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] Biography
Heir to four generations of Alsatian bakery and pastry-making tradition, Pierre Hermé began his career at the age of 14 as an apprentice to Gaston Lenôtre. Famous in France, Japan and the United States, the man that Vogue called "the Picasso of Pastry" revolutionized pastry-making with regard to taste and modernity. With "pleasure as his only guide", Pierre Hermé has invented a totally original world of tastes, sensations and pleasures. 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 "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] Pierre Hermé Paris, a growing company
At the end of 1996, he left Fauchon to start Pierre Hermé Paris® with Charles Znaty. Their first shop opened in Tokyo in 1998, followed by a Salon de Thé in July 2000. In 2001, Pierre Hermé returned to the gourmet scene in Paris. Immediately, the pastry shop at 72 rue Bonaparte in the Saint Germain des Prés area scored a big success. Every day, enthusiastic gourmets rediscovered pastries, macarons and chocolates, with connoisseurs from all over the world flocking to this temple of sweet delights. In 2004, a second shop featuring very innovative interior design opened at 185 rue de Vaugirard, and a training workshop was established in cooperation with the reputed Ecole Ferrandi run by the Paris Chamber of Commerce. In early 2005, the latest concepts from Pierre Hermé Paris® were launched in Tokyo: a "luxury convenience store" and a Chocolate Bar. Both are located in the Omotesando district, where the biggest fashion brands and companies operating in Japan have stores. End of 2008, Pierre Hermé Paris® owns seven sales outlets in Tokyo, four in Paris and an online shop www.pierreherme.com.
[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
• 2008 • Opening of the Pierre Hermé Paris Manufacture, 1 rue Marcel Pagnol, Wittenheim F-68270
• Opening of the Pierre Hermé Paris Macarons & Chocolates boutique at publicisdrugstore, 133 avenue des Champs Elysées Paris 8e
• Opening of the Pierre Hermé Paris Macarons & Chocolates boutique at 4, rue Cambon Paris 1st (design by Olivier Lempereur).
• 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 15th (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 6th (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
- Macaron - Agnès Viénot Éditions, 2008
