Genesis Hospitality is pleased to announce that Van E. French Jr., Corporate Pastry Chef, was invited to attend a prestigious Master Class for highly skilled pastry chefs offered by famous chocolate manufacturer Felchlin.
Pastry Chef Invited to Swiss Culinary Master Class
The Master Class will be a two-day, hands-on modern pastry class led by an award-winning pastry chef Julien Boutonnet. Boutonnet earned France’s top distinction, one of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF) award for pastry and candy making in 2015.
Felchlin offers the course at their Condirama training center in Schwyz, Switzerland, the industry’s first training center for pastry chefs and confectioners. In addition to hands-on training, this Master Class offers course participants the opportunity for dialogue between experts, developing new ideas and putting unusual recipes into practice.
Chef Van, Corporate Pastry Chef for Genesis Hospitality, is responsible for overseeing and developing exceptional pastries in a modern way. Genesis Hospitality owns and operates a family of properties which includes historic inns and restaurants such as Chez Alice Patisserie in Princeton and Lambertville, NJ, Washington Crossing Inn in Washington Crossing, PA, Yardley Inn in Yardley, PA, The Peacock Inn and Perch Restaurant in Princeton, NJ, Bread Boutique, Nassau Diner and Proof Pizzeria in Princeton, NJ.
Chef Van has over twenty years of professional experience in the culinary arts and specializes in gourmet desserts and jaw-dropping cake art. A graduate of The Restaurant School in Philadelphia, his extensive professional training includes time abroad in Paris, France, training under Chef Extraordinaire Charlie Palmer at the Aureole Restaurant in New York City, as well as studying the art of creating sugar flowers with internationally renowned sugar artist Ron Ben-Israel. He has been featured several times in local publications, including the Philadelphia Wedding Magazine, The Philadelphia Modern Luxury Wedding Magazine, and The Philadelphia Style Magazine, for his artistic and creative cake designs. He was a three-time food network competitor, Season 2 of Food Network’s “Cake Wars” in 2016, Food Network’s 2018 “Wedding Cake Championship” and Food Network’s 2018 “Holiday Gingerbread Showdown.” “I’m excited for this intimate setting to be able to ask questions and experience working with other top pastry chefs. It’s an amazing opportunity for someone in pastry to work with a M.O.F. Pâtissiers,” said Chef Van.
“Van is an artist. His desserts embrace creativity and passion,” said Eben Copple, Director of Hospitality for Genesis Hospitality. “This opportunity to train with Chef Boutonnet will be another feather in his “toque blanche” and will elevate our pastry offerings.”
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