If you do or if you would, what would be your criteria in choosing an intern? Would you consider someone with no experience other than being a self taught beginner?

I would recommending contacting a local culinary school with a pastry program -- students and graduates are often looking for hands-on experience, and the intern would at least have a basic level of knowledge.

If you do hire an intern, don't forget to take out worker's comp coverage for them.

You have it backwards Jason. I would be the intern.

Well, in that case...as a bakery owner I would pick a self-taught individual with a strong and diverse portfolio over a culinary school grad with a weaker portfolio.

And it's always a good idea to do some basic research about the business you're applying to, we get a lot of people calling us for intern positions or jobs who have no idea what we do and what our specialties are.