International
Cédric GROLET
Pastry Chef : 1 restaurant
A true star among pastry chefs and the darling of social networks, Cédric Grolet grew up in the countryside, in a small village in Auvergne. "My parents had a garden, so we ate healthy, seasonal produce, but I wasn't allowed any sour sweets!"he recounts. This restaurateur's grandson is sensitive to the beauty of the plates, the colors and smells of the dishes. "I wasn't top of the class, far from it, but I dreamed of making cakes. When I was 14, I did an internship in a bakery-pastry shop, where they told me I had potential. At last I was proud, and so was my family.After obtaining his CAP (vocational training certificate) in pastry-making, chocolate-making and ice-cream-making in Le Puy-en-Velay, he went on to obtain a "mention complémentaire" (additional qualification) in 2004, then a BTM (technical trades certificate) at the École nationale supérieure de la pâtisserie in Yssingeaux. He completed several internships in bakeries and patisseries in his region before moving to Paris.
In 2006, Cédric Grolet joined chefs Christophe Adam, Benoît Couvrand and Christophe Appert at Fauchon, where he stayed for five and a half years. "I was a little disappointed, but after a year and a half, as I was the only one who knew how to do it a la carte, I was able to move up to the next level.I was a little disappointed, but after a year and a half, as I wasthe only one who knew how to make both macaroons and bread, I left for Beijing to train the staff at the new Fauchon boutique."On his return, he took up a position in the research and development department."I was able to do a lot of trials, test and implement new techniques, I was delighted."
In 2011, Cédric Grolet is 26 years old. He joined Le Meurice as sous-chef. "I'd already applied to Camille Lesecq and Yannick Alléno when I arrived in Paris, but I hadn't heard back. It was a bit like revenge. I worked 7 days a week to succeed, I gave up everything on the side, I even slept sometimes in the dining hall."After two years, it was the Grail: he managed to land the position of head pastry chef at the palace. "It was hard, because I wasn't well known."
Since then, Cédric Grolet has moved into the limelight, thanks in particular to the success of his trompe-l'œil fruits. The guidebooks have taken notice, as have the public, and the awards are pouring in. In 2018, he was voted Pâtissier of the Year by Gault&Millau and crowned World's Best Pastry Chef at the "World's 50 Best Restaurants" ceremony. He opens Pâtisserie Cédric Grolet on rue de Castiglione, and becomes a celebrity on social networks. In 2019, Cédric Grolet opens his second boutique, a boulangerie-pâtisserie on avenue de l'Opéra, while continuing to work at Le Meurice, as part of Alain Ducasse's team.
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