和他的烘焙团队来说，未来一片光明。
As for the past, Liu compares his time at SYB with his days as a waiter: “life now is different – more nuanced, more colourful.” Baking, as both a professional and spiritual journey, has tempered his fiery character and provided him with the foundations to pursue his goals in life, one colourful woodblock at a time.
谈到过去，小东把在海上青焙坊的经历和作服务员的日子作了比较，“现在的生活不一样了–有层次，有风采。”烘焙，作为他的职业、也作为他的心路历程，让小东收敛了他的火爆脾气，也为他追求人生目标打下了坚实基础。正像他说的，劈木桩要一斧头一斧头地劈，只是他的木桩是如此丰富斑斓。
– Madaifu –
Madaifu is a French-registered NGO that specialises in working with disadvantaged children in China. As an NGO partner, Madaifu helps SYB selectits beneficiaries each year.
– 马大夫之家 –
马大夫之家是一家在法国注册的非政府组织，致力于帮助中国的弱势儿童。作为海上青焙坊的合作伙伴，马大夫之家每年向海上青焙坊的烘焙培训项目推荐学员。
Lo-Ching Chow
Social Impact Analyst & Reporter
周乐芹
项目分析与报道