Baking perfection
Meet Howing Lai, head pastry chef at Albert’s Schloss.
Howing has been honing his pastry skills for over a decade, and the 34 year old is now working at one of the most high profile of Paradise’s growing list of leisure venues.
“It’s all about giving people what they want,” says Howing, taking time out from his day to talk to us about his work. “Albert’s Schloss is all about quality. From the drinks and entertainment to the atmosphere and food. Our job is to excel at everything we do and that’s what everyone in the team strives to do.”
His normal working days involves getting up at 5am and arriving at the Bavarian pleasure palace at Paradise before 7am. By then his team will already have been proving and baking the first batches of the day’s hand-made pastries and breads for some hours.
Everything is made completely from scratch in-Haus each day from the early hours of the morning, including the doughs and breads needed to bake the venue’s burger buns, ciabattas and sourdoughs, muffins and pretzels.
Howing works hard, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. He says:
“The owners here are hugely experienced and very hands-on, so we know what we are all striving toward. Everyone is valued here. We all have contact with customers as well as working behind the scenes, which helps keep us grounded.”
The job of head pastry chef is literally never done – once the day’s breads and treats are made the team of two full time and one one part time pastry chef starts work on the next day’s batch of goodies. But Howing is anything but overwhelmed by his work. The experienced chef has worked in Michelin starred kitchens in Birmingham and London, including such venues as Adam’s and the Café Royal.
Howing never intended to be a pastry chef or baker, however, and never even baked his first cake until he was 22. Originally from Sutton Coldfield, Howing’s initial career choices were around becoming a scientist. He completed a degree in Biochemistry, as well as a Masters in Bioinformatics, before working in his parent’s restaurant which led him to find his eventual calling.
So his work at Albert’s Schloss comes naturally for someone who has such a keen – and experienced – eye for detail. “We’re all one team here,” he explains over a tasting one of his signature pastries – a huge Bakewell Tart croissant that simply melts in the mouth. “We all have pride in our work and want to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Every day I want to create better pastries than I have before, as well as come up with new ideas.
“Even though there is nothing like this venue in Birmingham, and we’ve had an amazing first two months since opening, I want Albert’s Schloss to offer an even better product with even better service. But that hard work is all worth it when a customer pays you a compliment, or the venue becomes famous for the quality of its offer. I think what we have here has already established itself as a house of excellence and I want to help build upon that reputation and push it on further.”
As well as the unique in-Haus bakery, Albert’s Schloss features an all-day menu inspired by their travels across Alpine Europe that covers everything from fondue to a ‘krokette’ fest, schnitzels to schweins in blankets. The dessert menu includes such rich favourites as Black Forest Gateau, Apple Strudel and Banoffee Trifle, while the drinks offer ranges from fresh Pilsner direct from the brewery in the Czech Republic, to an entire bar dedicated to prosecco and schnapps. And all that without mentioning the nightly entertainment and spacious, palatial interior.
With so many offers under one roof, Albert’s Schloss really does have something for everyone, and that is something that Howing is keen to underline. “We’re all passionate about what we deliver here, from the bar staff to the kitchen staff, the management and front of house. And we’re all committed to one goal – doing the very best for our customers.”