SYLVAIN LEROY
He is one of those versatile professionals, with endless resources, prepared to build and train a professional team, to develop a new product, to give some classes or to prepare varied assorted pastries or chocolates. This only happens when one has solid foundations, when one has learned from the best ones, and when passion still rules one’s daily work. Sylvain Leroy, technical advisor chef of the firm Paris Gourmet (New York) defines his own style as simple and focuses on the taste – that is the key. As he says, one should not cease from working and experi-
OUR FINAL GOAL IS TO REACH OUR CUSTOMERS’ PLEASURE AND DELIGHT, AND THERE ARE NO VALID SHORTCUTS FOR THAT.
menting on an epicurean’s palate.
I decided to become a pastry chef in memory of my Mom, she was an amazing baker and made wonderful goodies which I enjoyed when I returned home from school - so it was a tribute to her. We always went to beautiful patisseries and had pastry and hot chocolate, so I identify excellent pastry with my mother. I eventually apprenticed for Jean Roger Lenne at Patisserie Schaetjens in Amiens in 1979 who became a great mentor to me, who happened to own one of these wonderful shops I visited with my mother. Teaching is fascinating. I really love to teach, I’m always analyzing how to put value into my classes so that practicality can be passed onto my students. Making a valuable impression, mentoring and sharing my passion for pastry are all factors in my style of teaching. I hope my students ARE fascinated and inspired by pastry and our exchange is a positive, impressionable one. I’ve also had the opportunity of travelling and meeting chefs throughout the world. My style is very simple, straightforward flavors, more classic, and my foundations are always simple. Learning
to make a good foundation or base allows you to build a great and interesting dessert. A lot of my concept derives from my childhood impressions of pastry. I only use the best ingredients. I’m totally a chocolate man, a chocoholic. The most important thing is the passion. A true passion for the industry and taste or good palate is key, the palate of an epicurean. They should have patience and the willingness to learn. Becoming a good pastry chef takes time to build, you need experience and that takes time. You have to experience and experiment, there are no shortcuts, after 30 years, I’m still building and learning from others. I’ve seen so much growth and have had the opportunity of meeting and collaborating with so many top American pastry chefs. This of course had come from that gradual building, education and learning from cultures universally, not just French pastry chefs. It all comes back to this passion I speak about and the willingness to learn.
“pastry has no shortcuts” 203
so good..