Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating › Opinion on cakers who smoke
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Opinion on cakers who smoke

post #1 of 20
7/9/12 at 11:50pm
Thread Starter 
I do not mean to offend anyone. I am thinking of hiring the services of someone who is very good at painting. He is a smoker and I can smell him when he enters a room. Someone dear to me I must add. I have a feeling the smell will be absorbed with the cakes he handles. What do u think?
Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now. -quotebites.com

http://m.facebook.com/Edible.Elegance.cakes.Zimbabwe
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73178569@N05/
Reply
Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now. -quotebites.com

http://m.facebook.com/Edible.Elegance.cakes.Zimbabwe
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73178569@N05/
Reply
post #2 of 20
7/9/12 at 11:53pm
I think you are right. Someone who smokes so much that you can smell it on their clothing has a big problem. They will be lighting up every 15 minutes and will be touching the cake with their nicotine stained and smelly fingers.

I was friends for a while with a guy that smoked so much that he couldn't sit through a meal at a restaurant without taking a cigarette break, and he didn't even smell of them.

anyone who handles food should have to wash their hands or use Purell before handling it.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 20
7/10/12 at 12:04am
Anyone working in or around food should always wash their hands before they start to work anyway, so I don't see how this would be a problem. If his cloths smell of smoke, keep a chef's jacket or some other type of work "uniform" that he keeps at work and changes into when he starts working. If he does a good job by all means hire him.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 20
7/10/12 at 12:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by debidehm

Anyone working in or around food should always wash their hands before they start to work anyway, so I don't see how this would be a problem. If his cloths smell of smoke, keep a chef's jacket or some other type of work "uniform" that he keeps at work and changes into when he starts working.



That won't help. If he smells of smoke it means his hair, his breath and skin smell of it too. I've smelled people like that, not too often, but I imagine they smoke in a telephone booth.

"should" is the key word. One time I was traveling and went into a McDonald's to use the bathroom and was going to get back in the car and go to the drive-thru to order. I see a guy with a headset leaving the bathroom without washing his hands. I should have said something to the manager, but I was in a hurry and a little in shock. I left and got food at anther fast food place instead.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 20
7/10/12 at 1:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoFloGuy

Quote:
Originally Posted by debidehm

Anyone working in or around food should always wash their hands before they start to work anyway, so I don't see how this would be a problem. If his cloths smell of smoke, keep a chef's jacket or some other type of work "uniform" that he keeps at work and changes into when he starts working.



That won't help. If he smells of smoke it means his hair, his breath and skin smell of it too. I've smelled people like that, not too often, but I imagine they smoke in a telephone booth.

"should" is the key word. One time I was traveling and went into a McDonald's to use the bathroom and was going to get back in the car and go to the drive-thru to order. I see a guy with a headset leaving the bathroom without washing his hands. I should have said something to the manager, but I was in a hurry and a little in shock. I left and got food at anther fast food place instead.



Ok. I'll admit that I'm not an expert on the second hand smoke smell on cloths, hair, and skin. But come on. Is that really going to penetrate into a cake? I don't know. How about those with bad breath? If someone had a onion and garlic sandwich for lunch, does that mean the fondant will pick up on that smell too? What if he pumps gas on his way to work, gets a little gas from the pump on his hands, wipes his hands on his pants (let's hope he doesn't lite up a smoke after this), will the cake then smell like gas because now there's gas on his pants?

As far as the hand washing thing goes, if it's a policy to wash your hands how can you micro-manage that? Ask that they wash their hands in the bathroom, but dry their hands in full view of others as proof that this policy is being followed? Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith with people, and trust they will do the right thing.

All I'm saying is that there shouldn't be prejudice against anyone just because of their habits whether we like those habits or not. We can go all day long on this about body smells, and which ones will infuse your cake with the aromas of dirty tennis shoes, sweat, coffee breath, and on and on and on. I haven't even started in about those with animals at home...
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 20
7/10/12 at 2:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by debidehm

Quote:
Originally Posted by SoFloGuy

Quote:
Originally Posted by debidehm

Anyone working in or around food should always wash their hands before they start to work anyway, so I don't see how this would be a problem. If his cloths smell of smoke, keep a chef's jacket or some other type of work "uniform" that he keeps at work and changes into when he starts working.



That won't help. If he smells of smoke it means his hair, his breath and skin smell of it too. I've smelled people like that, not too often, but I imagine they smoke in a telephone booth.

"should" is the key word. One time I was traveling and went into a McDonald's to use the bathroom and was going to get back in the car and go to the drive-thru to order. I see a guy with a headset leaving the bathroom without washing his hands. I should have said something to the manager, but I was in a hurry and a little in shock. I left and got food at anther fast food place instead.



