Page 124 - The Book For Men Fall/Winter 2023

C ÉDRIC GROLET VALUES CLEAR COMMUNICATION. THE EXPRESSION sous chef at Le Meurice in Paris, part of the Dorchester Collection of hotels.
of his craft is undiluted, whether in the selection of ingredients — the quality of which ensures his pastries burst with simple yet formidable flavours — or the showcasing of his handmade, intricate creations that tempt the tastebuds of his over 8 million Instagram followers. The French chef appreciates the narrative arc of taste.
“When we eat a pastry without knowing what’s in it, it starts badly,” says Grolet. “A simple seasonal pastry is often much more effective — that’s an excellent pastry. Often, when we go too far, we no longer understand. We are getting away from the basics.”
And yet, to an outsider, Grolet’s creations look anything but basic. The tarts, cakes, and croissants he’s cooked up during the last decade have been credited with breathing new life into the revered art of French pâtisserie. While his fridge at home may be full of fresh fruit and vegetables, the chef’s heart and creative drive lies with sugar — in every one of its golden, granulated forms. For the man who counts winning “The World’s Best Pastry Chef” as one of his many accolades, nothing captures his attention
like confections.
Grolet spent his childhood in France’s gastronomically fertile Loire Valley.
His grandparents ran a hotel in Andrézieux-Bouthéon, and the young Grolet was exposed to the culinary world by helping out in their cellar. At age eight, he was already ferrying beverages back and forth to guests during summer holidays. By age 12, he had moved on to the hotel’s kitchen. He began his career proper at gourmet food producer Fauchon, before landing the coveted position of pastry
By 2013, he had risen to the rank of executive pastry chef, working under the instruction of legendary French chef Alain Ducasse in the hotel’s two Michelin-starred restaurant, and a decade later, the now 38-year-old Grolet remains its executive pastry chef. He opened his first eponymous pâtisserie in 2018 in Le Meurice, followed by a second storefront — Cedric Grolet Opéra — in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris in 2019. In 2022, the chef unveiled a third location within the hallowed walls of The Berkeley hotel in London.
In each of these pâtisseries, Grolet sells his famous trompe l’oeil deserts. These creations often take the shape of sculpted fruits, with white chocolate shells painstakingly lacquered to mimic the textures and colours of various berries, cherries, or pomes. But bite into what looks like a very real lemon and you’ll be rewarded with yuzu whipped ganache, the tang of a lemon peel-infused gel, and faint undertones of mint. A similarly life-like cherry creation contains a tarragon jelly core, almond ganache, and Espelette peppers. That said, not everything is inspired by fruit. At Cedric Grolet Opéra, the chef chose to focus on viennoiserie, a style that allows him to showcase classics including pain perdu and chaussons aux pommes in a new, contemporary light. Grolet’s flower series of pastries are also breathtaking, offering up edible blossoms and cakes covered in petals. His coveted Vanilla Flower cake has been a particular hit, infused as it is with vanilla milk jam, vanilla almond biscuit, vanilla cream, and vanilla ganache (Grolet openly admits to his adoration of Tahitian vanilla beans). And all of these desserts strive to simulate the senses and highlight natural flavours because, regardless of the creative theme he’s following, the elements
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