To date, Brian Tan has single-handedly created three branches of his café—House of Flour. The chocolate cake he makes is highly recommended as one of the most delicious disserts in Shanghai. If only to see the busy working state of Brian in his coffee shop, people will simply consider him as a successful businessman. Actually he seems to value more his other role—the trainer of Shanghai Young Bakers (SYB). [SYB note: SYB students would visit Brian Tan’s café once a year to listen to his marvelous career evolution as well as learn about his brownie recipe, but Brian is not a SYB trainer.] Since 2008, Brian has for five consecutive years participated SYB’s training program, which provides the underprivileged youth with free French bakery courses.

“Baking skills could be taught, but the right mind and attitude cannot be taught. It is their attitude that decides how far they can achieve in the future.”

Brian becomes busy during the graduation season every year. This is not because Brian has more customers, but because SYB students would visit his cafe for a training course.

Based on the “alternance” training concept that is very popular in Europe, SYB’s entire training combines two-week theory study at school with two-week practical internship at international hotels. This training provides fully-sponsored bakery courses and teaches life skills to the underprivileged youth aged from 17 to 20 years old. In doing so, SYB helps these youth find the valuable and meaningful jobs to get rid of poverty. Brian’s cafe is an indispensable visit for the students every year.

Rather than teaching skills and recipes, Brian is more willing to tell his story in the bakery course.

“I grew up in an average family. I pushed myself into finishing every task best during my first hotel internship. After that, I worked at a luxury hotel on a small island. Due to the transportation problem, I often did not have sufficient ingredients. So I had to think hard to find other substitutes for the food.”

In this bakery expert’s eyes, inspiration and motivation are more important than teaching how to bake a cake. “If you plan to enter this industry, you must not be frightened by the hard work. Otherwise, you will not do well. Baking skills could be taught, but the right mind and attitude cannot be taught. It is their attitude that decides how far they can achieve in the future.” Brian’s whole life benefits from such thought, and his thought supports his bakery career until today. Now Brian wants to share this thought with the students.

In the past five years, 80% of the students successfully entered the bakery industry. Some of them come back to volunteer at SBY. Brian’s bakery studio is like a starting point for those young students—they set off for a new life from here, although at first they lacked the sense of belonging, failed to find the job and felt confused about the future.

When talking about the phenomenon that an increasing number of people are now going to various cooking studios, Brian did seem excited. Surprisingly, in contrast to Brian’s role of a cafe owner, he wishes to see more people love cooking and kitchen. “Religions, politics, music, and food are the things that gather people together. Family and kitchen are the ties that maintain the relations among people.” The boost in cooking studios indicates that people are moving back toward the kitchen and family life.

With regard to whether people can really learn something from the cooking studios, the question is not that much important. “There is no need to compare the cooking skills and food qualities. Sometimes, a bow of noodle and several simple dishes are good enough.” Brian thinks that the real meaning of cooking studio’s existence is whether a person is willing to walk into the kitchen and learn to cook a dish for others.

Q & A W=Weekly Shanghai B=Brian Tan

W: Is it because of your own experience that you are very willing to participate in SYB?

B: Yes. My grandma and mother are both passionate about charity. Due to their influence, I also like helping others. Additionally, I myself is a baking professional and evolved my career from the humble beginning. I know what kinds of aids are needed during this process.

W: Besides teaching, what else you think needs to be done for SYB?

B: The direct aid is to provide money, so that SYB, a non-profit organization can be maintained and help more underprivileged young successfully and consistently.

W: What you think about the increasing number of cooking studios?

B: I admire that more and more cooking studios appear. Because city people afford huge living expenses, they think cooking is a time-consuming and tough work. Meanwhile, they have a feeling of emptiness and no home feeling after they get out of work. Actually learning how to cook and spending more time in the kitchen are better than shopping and going to karaoke. They will gradually find out that home will be filled with flavor of life because of cooking.

W: What you think about the future of cooking studios?

B: Now most cooking studios are operated in a private way, but this industry will become more professional. More cooks will be willing to teach and more people will be willing to learn.

Translated by Isabella