A select group of talented pastry chefs will compete for Pastry Chef of the Year at Paris Gourmet’s U.S. Pastry Competition held during the International Restaurant & Foodservice show of New York. The event will be held on March 5 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
The competition’s theme this year is Modern Masters Come to Chocolate. The chefs have three hours to arrange their exhibit and are only allowed one assistant. The judges will all be board members of the Societe Culinaire Philanthropique, one of the world’s oldest chef associations.
“We are thrilled to be hosting the 28th annual Pastry Chef of the Year Competition,” says Ron Mathews, vice president, Urban Expositions Family of Foodservice Events. “This special event has consistently been a highlight on the show floor, and we look forward to welcoming the competitors and an esteemed panel of judges to critque and select the next Pastry Chef of the Year.”
The award total will be more than $16,000. The finalists are listed below:
- Jeremy Archereau, Restaurant Daniel (NY)
- Francois Behuet, Francois Payard Patisserie (NY)
- Manuel Bouillet, Barry Callebaut (IL)
- Isaac Carter, Facebook HQ, Menlo Park (CA)
- John Cook, Norman Love Confections (FL)
- Ariety Estevez, Loews Atlanta Hotel (GA)
- Romuald Guiot, Pitchoun Bakery (LA)
- Laura Lachowecki, Woodstock Country Club (IN)
- Timothy Maguire, Icahn Assoc. (NC)
- Robert Nieto, Jackson Family Wines (CA)
- Richie Pratadaja, FIKA (NY)
- Deden Putra, The Peninsula (NY)
- Joel Reno, French Pastry School (IL)
- Rocio Varela, The Fort Worth Club (TX)
- Jordan Weston Snider, Fairmount Grand Del Mar (CA)
