Pierre Hermé
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Pierre Hermé (born November 20, 1961, Colmar) is a French pastry chef that Vogue called "the Picasso of Pastry".
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[edit] Career beginnings
Pierre Hermé began his career at the age of 14 as an apprentice to Gaston Lenôtre. At 24, he became a pastry chef.
[edit] Independent career
At the end of 1996, he left Fauchon to start Pierre Hermé Paris with his business partner Charles Znaty. Their first shop opened in Tokyo in 1998, followed by a Salon de Thé in July 2000. In 2001, he opened a pastry shop in Paris, at 72 rue Bonaparte in the Saint Germain des Prés area; in 2004, a second shop opened at 185 rue de Vaugirard, and a training workshop was established in cooperation with Ecole Ferrandi run by the Paris Chamber of Commerce. In early 2005, he opened a "luxury convenience store" and a Chocolate Bar in Tokyo's Omotesando, followed in 2006 by a new Pierre Hermé Paris shop in the Isetan department store in Shinjuku.
[edit] Talent recognized worldwide
The Pierre Hermé Paris history starts in Tokyo in 1998 and continues in France and in Japan. Pierre Hermé also works with great star-winning chefs and prepares sumptuous gala dinners, like recitals, all over the world, which acclaims him as the greatest French pastry chef. He has published many books including “The Cook's Book”, which came out in the United States and Great Britain in October 2005 and won the Best Cookbook Design Award at the 2005 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
[edit] A new dimension for the pastry
With his original approach to the profession of pastry chef, he revolutionizes even the most firmly entrenched traditions. For example, he prefers discreet pastry decors and "uses sugar like salt, in other words, as a seasoning to heighten other shades of flavor." Refusing to sit on his laurels, he is always revising his own work, exploring new taste territories and revisiting his own recipes. As a result, praise has often been lavished on Pierre Hermé, who has been called "The Picasso of Pastry " (Vogue Magazine), "pastry provocateur" (Food & Wine), "an avant-garde pastry chef and a magician with tastes" (Paris-Match), "The Kitchen Emperor" (New York Times) and "The King of Modern Pâtisserie" (The Guardian), along with honors and decorations, as well as – most importantly – the admiring gratitude of connoisseurs of gourmet sweets.
[edit] The Legion of Honor
Pierre Hermé was awarded "Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur" by Jacques Chirac on May 3rd, 2007, just before Nicolas Sarkozy's election along with TF1 channel journalist Francois Bachy, French singer Enrico Macias, cancer specialist David Khayat and Laurent Le Mesle.
[edit] Milestones
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• 2008 • Creation of Macaron Haute-Couture : tailor made macaron • Opening of website to Europe
• 2007 • Creation of the "Entre" theme: a series of 4 "emotions to share", desserts for 6 to 8 that come in elegant black porcelain dishes, united under the banner of an esoteric-sounding theme: "Entre" (signifying “Between”). • Astonishment creations - Christmas 2007: Bûche à la truffe noire, Macaron à la truffe noire et Macaron à l’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale Di Modena, 25 ans d'âge.
• 2006 • Opening of the Pierre Hermé Paris corner in Isetan, Tokyo. • Creation of the Fetish theme: Pierre Hermé's favorites tastes, sensations and epicurean delights. • Launch of the website with an online boutique: e-GOURMANDISES.
• 2005 • Establishment of the Atelier de Formation à la Haute Pâtisserie Pierre Hermé - Ecole Ferrandi in Paris (training programs for professionals). • Opening of the Pierre Hermé Paris boutique and creation of the first "Chocolate Bar" in Aoyama (design by Masamichi Katayama).
• 2004 • Launch of the “Rétrospective / Perspectives” Collections. • Opening of the Pierre Hermé Paris boutique at 185, rue de Vaugirard Paris 75015 (design by Christian Biecher).
• 2003 • Creation of the Autumn/Winter Collection entitled "Kawaï" and presentation of pastry creations at Le Palais de Tokyo (the center for contemporary creation of the City of Paris). • Creation of Miss Gla’Gla, ice creams and sorbets revisited by Pierre Hermé. • Creation of the Chocolate Collection entitled “Arts Premiers” (primitive art objects molded in chocolate).
• 2002 • Creation of the Autumn/Winter Collection entitled “Blanc Cousu Main”. • Creation of the Pierre Hermé Paris line of chocolate bonbons. • Opening of the Pierre Hermé Paris boutique at 72, rue Bonaparte Paris 75006 (design by ‘Yan D. Pennor’s).
• 2001 • Creation of Emotions, take-away desserts in a transparent glass. • Creation of Surprise, a cake packaged like a bonbon. • Creation of charms and crowns by Tsé & Tsé Associées for "Les Galettes des Rois" by Pierre Hermé Paris.
• 2000 • Opening of the first Pierre Hermé Paris Salon de Thé in Ikspiari (design by Andrée Putman).
• 1999 • Creation of the Autumn/Winter Collection entitled “Café, Chocolat, Caramel”.
• 1998 • Opening of the first Pierre Hermé Paris boutique at the New Otani Hotel in Tokyo.
• 1997 • Establishment of Socrepa's Representative Office in Japan by Jennifer Tabary. • Presentation of the 1997 Autumn/Winter Collection at the New Otani Hotel in Tokyo.
• 1996 • Founding of Socrepa (Société de Créations Pâtissières Sarl) by Pierre Hermé, Charles Znaty and Michel Ferton.
• 1994 • Publication of the French edition of Pierre Hermé Secrets Gourmands and creation of La Cerise sur le Gâteau (working with designer ‘Yan D. Pennor’s)
• 1992• Meeting of Pierre Hermé, pastry chef, and Charles Znaty, advertising man.
[edit] Books published in France and elsewhere
- Secrets Gourmands - Larousse, 1993
- La Pâtisserie de Pierre Hermé - Montagud Editores, Spain, 1994
- Co-author, Larousse Gastronomique, 1996
- Le Larousse des Desserts - Larousse, 1997
- Plaisirs Sucrés - Hachette, 1997
- Desserts by Pierre Hermé - Little & Brown, United States, 1998
- Secrets Gourmands - Shibata Shoten, Japan, 1999
- Desserts à la carte - Hachette, 2000
- Secrets Gourmands - Noésis, 2000
- La Pasticceria di Pierre Hermé - Edizioni Finedit, Italy, 2001
- Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé - Little & Brown, United States, 2001
- Le Larousse des Desserts - Larousse, 2002
- Plaisirs Sucrés (new edition) - Hachette, 2002
- Mes Desserts au Chocolat - Agnès Viénot Éditions, 2002
- Mes Desserts Préférés - Agnès Viénot Éditions, 2003
- Die Pâtisserie von Pierre Hermé - Mathaes, Germany, 2004
- Le Larousse du Chocolat - Larousse, 2005
- The Cook’s Book - Dorling Kindersley, United Kingdom, 2005
- ph10 - Agnès Viénot Éditions, 2005
- Gourmandises - Agnès Viénot Éditions, 2006
- Comme un chef - Larousse, 2006
- Le Larousse des desserts - Larousse, 2006
- Confidences Sucrées - Agnès Viénot Éditions, 2007
