If you work at a high end establishment, the pastry kitchen or pastry section is usually slightly separate from the main kitchen. Pastry chefs often have other assistants to assist them.

There are many different types of bakeries and pastry shops to work from as well. Mom-and-pop shops that do their own baking and pastry making, franchise bakeries and industrial bakeries. Many bakers and pastry chefs work in small retail bakeries or big wholesale suppliers of baked goods. They also work in department stores, at 'in house' bakeries in supermarkets, food store chains, hotels, restaurants, bistros, cruise ships, resorts and casinos.