Ok. I'll admit that I'm not an expert on the second hand smoke smell on cloths, hair, and skin. But come on. Is that really going to penetrate into a cake? I don't know. How about those with bad breath? If someone had a onion and garlic sandwich for lunch, does that mean the fondant will pick up on that smell too? What if he pumps gas on his way to work, gets a little gas from the pump on his hands, wipes his hands on his pants (let's hope he doesn't lite up a smoke after this), will the cake then smell like gas because now there's gas on his pants?

As far as the hand washing thing goes, if it's a policy to wash your hands how can you micro-manage that? Ask that they wash their hands in the bathroom, but dry their hands in full view of others as proof that this policy is being followed? Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith with people, and trust they will do the right thing.

All I'm saying is that there shouldn't be prejudice against anyone just because of their habits whether we like those habits or not. We can go all day long on this about body smells, and which ones will infuse your cake with the aromas of dirty tennis shoes, sweat, coffee breath, and on and on and on. I haven't even started in about those with animals at home...

thumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gif Do they not wear gloves when doing cakes?
A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands!
Glenda
Reply
A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands!
Glenda
Reply
post #7 of 20
7/10/12 at 5:39am
Many, many chefs smoke, at the finest restaurants, i might add. I know this from walking by them on the streets of Boston. If henis a clean and sanitary person it should be okay.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 20
7/10/12 at 6:50am
I have worked in foodservice with smokers.

When they are required to take off street clothing and put on a uniform, and cover their hair, then the smell of smoke is minimal. It doesn't transfer to the food.

Of course that means that they can't go for a smoke on their break while in uniform. This person will have to follow that procedure to get hired anywhere in foodservice.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 20
7/10/12 at 7:57am
I have read this same topic some time back.This person, said that the cake they ate , smelled and tasted like cigarettes.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 20
7/10/12 at 12:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by icer101

I have read this same topic some time back.This person, said that the cake they ate , smelled and tasted like cigarettes.



I could understand this IF the one baking and decorating the cake was doing it in a smoke filled room. I can hardly believe that a cake would be saturated to the point of tasting and smelling like smoke from just the smells coming off of a smoker's body. Again, if that were the case, there are people out there doing cakes that have their own "special" smell. Does that mean that you're taking a chance your cake might smell like moth balls, sweaty socks, or funky breath? Maybe those that smoke and do cakes should be subject the the "Silkwood" treatment before they can even walk into the cake decorating room...or anyone else for that matter that doesn't already smell like cake batter and butter cream....
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 20
7/10/12 at 12:14pm
Thread Starter 
I was not receiving notifications in my email so I was thinking no one answered. Thanx y'all. I was not sure since cakes catch smells so much when refrigerated or frozen. I guess we can give it a try and see. Thank u all.
Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now. -quotebites.com

http://m.facebook.com/Edible.Elegance.cakes.Zimbabwe
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73178569@N05/
Reply
Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now. -quotebites.com

http://m.facebook.com/Edible.Elegance.cakes.Zimbabwe
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73178569@N05/
Reply
post #12 of 20
7/10/12 at 1:22pm
I don't know... I say things that probably I shouldn't, but then that's me... and being in an entirely different business prior to coming into the cake business... lets just say filters aren't my strong suit.

If it is of such concern to you, might you mention it to him? Tell him your concern: You can smell smoke so prevalently, that you're afraid it might permeate the cake(s). I would point blank ask him his precautions in this area and/or what he might do to negate your concerns.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 20
7/10/12 at 1:28pm
Just an aside: I've never understood how sucking on a burning poisonous plant could be worth sucking on a burning poisonous plant.
James H. H. Lampert
Professional Dilettante
Reply
James H. H. Lampert
Professional Dilettante
Reply
post #14 of 20
7/10/12 at 1:28pm
It won't be a problem as long as he washes his hands a lot, wears a jacket and takes that off when he takes his smoke breaks...which will probably be a lot. But that's a whole other consideration.
He should have his food handlers license too you know.
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Reply
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Reply
post #15 of 20
7/10/12 at 3:32pm
...........I have read this same topic some time back.This person, said that the cake they ate , smelled and tasted like cigarettes. .......
I could understand this IF the one baking and decorating the cake was doing it in a smoke filled room. I can hardly believe that a cake would be saturated to the point of tasting and smelling like smoke from just the smells coming off of a smoker's body..........

Exactly what they said ^^^^^^^^.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cake Decorating
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating › Opinion on cakers who smoke