THE HAPPY BAKER

Executive pastry chef Richard Long at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore tells us how he and his team balance consistency and innovation in everything they do.

- KENNETH LEE

The first order of business for Richard Long when he gets to work? "Responding to work emails," says the executive pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. An occupational hazard that comes with the job that's a tad ironic, since the 54-year-old chef snagged a gig as an apprentice at a local bakery precisely because he didn't "like the idea of a desk-bound job" after finishing secondary school.

"It was during this time that I discovered my passion for baking and pastry making and decided to continue to hone my skills to be a pastry chef," Long adds. And hone he did across a career spanning five countries and 30 years, the last 20 of which were spent with The Ritz-Carlton.

Dealing with emails therefore is an unavoidable occupational hazard that comes with the territory. There are perks too - Long's day starts at 7.30am, rather than the crack of dawn (or even earlier), as he's checking on the items served during breakfast service at Colony and Colony Bakery rather than preparing them. There's a further check on the bakes before lunch, at around 10.30am.