Pierre Herme: turning pastries into works of art

Nation's Restaurant News, April 7, 2003 by Amanda Mosle Friedman

In Paris, when you mention plans to interview renowned pastry chef Pierre Herme, an extraordinary thing happens: All of Paris is suddenly free to carry your notebook for you. The fourth generation in a family of Alsatian bakers and pastry chefs, Herme has put the family name on the rolling board Thought by some to have revolutionized traditional French pastry, he has eliminated what sources describe as "unnecessary decorations" and avoided "using sugar like salt" when sugar is not the flavor-enhancer that will really make the difference.

Herme has been described by French Vogue as "The Picasso of Pastry." And he currently is working on the launch of a perfume. Having begun his career at age 14 under the legendary Gaston Lendtre, he was only 24 when he became the pastry chef at Fauchon. He remained there for 11 years, until 1997, when he was asked to assist with the opening of Laduree, a prestigious French pastry shop. In 1998 Herme was called to branch out in his own name -- in Tokyo -- in the form of a bakery in a top hotel. That was followed in July 2000 by the opening of a tea salon. During that time he also was collaborating with some of the great restaurateurs and chefs in the United States. Yet it was not until August, 2001, that he conquered Paris in his own name.

Title: chef-owner, Pierre Herme Paris, Paris

Birth date: Nov. 20, 1961

Hometown: Colmar Haut-Rhin, France

Education: training at Lenotre school and kitchen

Career highlights: wrote "Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme," "Desserts by Pierre Herme" and "The Pastry of Pierre Herme"; received culinary award from L'Association des Patissiers Francais; was awarded Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Why did you go abroad before conquering France?

Because when I was with Laduree, I couldn't open a place in Paris. It was part of the contract. And then by chance I met the owner of a hotel in Tokyo. I spent a week there doing a kind of exhibition of French pastries, and afterward I was asked if I wanted to open a Pierre Herme pastry boutique. After that there was a tea salon and then the opening here [in Paris].

You have been linked to Lenotre, Fauchon and Laduree, among the most prestigious names I French pastry. Tell me about those experiences.

At Lenotre I learned my trade, what quality is, organizational skills, discipline and exactitude, so really the things that are the bottom line in my trade. Then, at Fauchon, I was able to create and express my style, both very important stages. Laduree was where I was able to put it all in place and move above "pastry" to ensure the transition and evolution of that enterprise. In one year Ladurcee went from a little bakery in the eighth district of Paris to a big brand name. When I arrived, there was not a lot of organization. I really brought the savoir-faire to the company. When I arrived, they didn't have a logo. We redid the packaging, the service -- it was a huge job to do in two years. But, that said, while I was there, we went from 45 to almost 200 employees. It was both an interesting and difficult undertaking.

This season the theme of your pastries is "white," which makes me think that you perhaps think in colors as well as flavors of the season. Can you explain to me your thought process?

I do not always choose a color. Last season the theme was transparency. Next season it will be something else.

There is also a wave of emotion. One could compare you to a fashion designer puffing on a seasonal collection.

It was something that I wanted to instill since I like to talk about cakes and their construction. A collection really has a variety of sources of inspiration. Each cake has its own road and story. Nothing is ever created in the same way.

This is a delicate question: I've heard rumors of financial problems.

For the Parisian business I am associated with two people - Jean-Luc Delarue, a television producer and one of the owners of the nightclub Les Bains Douche, and Hubert Boukopza. They are the partners in Nobu Paris and Korova. They have had problems with their restaurants, and so we had problems. They were using us to finance the other projects. Here in Paris we are doing well; our business is helping us to get out of all this and change financial partners. It's been badly managed. We have a boutique, which is working well, which has never worked so well, actually. It's 40 square meters [about 430 square feet] and generated more than 3 million Euros [roughly the same in dollars] between Sept. 1, 2001, and Aug. 31,2002.

You say that business never has been better. Some people suggest that after September 11th, people treated themselves more to the little pleasures like sweets.

I couldn't really comment since we had just opened. But for me creation is just that. There is only one goal: the pleasure of the one who is eating those creations. Creation is not to satisfy the ego of the chef I say that because it is not to have fun, but to create pleasure for another. Of course I do have fun.

What is your favorite pastry or creation?