Date Added: March 01, 2013 07:43:50 PM

Pastry chefs are professionals that specialize in the creation of mouth-watering baked delicacies, such as desserts, breads, Custard cream, and pastries. They also create their own cake mixes and their own combination of Fruit fillings that could make breads and pastries taste even better. They have the ability to come up with excellent unique designs that can make pastries and other baked products stand out among their competitors. Well-known restaurants and hotels as well as bistros, cafes, and bakeries that want to provide only high quality baked goods to their consumers hire these professionals to create baked goods that entice clients to come back for more of their products. Throughout the years, many pastry chefs have conquered the international arena, carving their names not only on their home countries but in the whole world as well. Below are some of the most famous pastry chefs in the world.

Pierre Herme

Pierre Herme is one of the many pastry chefs who have a humble beginning. Born in Colmar, France and most known for his macaroons, this world-class patisserie started his career as an apprentice to Gaston Lenotre at the age of 14. When he reached the age of 24, he worked for Fauchon Company, a French gourmet food company that created and sold flavored and flower-petal teas that were first of their kind in 1960s and 1970s, respectively. He stayed in this company for 11 years. In 1997, he became involved with Laduree, a company known for creating mouth-watering pastries and luxury cakes. It was not until 1998 that Pierre Herme finally put up his own pastry boutique, which he named Pierre Herme Paris, in one of the hotels in Tokyo, Japan. Now, Pierre Herme has approximately 14 pastry shops situated separately in three countries. He also has an online shop that caters to technology savvy and busy individuals living in any part of the world.

Pierre Herme is a recipient of several awards, which include France's Pastry Chef of the Year and Chevalier de la Legion d' honneur. He is also the sole pastry chef who received honors as Chevalier of Arts and Letters.

Chef Jacques Torres

Known also as Mr. Chocolate, Chef Jacques Torres is one of the many successful pastry chefs who started their careers as apprentice to more experienced professionals in their chosen field. From being an apprentice at the age of 15, Chef Jacques Torres has become one of the most respected in the industry, winning a number of awards and recognitions under his belt. These awards include the Pastry Chef of the Year by the James Beard Foundation, Chartreuse Pastry Chef of the Year, and Chefs of America Pastry Chef of the Year to name a few. He was also the youngest winner of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France competition.

An author to two dessert books and host to a television show, Chef Jacques Torres is best known for his exquisite chocolates. Francois Payard Being the grandson of a pastry shop owner, Francois Payard grew to inherit the passion of his grandfather – making pastries. He honed his skills through the years and was finally recognized as one of the best when he received the award for Pastry Chef of the Year by the James Beard Association in 1995. An author of several cookbooks, Chef Francois Payard is best known for his high attention to flavor and for his innate ability to create unique pastry designs. These famous pastry chefs did not become popular overnight. They all strived hard and went through a lot of phases in their life before they became what they are now. They honed their skills when they had the opportunity and they moved on to take a leap in their careers when the right time came.