The
brains, ‘brawn’ and business sense behind the Bake &
Bite Bakery is a young Thai-Chinese woman, ‘Gai’ Pawittranon.
She is an independent and forthright person who considers that
one reason for her success in life has been her readiness to
being prepared to try something different. “Don’t limit
yourself by thinking ‘I won’t like it’ - try it!” was
her advice.
Gai was born in Lampang, the middle child of
three to a hard working rice mill owner and his equally hard
working wife, both of Chinese origin. She completed her
elementary schooling, still in Lampang, but not really fixed on
her career direction. However, she had already found that she
had a flair for languages, having been inspired by a Burmese
teacher of English in her town. This flair was enough to get her
a scholarship to Canada for a two week immersion course in
English while she was still at school.
After leaving school, she explained, “I
just followed the pattern and did the entrance exam for CMU.
After passing I still had no real idea, but Food Technology
sounded the most interesting. The word ‘food’ caught my
attention.” However, up till that time her only real
connection with food was helping her mother in the kitchen after
school.
She entered into the study of Food Science
and emerged four years later as a food technologist. During her
course, which she had entered still harbouring doubts, she found
that she began to enjoy it more as she became more involved.
“When you begin to understand the scientific processes it is
better,” she said. I asked her whether cooking was art or
science and she led me to understand that following a recipe was
science, but being creative with the recipe - that was
‘art’.
Her expertise in English continued, winning
yet another total immersion scholarship to go to New York to
study English. This event was to have far reaching effects on
her later life.
After completion of the degree course at CMU,
she took a job as a laboratory technician in a drinking water
factory. This she did for 12 months as she had already decided
that her next move was to the USA, after her very positive New
York experiences. “I was determined to go to America for my
Masters degree.” She was also lucky in the fact that her
parents were supportive and discussed where she should go and
how they could help.
The close family unit, as seen in S.E. Asia,
propelled her towards the University in Michigan where she had
cousins already resident, with one a teacher there. She studied
for an MBA, the Master’s course taking three years. Again this
was something a little different from her previous experience.
“To me the challenge is to see how much I can do.”
Despite shifting over to the Business
Administration, she had not deserted ‘food’, working
part-time in a restaurant during this time. “The more I did,
the more I enjoyed. I could see how a well equipped kitchen
could make money.” She also said, “The opportunity to do
part-time work was fantastic.”
After successful completion of her MBA it was
time to return to Thailand. “I came back with the hopes and
dreams of doing something in the food industry.” Those hopes
were initially realised by her accepting a position as the sales
manager of a frozen food company in Chiang Mai. However, after
one year she was sure this was not her future career, even
though it did teach her something about restaurant kitchens,
visiting many of them while trying to interest disinterested
chefs in frozen vegetables.
She stuck with food for her next position,
helping in the production section of the Dacheese Company in
Chiang Mai. “It wasn’t a glamorous job, working in the
factory, but it gave me an idea of how many foreigners lived in
Chiang Mai and what they want.”
After 12 months there, she was offered the
chance of working as the restaurant manager of the Art Cafe.
Again she did not limit herself by wasting time wondering
whether or not she would like the job - she flung herself into
it, for the next two years. “Somehow it sounded more exciting
than working in the factory and I found that people now told me
what they wanted. The idea of having my own business became
clearer and clearer, and after two years it was time to move
on.”
That moving on took her to Australia where
she studied a French baking programme for three months, with the
concept being to open a bakery in Chiang Mai on her return. This
was the start of the Bake & Bite. “I had learned that a
restaurant was just too much, and a small bakery was better.”
One reason for this was that she wanted a
balance in her life. There was more to life and living than just
working, despite her strong Chinese background ethos. To balance
the work side of her life, there was the leisure side. She had
always enjoyed sport at school and university and her
‘balance’ involves her these days in tennis, “Any day that
it doesn’t rain.”
Gai has remained single by choice. “I enjoy
lots of friends, good company and a busy business. I am not
ready for raising children.” The ‘family’ lifestyle does
not even figure in her future thoughts - financial security does
instead. Perhaps this is again a reflection of her Chinese
heritage. “Over the next 8 to 10 years I want to build up
financial security first. I want to retire at an age when I am
still very active.” In Gai’s mind, this will be around 45
years of age.
She is a very determined young woman who has
managed to combine the best of her heritage with the best of her
calm intellectual experience of the world. She has not become a
woman’s ‘libber’ with something to ‘prove’ to society,
but remains a delightful young lady.
