Renowned Pastry Chef and Churchill Fellow, Greg Williams, Teaches Master Class at Homeboy Bakery

October 30, 2008, Los Angeles -- Greg Williams, a Churchill Fellowship award winning prestigious world famous pastry chef from Australia, visited Homeboy Industries Bakery on October 14, 2008, to discuss and demonstrate new cake decorating ideas and consumer trends.

Mr. Williams started in the bakery in 1974, where he took up a position as an apprentice pastry cook at Plares Cakes in Niddrie, Victoria.  After thirteen and a half years he decided to share the skills he had honed with others and commenced work at the Williams Angliss Institute in 1987.  In 2006 Mr. Williams won an Industry Skills Grant from TAFE, which allowed him to make a trip to the USA.  He is a family man, and his wife and five children are very proud of his achievements.  After twenty-one years of being in the bakery industry, he is one of the Angliss Institute’s most highly regarded faculty members. 

The Churchill Fellowship allows him to travel to the USA and undertake an analysis, study or investigation that cannot be readily undertaken in Australia.  With only one hundred being awarded nationally each year, Greg joins a very select group.

Upon arriving in the USA in September, he visited institutes and bakeries in San Francisco, Chicago, Illinois, Boston, New York and Los Angeles. 

Mr. Williams said, “I was thrilled when I heard I’d been awarded a fellowship.  It’s a recognition of excellence and a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to pursue my dreams and passions.  The best thing about it is the development of new skills and knowledge that I’ll be able to share with people here in Australia for years to come.  It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

I had the pleasure of interviewing three of Homeboy Industries top pastry bakers on their experiences with working with Mr. Williams.  When he visited Homeboys in October 2008 and they were very excited about how Mr. Williams demonstrated his short course class of pastry and cake designs. 

“He showed us how to use the airbrush to design eight-inch children’s birthday cakes and half sheet cakes, designs such as Little Mermaid, Sponge-Bob, holiday cake designs, etc.  He taught us how to use the mathematics for scaling and weighing ingredients.  Utilities used were fruit tart molds and borders.  He made it a very exciting learning experience.”  Robert said enthusiastically. 

Nick said, “I learned how to make three types of cakes; two strawberry moussee and one white custard cake.  The technique I learned is how to design the borders of the cake and how to design flowers using a single tool”, which he didn’t know how to do before. “I thought Mr. Williams was cool, easy going and very professional.”

When I asked Nick how he would describe the class he said with a smile, “it was too short.”

The third baker, Danny was beaming as he told me about his one-on-one experience with working with Mr. Williams.  “I learned how to make custard filling cakes with two types of flowers; roses and tulips.”  “I also learned how to decorate different designs such as:  The New Orleans Saints symbol.”  “He makes it easy and simple!  It was much easier the way he showed me.  He is a teacher that shows you the tricks of the trade.  His learning methods are fun.”

Article by Alexandria Compton, Homeboy Reporter