Pastry chefs specialise in making pastries, desserts, breads and other baked dishes. These chefs are vital in a restaurant kitchen and we’ve got a growing list of famous pastry chefs from around the world. Thanks to a rise in the topic among popular culture, there is an increasing interest in dessert chefs, the more elaborate the recipes, the better! Having a unique creative flair as a pastry chef can certainly kick start your career and get you noticed. Get inspiration from the professionals. Here is a list of the most famous pastry chefs from around the world:
- Pierre Hermé
- François Payard
- Duff Goldman
- Elizabeth Falkner
- Lorraine Pascale
- Gaston Lenôtre
- Hironobu Fukano
- Gale Gand
- Jessica Préalpato
- Want to be a pastry chef?
1. Pierre Hermé
Source: Four Magazine
When you’re dubbed as “The Picasso of Pastry,” it’s clear you have an incredible talent. Pierre Hermé is the ‘Picasso’ of pastries. He is notably most famous for his flavoured macarons that are rich and unusual in taste.
His baking skills have made him well known and he has written over a dozen books. He is the youngest person to ever be named “France’s Pastry Chef of the Year”.
Currently, he manages two Michelin star awarded restaurants in France.
Source: Pierreherme.com
From this artistic decoration on this fruit tart we can see Pierre’s original style.
2. François Payard
Source: travelsintaste.com
Owning bakeries and pastry shops across the world, François Payard’s skills as a pastry chef helped him create a line of successful shops. He has created many luxury desserts. From his website you can even buy wedding cakes (of course, at a high cost but they are incredible).
Source: payard.com
3. Duff Goldman
Source: nbc.com
You might have seen Duff Goldman on the reality TV show Ace of Cakes which features his Charm City Cakes shop. His cakes have been featured on Man V. Food, Oprah and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Whilst he is well known for his appearances on television, his inspiring cakes are amazing because they are so unusual. Many of the people he has employed did not have any culinary experience but were artists or sculptors.
From these designs you can see his unique creative ability.
Source: charmcitycakes.com
Source: charmcitycakes.com
4. Elizabeth Falkner
Source: foodnetwork.com
Elizabeth Falkner is a pastry chef, chef, author, TV personality, artist and culinary instigator. An epic list of achievements. She has appeared on a long line of TV shows, such as Iron Chef America, All-Star Academy and Top Chef Masters. She has published books like “Demolition Desserts” and created original cake designs for celebrities.
Source: elizabethfalkner.com
5. Lorraine Pascale
Source: hipandhealthy.com
Starting her career as a model on the catwalk, Lorraine moved on to Great Britain’s television screens to show how baking can be easy. She began her culinary career as a specialist cake maker and had a successful contract with Selfridges.
Since then, she has appeared on plenty of TV shows, like: Home Cooking Made Easy, Baking Made Easy, Lorraine’s Last Minute Christmas and more.
Lorraine is known for her cakes but she is also known for creating healthy meals. Showing you can eat food that is delicious and still healthy.
Source: lorrainepascale.com
6. Gaston Lenôtre
source: nytimes.com
Gaston Lenôtre (1920-2009) is a well remembered pastry chef and certainly an inspiration for future patisseries. He has been called the “the pâtissier of the century” and for his successes, you can see why.
His recipe books were published in several languages, and he was the first pastry chef to open a chain of high style bakeries in Paris. He was also the first to have an international bakery franchise.
source: lenotre.com
7. Hironobu Fukano
source. Luxsure.fr
Japanese pastry chef, Hironobu Fukano gained experience around the world. In 2010 he opened his gourmet restaurant SOLA in Paris which was awarded 1 Michelin star after one year of opening.
He has been known for his specialised Angel Cake, which is a fragrant sponge cake.
Source: luxsure.fr
8. Gale Gand
Source: galegand.com
Award winning Gale Gand is a Chicago-based pastry chef. She has hosted TV shows, won awards and written books on desserts. She began her career as a line cook in 1976 and then became a pastry chef in New York. She co-opened restaurants and was the host of Sweet Dreams cooking show from 2000-2008.
Source: galegand.com
9. Jessica Préalpato
Jessica Préalpato is head pastry chef at Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée and winner of Best pastry Chef in the World 2019. She is the first woman to receive this honor and she focuses on naturalness and seasonal produce for all her pastries. Instead of adding sugar to her dishes, Jessica feels that using naturally sweetened fruit works better and this is a motto she lives by which has helped her reach the top of the pastry World.
There are many more inspirational famous pastry chefs around the world. Creating luxury pastries and elaborate desserts is a growing popular art form and pâtissiers are the stars.
Read these inspiring quotes from other renowned chefs around the world.
Want to be a pastry chef?
With the rise of pastry shows and baking in popular culture, it's understandable that a lot of people are now looking to become the next World famous pastry chef. To achieve this goal, you need to start from the bottom and work extremely hard at the craft. Start off in a local kitchen and become an apprentice to better your knowledge and gain as much experience as possible.
If you have an ambition to become a chef, you need to look the part while also wearing the correct items needed in a fast paced kitchen. Young chefs know they need the proper outfit, but they sometimes fail to identify the need for correct footwear.
Working as a chef means long hours and a lot of hazards in the kitchen. This means you need shoes that are both comfortable and slip-resistant. We specialize in slip-resistant, water-resistant and oil-resistant shoes for all aspects of kitchen work. Visit our shop to see our latest styles in chef’s shoes:
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