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equipment needed to prepare, primp and prettify pâtisserie from ice cream to chocolate and everything in between. In one class I meet students of all ages making vanilla brioche and caramel-coated sponge fingers, and after just three weeks training, they look good enough to be in a pâtisserie. Another group are making healthy desserts with less sugar and gluten free tarts with chickpea meringue. There are dozens of chef-teachers at the school including one who specialises in gluten free. There are no qualifications needed to take the course and I ask one of the teachers if anyone can learn to be a great pâtissier. “I was looking for excellence, I wanted the best” she says, “and here I found it. And yes it’s very hard work, but very rewarding.” Marc, a mature student who founded a successful logistics company says but wanted a career change enthuses, “I love cakes, and I love making people happy with cakes,” and planned to work as a pastry chef in a small hotel in Provence after the course. Cake ENSP I happened to be there at the end of a training course for some students, and joined an awards ceremony in which they received their diplomas, cheered on by proud chef tutors, family and friends. A fantastic spread of jewel like canapes and cakes, made to perfection by the students, was the perfect way to pay homage to their skills. I did them proud. Chef brigade in training toured some of the kitchens which were filled with delicious aromas, students fileting fish, chopping vegetables, mixing dough, plating up food, all dressed in meticulously clean white chef jackets and toques. “We’re not training them to be Michelin Star chefs, though some may ago on to achieve that,” one of the teachers tells me “but to be the best they can be. And it’s a serious job, it takes time to make people happy which is what our job as chefs and cooks is.” As with ENSP, there are no formal qualifications, but an interview process ensures that students are prepared for hard work and have the right aptitude. There’s also a fabulous restaurant onsite - Adour. It’s decorated with copper pots and pans from Alain Ducasse’s own collection. It’s hugely popular (I spotted 2-Michelin starred chef Thierry Marx enjoying a bowl of soup!), so reserve in advance if you want to enjoy their superb menu. Adour “Technique can be taught” says teacher chef Ludovic, “the key requirements are motivation, passion and hard work. But if you don’t have passion, it will be a struggle.” Some students will go on to be professional pâtissiers, others are there because they love to cook, love cakes, and want to be the best they can possibly be. Coline from Lyon, a former physiotherapist, told me she loves home baking and wanted to develop her passion. École Ducasse – Paris Campus In Meudon, in the Paris suburbs, a huge campus caters to long term students with courses geared to teach culinary skills to students who come from around the world to learn from the best. There are several courses from two months to the three-year Bachelor course, taught in French and in English for the International students (80 nationalities). I École Ducasse – Paris Studio Tucked away in a small side street in the heart of Paris, École Ducasse – Paris Studio, in the 16th arrondissement, is for those who want to squish in a morning, afternoon or day of developing culinary skills with a top chef teacher. When I visited, I just 26 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 27
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